significance of the second triumvirate (1 Viewer)

[senso]

I need to write and essay on the significance of the second triumvirate and am struggling for some ideas.
I know that it was how Octavian achieved his power which led to him being emperor.
And that the triumvirate destroyed to last of the 'republicans' etc, but need specifics and sources..
Any help would be great thanks

 

[trekkie]

The first thing is the 2nd triumvirate was originally formed by Octavian, Lepidus and Marc Antony to avenge the assassination of Julius Caesar and to sort the affairs of the Roman empire out.
It saw the use of proscriptions (they drew up a list of all the people that had to be killed because they were connected with Caesars assassination, many prominent senators and Romans, including Cicero, Brutus and Cassius fell victim to the proscriptions of the triumvirate), which can be seen as an attempt by Octavian or Antony to rid themselves of as much support for the restoration of the republic as possible, making their rise to prominence easier. The formation of the triumvirate effectively put an end to the Roman equivalent of the republican party and paved the way for the creation of the principate

After the defeat of Brutus and Cassius at Phillipi the triumvirate resulted in the Roman empire being divided into three sections, Octavian took the west, Antony the east, and lepidus was given the leftover, Africa.

Pamela Bradley even thinks that the triumvirate was the reason that Julius Caesar was deified, attributing his immediate deification to fear.
Um , i know more i just cant get it out at the moment, too tired, lol, if you need more ill be happy to help, as for sources id look at Suetonius "Twelve Caesars" (chapters of Caesar and Octavian-
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-index.htmlat (online copy)

Cassius Dios Roman history (same sections as suetonius)
http://www.ukans.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/home.html (online copy)


And the best secondary sources would be H.H Scullard "From the Greacchi to Nero", Pamela Bradley "Ancient Rome-Using Evidence" and A.J Koutsoukis "Rome",

sorry i couldnt be more help, need sleep

 

[silvermoon]

ah, am tired, so some v.quick points:
-2ndT was sanctioned by the lex titia
-the first wave of proscription campaigns saw the defeat of the armies of brutus and cassius - with their deaths, the last republican generals who had control of independant armies were gone, thereby effectively ending the republican doors
-after the battle of actium, the doors of the temple of janus were closed for the first time in 200(?) years.
-2ndT exemplifies many of the changes that were taking place in the roman empire: eg. the breakdown of respect for traditional political relationships etc. (ie. failure of marriage alliances to keep oct and ant together); the rise of dominant individuals over the oligarchy etc.

 

[angelduck]

Also, i know it may not seem important, but discuss Octavia's role in triumvirate - she married antony as alliance, was used as political propaganda for battle of Actium by Octavian, and also, to marry Antony, the senate passed a special law (i cant remember its name) Because she was only 10 months into widowhood, and at the time it was illegal for a woman to remarry in such short a time - this means that the Senate was basically giving away its poewr etc. and their hold on republic, i also have more, had a really good essay on this, will find some points 4 ya l8r