Caesar’s name and posthumous reputation were significant in deciding the outcome of the power struggle that followed his assassination. The death of Caesar initiated a civil war that pitted his nephew Octavian and one of his assassinators, Anthony. Before his death, Caesar was highly respected and feared as the most powerful man in Rome because of his brutality and dictatorial tendencies. Most of his political enemies in the Roman Senate wanted to kill and replace him. On the other side, he was a merciful ruler who showed compassion to his enemies and even rewarded some of them.
After his death, Octavian and Mark Anthony engaged in a power struggle that saw Octavian become ruler. His fame as a ruthless and feared leader motivated his grand-nephew Octavian to pursue his uncle’s position. Caesar had designated Octavian as his son and heir, and his wishes were bound to be respected. His reputation as a feared leader greatly influenced Octavian’s rise to leadership because he received the support of most of his grand-uncle’s subjects. His name as the grand-nephew and heir apparent of the great and powerful Caesar made his descent to the position of authority much easier.
Octavian used his grand-uncle’s influence to compete for power with Anthony, whose ambition and hatred for Caesar was known. He became the true leader of the Caesarean party despite having fallen out of favor with Caesar. He used Caesar’s death and fame to gain political mileage by arranging for a compromise in which he allowed Caesar’s killers to go unpunished and his appointees to remain in office. He hoped to strike a balance between the different factions in the city to make him realize his political ambitions. Posthumously, Caesar was not a lenient leader who sometimes used to reward his enemies with political offices. Anthony attempted to use this leadership style to endear himself to the people to improve his chances of taking power at the expense of Octavian. However, Octavian’s resolve was much stronger than his because the late ruler designated him as his heir. Anthony’s name was not in the will and, therefore, had no authoritative claim to leadership. It was by the strength of the will that Octavian came to Greece and became among the most influential men in the city of Rome. His arrival was a big blow to Anthony because his support declined since the Senate did not trust him. The power struggle was decisively won when he decided to flee Rome for fear of his life. Octavian defeated the power struggle because his grand uncle’s fame and influence worked in his favor. He was inspired by Caesar’s fame and wanted to imitate his leadership qualities. It motivated him to act fearlessly and ruthlessly in his quest for leadership and political power. He experienced opposition and resistance to the throne because of the enmity and hatred some people had for his grand-uncle due to his leadership. Most of his enemies did not want him to take the reins of power simply because he was Caesar’s grandnephew, a ruler they loathed so much.
However, Caesar’s posthumous reputation helped Octavian inherit the support of many subjects in Rome who were ready to see him become their ruler. They helped him to fight Anthony on the strength of Caesar’s fame which endeared him to some subjects. On the other hand, Caesar’s reputation of generosity and kindness made some people not support his assassination and resisted Anthony’s attempts to take over power. Most of the people neither supported him nor Octavian in their quest for power, giving Octavian a competitive edge over Anthony. The reputation and fame of the late Caesar endeared Octavian to Senators in Rome. They supported his bid for power by helping him to fight off Anthony and defeat him at the Battle of Mutina in Italy in 43 BC.
Reasons Why Octavian Triumphed
Octavian triumphed over Anthony due to many factors, including geography, politics, and propaganda. Politically, Marcus Anthony was no match to Octavian, who was always in the company of the Senators of Rome while he was in Egypt with Cleopatra. He used the Senate to his advantage by spewing propaganda that Anthony was becoming less of a Roman and more of an Egyptian. Moreover, he spread malicious propaganda against Anthony when he read his testament aloud in the Senate. The testament suggested that Anthony wanted his children by Cleopatra to inherit extensive territorial lands owned by Rome (Ian 216). It will also be confirmed that Caesarion was the son of Caesar and Cleopatra, which could otherwise undermine Octavian’s position as the rightful heir. It also claimed that Anthony should be buried in Alexandria in the mausoleum of the Ptolemaic kings. It was a provoking request that suggested that he wanted to become a despot who wanted to turn Rome into a monarchy. The testament forced the Senate to strip Anthony of his powers in 32 BC and declared war on his wife, Cleopatra.
Anthony’s unwillingness to acknowledge Octavian’s political and military potential was a significant factor that led to his downfall at the hands of Octavian. Moreover, the fact that Octavian knew that he was the legal principle heir to Caesar encouraged him even more to take on Anthony. His burning ambition to reclaim what he thought was his and the desire to avenge his great uncle’s death gave him a competitive advantage over Anthony. He appeased Roman citizens by paying them money promised by Anthony to galvanize his support base. He also reinforced his forces with those of Caesar’s former loyal veterans. On the other hand, Anthony lost to Octavian because he ignored the essence of Rome as a political base by living away from the center of power. His personal life played a significant role in his downfall as most of his supporters saw it as detrimental to his reputation and ability to lead.
Plutarch’s Accounts
Plutarch is a reliable history guide to the events because his accounts agree with those of different historians. His reports on Anthony’s personal life, his love relationship with Cleopatra, and the conflict it created with the Roman empire should be considered factual because many historians have narrated them. He reports that Anthony was a lazy individual who flirted with other people’s wives, a lifestyle that led the Roman Senate and general public to withdraw their support from him (Ian 317). This claim is supported by Cicero, who affirms the general dislike and disgust the Roman people had for Anthony’s behaviors and personality.
Plutarch believes that spin and propaganda played a significant role in Anthony’s downfall. Cicero published propaganda and made speeches against Anthony to influence the Senate’s view of him. As informed by Cicero’s propaganda, Rome made him an enemy of the state, which influenced public opinion. Propaganda made him lose his reputation and support from Rome, making him politically weak. Plutarch also supports the notion that his absence from Rome affected his ability to affirm his position and damaged his reputation. It allowed Octavian and Cicero to demolish his political standing in Rome. Most scholars agree that Anthony’s lifestyle played a significant role in his downfall at Octavian’s hands.
The accounts by Plutarch pinpoint Anthony’s love affair with Cleopatra that lead to having children and love for Egypt as the reasons why his reputation was damaged. The Romans considered him a traitor for marrying a foreigner and fronting the interests of another country. His will revealed that he had intentions of dividing kingdoms that Egypt conquered to Egyptians and not Rome. These revelations alienated him from the roman people and made him become an enemy of the state, denying him any form of support from Rome. On the other side, the support for Octavian increases in his quest to defeat Anthony.
Plutarch gives credit to Cleopatra for having the most influence over Anthony even though she had initially had a relationship with Caesar that made her the queen of Egypt. Their union was controversial since it worked against the interest of the Roman empire, the Senate, and the general populace. The ensuing tension made Octavian declare war on Anthony, having denounced him in the Senate. Plutarch reaffirms his belief in their love relationship when he says that Anthony and Cleopatra vowed to die together in case Octavian attacked them.
Evidence of Propaganda
Elements of propaganda are visible in his accounts when he uses Cicero’s speeches and publications to give credence to his claims. His description of Anthony’s lifestyle and the dislike and disgust demonstrated by the Roman public provides some elements of propaganda. His personal life was the basis for propaganda against him and his leadership style. His romantic relationship with Cleopatra, a foreigner, was a significant cause for propaganda against Anthony to paint him as a traitor. Finally, Plutarch made several references to the testament that Octavian used to tarnish Anthony’s reputation as a traitor and enemy of the Roman people. Anthony’s will demonstrated elements of spin and propaganda that were used to make Anthony fall out of favor with Rome.
Work Cited
Ian Scott-Kilvert. Makers of Rome: Nine Lives. Penguin Books, New York. 1965.