The Battle of Philippi

One of the most accurate depictions of Ancient Roman war in modern media. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B... combined armies of the Second Triumvirate, lead by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) and Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) with approximately 20 legions (reportedly nearly 100,000 men in total, including auxiliaries and cavalry) campaigned to quash once and for all the last of the "Liberatores" responsible for the death of Caesar, lead by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, with nearly 20 legions themselves.The first battle was fought over two days, the second fought three weeks later, with the soldiers abandoning the use of javelin and fighting in close quarters. After the first day's battle, Brutus's forces pushed back Octavian's forces and began looting, giving Octavian's army ample time to reform and strike back. Antonius, meanwhile, had beaten back Cassius's army. Cassius, believing Brutus's army to have been beaten due to the lack of vision from the great dust churned up during the battle, ordered his freedman Pindarus to kill him. In actuality, Brutus was just arriving to relieve Cassius's forces, and discovered his body soon after Cassius's death. Fearing the blow to morale it would cause, he did not have a public funeral for Cassius.In the next three weeks, Antonius carefully advanced on Brutus's army, fortifying a hill near Cassius's army camp. Octavian had deployed south in a marsh, where Brutus engaged him. The battle grew dense and confusing, and Brutus's army was routed.Unable to reform in time, Octavian and Antonius breached Brutus's camp, and Brutus committed suicide rather than be captured. The entire surviving army of Brutus and Cassius surrendered to the Triumvires and were pardoned and enrolled in the Triumvirate army, replacing seasoned veterans who could finally retire.This was far from the final campaign for Octavian and Antonius.

Channel: Entertainment
Uploaded: January 29, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Author: BloodyMargie

Length: 40:28
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Tags: Antonius  Antony  Brutus  Cassius  civil  Gaius  HBO  legion  Longinus  Marcus  Mark  Octavian  Octavius  Philippi  Rome  

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