Augustus Following the murder of Julius Caesar, the assassins were forced to flee for their lives.

The Second Triumvirate Caesar's leading supporters, Octavian (Caesar's 18 year old nephew), Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus, joined to form a second triumvirate that would defeat Brutus and Cassius in Greece in 42 BCE.

The Second Triumvirate They divided the Roman world among themselves, but they did not share power for long.

Octavian forced Lepidus to retire from politics.

Antony fell in love with Cleopatra (queen of Egypt). He began to give away parts of Roman territory to her. [Antony was] "...carried away by her to Alexandria, there to keep holiday, like a boy, in play and diversion, squandering and fooling away in enjoyment that most costly of all valuables, time." Plutarch

Civil War Octavian used the anger of the Romans to wage war with Antony's fleet near Actium off the coast of Greece in 31 BCE. Antony abandoned his fleet and they surrendered.

Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt and committed suicide.

Octavian conquered Egypt, and returned to Rome as the undisputed ruler of an empire. He became the first Emperor (absolute ruler) of Rome, and was given the title Augustus, meaning the "highest one."

He claimed to be restoring the Republic, but everyone knew the senate did whatever he wanted. He became known as "Caesar Augustus." Many of the later Roman emperors were Octavian's descendants. "Caesar" was an important title of later Roman emperors.

Under Caesar Augustus began the Pax Romana (200 years of Roman peace and prosperity).