Aeneid context

The civil war

Pompe is the republic- has support of Senators but no army for he retreats to Greece

Ceasar is dictator for 11 days and makes himself consul for a year. Defeats Pompe in 48

Pompe goes to Egypt and is killed by Ptolemy XIII

Caesar goes to Italy to start a love and political affair with cleopatra

Post civil war

In 46 Caesar is appointed Dictator for 10 years and shows mercy to the supporters of Pompe, including Brutus

Gains support, promoting his descent from Aeneas

In 44 he appoints himself dictator for life

Brutus and Cassius lead a conspiracy and kill Caesar in 44 March . Conspirators call themselves liberators of Rome but have little support and no plan

Marc Antony makes sure Ceasers will is read, Ceaser left money to every Roman citizen and make Octavian his heir

Second Triumvirate

Octavian was popular with the people and his uncles allies. He initially worked with Marc Antony and Lepidus and killed this uncles conspirators, 2000 republicans dead

In 42 Antony defeats liberators

He secures the alliance with Octavian by marrying his sister but in 41 has an affair with Cleopatra

Lepidus is removed from politics after trying to gain control over Octavians legions

Octavian wages a skillful propaganda campaign against antony- he abandoned rome for a foregin women

Battle of Actium

Octavian seizes Antony’s will and publishes it, showing he wants to be buried next to cleopatra

Octavian showed this as a betrayal or rome so he wages war against Cleopatra, makes it clear it is not another civil war

Antony flees and kills himself, Octavian killes Caesarion

Octavian is the single most powerful man in rome , tries to show he doesnt want absolute power

pretended to step down and everyone begged him to stay bevause they didnt want another civil war

Post Actium

Closes gat of temple of Janis- shows rome is at peace which

returns in a big truiumph to rome

removes disreputably senators but doesnt expel anyone just becasue they liked antony

encourages religious pratcice

First constitutional settlement

consul from 32-17 and announces intention to retire from public life but senate objects and continues to elect him

new name “augustus” and is regarded as princeps

other dates

264-148- Punic wars between carthage

146 carthage defeated

214-146- Macedoniant war to conquer greece