On this day 2052 years ago, the combined armies of Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius were defeated by Mark Antony and Octavian Caesar at Philippi, Greece.
Brutus and Cassius, the lead conspirators of the assassination of Julius Caesar two years prior, had fled the country. Caesar had been declared Dictator for Life ("dictator" was a temporary position in Roman law that gave the person absolute power for six months to resolve a crisis). Although he was a tyrant in the making, the conspirators feared the people, since Caesar had brought wealth, peace and fame to Rome. Antony had stirred them into a frenzy with a well-crafted funeral speech, even though the Senate originally granted them amnesty. Friends, Romans and countrymen indeed.
For two years the assassins stayed in exile with about 17 legions of faithful men, roughly 60,000 troops. Their plan was to wait for Mark Antony and Octavian Caesar to kill each other off fighting for Julius' inheritance. Mark Antony had been Caesar's right hand ever since the campaign in Gaul, and through the recent civil war against Pompey Magnus. Octavian, however, was his adopted son (nephew by blood). Despite all hope, the two men reconciled and had the assassins declared murderers and enemies of the state. Along with the chief Pontiff Lepidus (high priest of the pagan religion), they formed the Second Triumvirate to govern the Republic.
Although Brutus and Cassius were tipped off to the approaching armies by Marcus Cicero, a sympathetic Senator, it would do little to help. Antony and Octavian had 19 legions at their disposal, many of whom were veterans of Caesar's. The first phase of the battle was on October 3 in which Octavian was defeated, but Cassius lost to Antony. October 23 saw the end of the tyrant killers. Cassius ordered his own death by the hand of a servant. Brutus fled to the mountains with 4 legions, but knew he would not be able to escape. He killed himself, and with his dying words, cursed Antony.
Both conspirators were given proper burials. After the battle, Octavian and Antony would fight for dominance in yet another bloody civil war. Antony would eventually lose, while Octavian went on to become the first Emperor: Caesar Augustus.
Brutus' family was renowned as being "tyrant killers" because one of the original ancestors helped depose the last of the Roman kings. Despite the fact that tyrant killing was perfectly acceptable in Roman culture (provided it was justified), Brutus has since become a poster-child for traitors and backstabbers. In my opinion, this isn't quite fair.
