CAESAR’S HEREDITY: THE CLASH OF ANTONY AND OCTAVIAN

On the 20^th of March 44 B.C. Caesar’s funeral was celebrate. Mark Antony’s figure emerges, Caesar’s lieutenant: he red to the audience the dictator’s will, that it gives to the people Ginacolo’s garden and three hundred of sesterzi (coins) for every plebeian. With a theatrical gesture he show Caesar’s dress dirty of his blood, causing the reaction of the people: the assassins of Caesar’s home (Bruto, Cassio and others) forced them to flee.

The day after the funerals, a young boy, just 19 years old (Octavian) went to collect his heredity. He was Gaio Octavian’s son and Caesar’s nephew (he was adopted by Caesar) with the name of Gaio Julius Caesar Octavian. He receive immediately war’s veteran’s favor and also the senator’s one, while Antony, that he also hope to being Caesar’s successor, judge him a rival and he manage to hinder him.

The two man started a weapons conflict, in Modena: Octavian won and he marched in Rome to proclaim himself consul.

Became consul in 43 B.C., Octavian announce his revenge to the Caesar’s assassins and he form an alliance with Antony. Together with Mark Emilio Lepidus, (Caesar’s cavalry commander) stipulate a second Triunviri. Unlike the first one, this is an official public accord that is going to last for 5 years, with that accord they share the control of provinces.

For underlines more this union, Antony marriage Octavian’s sister, Octavia, while Lepidus travelled to Spain, Octavian and Antony marched against Caesar’s assassins, that they organized a strong resistance in Greece.

In Macedony, in Filippi, Bruto and Cassio loose and they suicide themself.

Octavian return in Italy, where he’s fighting against Sextus Pompey, the Great Pompey’s son, that he is a Mediterranean’s Pirate. Senate celebrated him as the Peace of the sea’s restorer.

After won in Filippi, Antony appropriate for himself East’s province, where he meet Cleopatra.

He fall in love with her, repudiate Octavia and he marriage Cleopatra in Alessandria, sitting on a gold throne dressed by tipical East’s kings costumes, venerate by their subject like a God.

Their sons were two twins called Alessandro Helios and Cleopatra Selene.

Cleopatra influenced a lot Antony, pushing him to became a Pharaoh and to support the independence of the Egypt from Rome.

Everything scandalize a lot Romans, in favor of Octavian, who set off a bad campaign of his rival:

• He, Octavian, cares Rome’s interests, while Antony lost the reason and could transfer the capital in Egypt;
• Octavian represent the value of the Res Publica: honesty, sobriety, authority, while Antony lives a luxury live in the East;
• Octavian wants to defend the institutions and the traditional religion, while Antony strive for being venerate like a God;
• Octavian is a real Roman man, while Antony is influenced by a woman, Cleopatra, a corrupt and immortal woman, who thrown on him an evil spell for seduce him.

The clash begin in the 31 B.C., in Azio, on the Greek West Coast. Antony and Cleopatra have more soldiers and navy, but Agrippa, Octavian’s admiral succeed to stop their supplies.

Rather than fall into the hands of Octavian, the couple decide to escape in Egypt for suicide themself.

According to the tradition, Cleopatra, was bit by a snake on breast (others form a cobra, a snake considered sacred) hidden in a fruit basket.

Octavian won. When he return in Rome, a new era had started.