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Gaius Julius Caesar is born into a Patrician family that was neither rich nor influential at the time.
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Julius’ father died, he is betrothed but breaks the betrothal, instead marrying at the age of 18 years with Cornelia (influential in the Popular Faction) who bore him his only legitimate child, Julia. He goes into hiding for a period of time when the dictator Sulla proscribed him for refusing to divorce, later being allowed to return when his family members had him pardoned.
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Marcus Junius Brutus is born under his father of the same name and Servilia in Phillipi, Macedonia.
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Marcus Antonius is born into a respected family, however he spends his life gambling, drinking and other boyish things, acquiring him little good fortune in civilian life.
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Brutus’ father is killed by Pompey the Great, he is then adopted by his uncle, Quintus Servilius Saepio; he is later often referred to as Quintus Saepio Brutus, joining the philosophical party of Stoicism.
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Gaius Cilnius Maecenas is born into a wealthy background apparently in Arretium – his mother was of the powerful house Cilii.
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Julius’ wife Cornelia and his mother, Julia both die; he spoke at both funerals, notably describing his familial connection to kings and rulers.
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Gaius Octavius is born in Velletri, Italy, his mother was the daughter to Julia Caesar, who was sister to Julius Caesar.
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Julius Caesar, having been both a general and military tribune and leading the Romans to victory in Spain and Asia Minor, returns to Rome; he then forms the First Triumvirate between himself, Pompey and Crassus whom he convinced to avoid conflict.
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Julius Caesar marries Julia to Pompey, married Calpurnia (a daughter of a high-ranking member of the Popular Faction) and was given the position as pro-consul of Gaul, leaving then to begin his conquest of Central Europa.
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Marcus Antonius’ civilian life finally comes to a close and his notability gains ground when (pursued by many creditors and similar debts he could not repay) he fled to Greece and led troops on campaigns in Judea.
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Julius’ Julia dies in Childbirth, his ally Crassus dies the next year leading the Roman armies of the east against the Parthians and Julius’ alliance with Pompey grows strained.
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Marcus Antonius is appointed a staff officer to Julius Caesar, later being made a military tribune, in this time he grew a heavy respect of Caesar.
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Julius designs a government to control the vast provinces of Gaul, meanwhile the Optimate Faction tries to remove his position and places Pompey on a collision course with him, ensuring that if one is victorious, the other loses much; setting the stage for a civil war.
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Julius Caesar, pushed to the limit of legal matters, marches into Italia and spurs a civil war to begin – Pompey arranges his troops in Iberia to meet him and the Senate in the Eastern Provinces. Caesar rises to power and sets up a rump Senate, instituting the Rule of Clemency, removing executions and the seizing of land. He defeats Pompey’s Iberian Legions and then moves east.
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Brutus decides to support Julius’ enemy, Pompey and is deployed in Greece during the civil-war.
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In the battle of Greece, Julius Caesar lead his armies by sea to confront Pompey’s fortified positions, he is victorious in the battle in which Pompey had over double Caesar’s entire force, including reinforcements.
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Brutus is captured by Caesar’s Legions but under the Rule of Clemency, he is pardoned and allowed to remain a citizen.
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Marcus Antonius leads the reinforcements requisitioned by Julius Caesar from Brundisium, his added armies securing victory for Julius.
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The sons of Pompey staged and uprising in Iberia, Julius invaded and defeated them. In this time, Octavian was ill however, despite his health and young age, joined Julius – acquiring a kindly respect from the leader.
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Pompey’s forces are finally crushed by Caesar, who returns to Rome and becomes its fully established (though not officially until early 44 BC) autocrat. He brings Cleopatra and his son, Caesarion, to the city of Rome. He solidifies his rule by centralizing his power and brings the concept of coins minted in his image to Rome.
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Brutus is made a praetor and set up for the position of consul in partnership with Gaius Cassius Longinus by Julius Caesar – it is around this time that he joins the plot with Cassius to assassinate Julius, who by now was his respected friend.
