The Roman Army

Marcus Junius Brutus Caepio (c.85-42): Roman politician, murderer of Gaius Julius Caesar and one of the last defenders of the republic.

Marcus Brutus was a descendant of that Junius Brutus whose bronze statue, with a drawn sword in its hand, was erected by the ancient Romans on the Capitol among those of the kings, in token that he was most resolute in dethroning the Tarquins.

Gaius Cassius Longinus, (died 42 BC, near Philippi, Macedonia [now in Greece]), prime mover in the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar in 44 BC.

Avidius Cassius is said, according to the statements of some, to have belonged to the family of the Cassii, but only on his mother's side. His father was Avidius Severus,1 the first of the family to hold public office, who at first commanded in the ranks,2 but later attained to the highest honours of the state.

Augustus was the first emperor of Rome. He replaced the Roman republic with an effective monarchy and during his long reign brought peace and stability.

Augustus Caesar (27 BCE – 14 CE) was the name of the first and, by most accounts, greatest Roman emperor. Augustus was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus on 23 September 63 BCE. Octavian was adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, and then took the name Gaius Julius Caesar.

Marcus Antonius (lived 83-30 BCE, known popularly as Mark Antony) was a Roman general and statesman best known for his love affair with Cleopatra VII (c.69-30 BCE) of Egypt. As Julius Caesar's friend and right-hand man, he gave the funeral oration after Caesar's assassination which turned the tide of popular opinion against the assassins.

After the death of Caesar, one man in particular stood in the best position to sieze control of unstable Rome. Antony proved a vital supporter in Caesar's rise to power and would establish himself as one of the leading men of the later Republic. Antony, however, despite being a brilliant general, lacked the necessary political tools hold onto his precarious position.