Battle of Philippi
Plain west of ancient Philippi, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece
What happened
Mark Antony and Octavian fought Brutus and Cassius, the leaders of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, his supporters Mark Antony and Octavian went to war against the men who killed him. Two battles were fought on the plain near Philippi in October 42 BCE. In the first, each side won on one wing and Cassius died; in the second, three weeks later, Brutus's army was defeated, and Brutus died too.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the last major resistance by the defenders of the old Roman Republic. Octavian later became Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
What came next
Antony and Octavian divided the Roman world between them.
Did you know?
Philippi was named after Philip II of Macedon, and its ruins became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
Timeline
- 3 October 42 BCEFirst Battle of Philippi; Cassius dies.
- 23 October 42 BCESecond Battle of Philippi; Brutus is defeated and dies.
- 2016Philippi becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site.