Battle of Philippi in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate

The Battle of Philippi was fought October 3 and 23, 42 BC during the War of the Second Triumvirate (44-42 BC). In the wake of the assassination of Julius Caesar, Octavian and Mark Antony sought avenge his death and deal with the conspirators Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The armies of the two sides met near Philippi in Macedonia. First clashing on October 3, the fighting effectively proved a draw though Cassius committed suicide after incorrectly learning that Brutus had failed. In a second engagement on October 23, Brutus was beaten and killed himself. Fast Facts: Battle of Philippi Conflict: War of the Second Triumvirate (44-42 BC)Dates: October 3 and 23, 42 BCArmies Commanders:Second TriumvirateOctavianMark Antony19 legions, 33,000 cavalry, over 100,000 totalBrutus CassiusMarcus Junius BrutusGaius Cassius Longinus17 legions, 17,000 cavalry, approximately 100,000 men Background Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, two of the principal conspirators, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus fled Rome and took control of the eastern provinces. There they raised a large army consisting of the eastern legions and levies from local kingdoms allied to Rome. To counter this, the members of the Second Triumvirate in Rome, Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, raised their own army to defeat the conspirators and avenge Caesars death. After crushing any remaining opposition in the Senate, the three men commenced planning a campaign to destroy the conspirators forces. Leaving Lepidus in Rome, Octavian and Antony marched east into Macedonia with around 28 legions seeking the enemy. Octavian Antony March As they moved forward, they dispatched two veteran commanders, Gaius Norbanus Flaccus and Lucius Decidius Saxa, ahead with eight legions to search for the conspirators army. Moving along the Via Egnatia, the two passed through the town of Philippi and assumed a defensive position in a mountain pass to the east. To the west, Antony moved to support Norbanus and Saxa while Octavian was delayed at Dyrrachium due to ill health. Advancing west, Brutus and Cassius wished to avoid a general engagement, preferring to operate on the defensive. It was their hope to use Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus allied fleet to sever the triumvirs supply lines back to Italy. After using their superior numbers to flank Norbanus and Saxa out of their position and force them to retreat, the conspirators dug in to the west of Philippi, with their line anchored on a marsh to the south and steep hills to the north. Troops Deploy Aware that Antony and Octavian were approaching, the conspirators fortified their position with ditches and ramparts straddling the Via Egnatia, and placed Brutus troops to the north of the road and Cassius to the south. The Triumvirates forces, numbering 19 legions, soon arrived and Antony arrayed his men opposite Cassius, while Octavian faced Brutus. Eager to begin the fighting, Antony tried several times to bring about a general battle, but Cassius and Brutus would not advance from behind their defenses. Seeking to break the deadlock, Antony began searching for a way through the marshes in an effort to turn Cassius right flank. Finding no usable paths, he directed that a causeway be constructed. First Battle Quickly understanding the enemys intentions, Cassius began building a transverse dam and pushed part of his forces south in an effort to cut off Antonys men in the marshes. This effort brought about the First Battle of Philippi on October 3, 42 BC. Attacking Cassius line near where the fortifications met the marsh, Antonys men swarmed over the wall. Driving through Cassius men, Antonys troops demolished the ramparts and ditch as well as put the enemy to rout. Seizing the camp, Antonys men then repelled other units from Cassius command as they moved north from the marshes. To the north, Brutus men, seeing the battle in the south, attacked Octavians forces (Map). Catching them off guard, Brutus men, directed by  Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, drove them from their camp and captured three legionary standards. Forced to retreat, Octavian to hide in a nearby swamp. As they moved through Octavians camp, Brutus men paused to plunder the tents allowing the enemy to reform and avoid a rout. Unable to see Brutus success, Cassius fell back with his men. Believing that they had both been defeated, he ordered his servant Pindarus to kill him. As the dust settled, both sides withdrew to their lines with their spoils. Robbed of his best strategic mind, Brutus decided to attempt to hold his position with the goal of wearing down the enemy. Second Battle Over the next three weeks, Antony began pushing south and east through the marshes forcing Brutus to extend his lines. While Brutus wished to continue delaying battle, his commanders and allies became restless and forced the issue. Surging forward on October 23, Brutus men met Octavian and Antonys in battle. Fighting at close-quarters, the battle proved very bloody as the Triumvirates forces succeeded in repelling Brutus attack. As his men began retreating, Octavians army captured their camp. Deprived of a place to make a stand, Brutus ultimately committed suicide and his army was routed. Aftermath Impact The casualties for the First Battle of Philippi were approximately 9,000 killed and wounded for Cassius and 18,000 for Octavian. As with all battles from this period, specific numbers are not known. Casualties are not known for the second battle on October 23, though many noted Romans, including Octavians would-be future father-in-law, Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, were killed or committed suicide. With the death of Cassius and Brutus, the Second Triumvirate essentially ended resistance to their rule and succeeded in avenging the death of Julius Caesar. While Octavian returned to Italy after the fighting ended, Antony elected to remain in the East. While Antony oversaw the eastern provinces and Gaul, Octavian effectively ruled Italy, Sardinia, and Corsica, while Lepidus directed affairs in North Africa. The battle marked the high point of Antonys career as a military leader, as his power would slowly erode until his ultimate defeat by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.