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Julius Caesar is murdered by his senators, he dies of many stab wounds and blood loss; setting the stage for a second Roman civil war.
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Brutus, having led the conspirators in the stabbing of Caesar, attempts to reclaim control of the Imperium for the sake of the older Republic and the Senate; however the people (much to the conspirators’ surprise) were very fond of their now killed Emperor. Therefore, Brutus and the Senators retreat eastwards. He and Cassius establish themselves in Greece, consolidating the Eastern Provinces’ strength and wealth (which he had smelted into coins in his image, as Caesar did).
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Marcus Antonius is outraged by the murder of Caesar and banish the Senate, Cassius and Brutus from Italia. He consolidate his power there and scores multiple victories against these traitors.
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Octavian argued with Antonius as to who would succeed Caesar as ruler of the Empire (Marcus being owed the position by law and Octavian being owed it by blood), as such he battles with Antonius as well as Brutus for control.
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Brutus and Cassius are forced to confront Lepidus’, Octavian’s and Antonius’ combined forces in two battles and Phillipi; as to avoid the dishonor of their impending defeats, both kill themselves, ending the civil war and solidifying the Second Triumvirate amongst Antonius, Octavian and Lepidus, originally formed the previous year.
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The Second Triumvirate divides the Roman Imperium amongst Lepidus’ Southern Provinces (Africa), Antonius’ Eastern Provinces (Anatolia and N. Arabia [Egypt through royal marriage]) and Octavian’s Western Provinces (Gaul, Iberia and a minute portion of Britannia).
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Antonius’ brother Lucius and wife Fulvia rebel against Octavian and are killed, Antonius reconciling with Octavian by marrying his sister, Octavia.
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Maecenas, otherwise silently funding poets such as Horace, reenters the issue of politics by negotiating the formation of the Triumvirate as well as the marriage between Octavian and Scribonia as well as the reconciliation between Octavian and Antonius.
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To secure his power in Egypt and Judea, Antonius secretly grows in an affair with Cleopatra, practically abandoning Octavia and therefore destroying his alliance with Octavian.
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Octavian grows ever tired of Antonius’ meddling in the Triumvirate, choosing to direct efforts in a smear campaign against him, especially when Antonius leaves Octavia for Cleopatra.
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Maecenas is appointed vice-regent to Octavian as well as governor of Italia and Rome.
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Octavian leads an offensive war against Antonius once the Second Triumvirate expires, Lepidus quickly loses to Octavian’s control, Antonius is quickly defeated and forced to retreat all the way to Alexandria in Egypt.
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Marcus Antonius falls in the Battle of Alexandria, dying of a self-inflicted stabbing due to his failure to defeat Octavian’s invasion forces; Cleopatra then immediately does the same to herself though through two snakes.
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With Antonius dead and Lepidus finished, Octavian arises to the throne of Rome as if an emperor. As Julius did before him, he chose to grant pardon to his enemies in return for continued loyalty, however he did kill Caesarion as to avoid having a competitor to his position.
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Octavian makes the First Settlement, a well-orchestrated act that reestablished the Senate but maintained his dominance (however unknown) over said Senate and its power over the empire. For this he is praised and given the name Augustus (to avoid confusion he will continue to be known as Octavian)
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Having recovered from a serious illness, Octavian invoked the Second Settlement, abandoning his official position and powers to the Senate, however the Senate gave him the power to propose legislation and veto enacted legislation.
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Octavian is officially made First Consul for life, completing his power.
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Octavian rules peacefully until he died of illness in this year en route from Rome to Capri.
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Octavian becomes like a god-king of the Roman way, despite his death; he is named parens patriae, father of the fatherland, by the Roman Senate.
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Maecenas dies of old age, devoting all his wealth to the current emperor as he lacked and heirs to which he could entrust the funds.