Treaty of Brundisium
The Treaty of Brundisium , which took place in the port city of the same name, today's Brindisi , on the east coast of Italy in the autumn of 40 BC. The main point of peace was the reconciliation of Octavian (later Emperor Augustus ) and his adversary, Mark Antony . It was also sealed that Antonius, whose wife Fulvia had recently died, should marry Octavia , Augustus' sister, who had also recently been widowed, in order to confirm the new alliance . The soldiers extensively cheered the planned family connection between the two triumvirs , as the longed-for era of peace seemed to have come true. The wedding of Antonius and Octavia was held in Rome after the two reconciled rulers entered Rome. Octavian accepted the praenomen Imperatoris on the occasion of the ovatio and henceforth called himself Imperator Caesar Divi filius .
The Treaty of Brundisium also divided the entire Roman Empire between the triumvirs. According to the agreements made, Octavian received the western and Antonius the eastern ( reaching as far as the Euphrates ) provinces of the empire. By far the weakest of the triumvirs, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus , was allowed to continue to administer his provinces in North Africa. The city of Scodra , located in what is now northern Albania, should form the border between the spheres of power of Antony and Octavian . Thus Antony dominated areas in which Greek was spoken predominantly, while in Octavian's territory the Latin language was predominant.
In theory, all three triumvirs were allowed to continue to recruit troops in Italy; but since Octavian mastered this area, he could in fact prevent his colleagues from actually exercising their right to evict at any time. It was also determined in advance who would be allowed to hold the consulates for the next few years, with supporters of Octavian and Antonius alike.
There was also a new distribution of tasks with regard to further military action. Antonius still had the duty to fight the Parthians , which began in 40 BC. BC in Syria and Asia Minor and thus invaded Roman territory. Octavian was supposed to seek a compromise with Sextus Pompeius , but should wage war against him if the peace efforts failed. Sextus Pompeius ruled the western Mediterranean with strong naval forces and cut off the supply of food to Italy. Antony had already negotiated with Pompey before the Treaty of Brundisium and promised to try to reconcile him with Octavian. According to the clauses of the Treaty of Brundisium, Pompey should now be allowed to keep Sicily , but cede the islands of Sardinia and Corsica , which he also occupied, to Octavian. However, since Pompey soon had these islands conquered again, the understanding with him was considered to have failed. Only in the summer of 39 BC A - again only short-lived - peace settlement between Antony, Octavian and Sextus Pompeius was found in the Treaty of Misenum .
Main sources
- Appian , Civil Wars 5, 60-65
- Cassius Dio , Roman History 48, 28, 3 - 30, 1
- Plutarch , Antonius 30f.
literature
- Jochen Bleicken , Augustus , Berlin 1998, pp. 199f.
- MC Howatson (Ed.): Reclams Lexikon der Antike , Stuttgart, 2006.
Remarks
- ^ Appian , Civil Wars 5, 64 and 66; Plutarch , Antonius 31; Cassius Dio 48, 31, 3; Velleius Paterculus 2, 78, 1; Livy , periochae 127; among others
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 65; Plutarch, Antonius 30; Cassius Dio 48, 28, 4.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 65 and 93; Cassius Dio 50, 1, 3.
- ^ Plutarch, Antonius 30.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 65; Cassius Dio 48, 28, 4.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 66; Cassius Dio 48, 30, 8.