Prompt Cast
The Second Triumvirate and the Birth of the Roman Empire
TLDR The second triumvirate in Rome was formed after the assassination of Julius Caesar, leading to a civil war between Mark Antony and Octavian. After defeating Antony and Cleopatra in the decisive battle of Actium, Octavian became the sole ruler of Rome, marking the end of the civil wars and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The second triumvirate in Rome, which had actual legal authority, began after the assassination of Julius Caesar.
02:08
After the assassination of Julius Caesar, a power vacuum was created in Rome, leading to a civil war between Mark Antony and Octavian, who both believed they were the natural leaders of the Caesarean faction.
03:48
To solve the problem of who would lead the Caesarean faction, a new triumvirate was formed consisting of Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus, with Lepidus being the weakest member due to his lack of assets and control over legions.
05:21
The second reason for the proscriptions was to obtain money for the upcoming war, and after the messy business of murdering and stealing the property of many Romans, the Triumvirate's next order of business was to defeat the anti-Cisarians in the Battle of Philippi.
07:00
After the Battle of Philippi, the members of the Triumvirate divided up the Roman world, with Octavian getting the western provinces, Mark Antony getting the east, and Lepidus receiving a small portion of North Africa, leaving Octavian and Antony as the main figures in the Triumvirate.
08:36
Octavian was able to turn public opinion against Antony by influencing Roman opinion and obtaining a copy of Antony's will, which expressed his desire to be buried in Egypt and left Roman lands to Cleopatra, leading to the decisive battle of Actium where Octavian's fleet defeated Antony and Cleopatra.
10:19
The defeat of Antony and Cleopatra led to their suicides, the end of the civil wars, the collapse of the Roman Republic, and the birth of the Roman Empire under Octavian's rule.
