War of the Liberators

The 43–42 BCE Roman civil war in which Mark Antony and Octavian defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius, Julius Caesar’s assassins.

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First Battle of Philippi: The first major battle near Philippi in 42 BCE, fought between the forces of Antony and Octavian and those of Brutus and Cassius. Cassius’s defeat and death in this battle changed the balance between the opposing armies.
Mark Antony: A Roman politician and general who helped defeat Brutus and Cassius at Philippi in 42 BCE. Antony led a major share of the triumviral campaign and emerged with strengthened political power.
Assassination of Julius Caesar: The killing of Julius Caesar by Roman senators on 15 March 44 BCE. The assassins’ political cause and the struggle over Caesar’s legacy set the war in motion.
Battle of Actium: The 31 BCE naval battle in which Octavian defeated the forces of Antony and Cleopatra. The victors at Philippi later became enemies, and their rivalry culminated at Actium.
Second Battle of Philippi: The final battle of the War of the Liberators, in which Antony and Octavian’s forces defeated Brutus’s army. Brutus’s defeat ended organized resistance by Caesar’s assassins.
Augustus: The first Roman emperor, born Gaius Octavius and later known as Octavian, who defeated the Liberators alongside Antony. Octavian’s victory helped secure his position in the struggle that eventually made him Rome’s first emperor.
Liberators (Roman faction): The Roman faction led by Caesar’s assassins, especially Brutus and Cassius, that fought Antony and Octavian. This faction supplied the opposing army and gave the conflict its traditional name.
Principate: The system of Roman imperial rule established by Augustus while preserving Republican forms. The triumph over the Liberators advanced the political order that Octavian eventually established.
Philippi: An ancient city in eastern Macedonia, near which the decisive battles of 42 BCE were fought. The city’s surroundings became the setting for both battles and the campaign’s conclusion.
Marcus Junius Brutus: A Roman senator and military commander who joined the conspiracy that killed Julius Caesar and led an army against Antony and Octavian. His defeat at Philippi ended his bid to restore the Republic by force.