Marcus Octavius ( 53 – 46 BC) was a

Roman senator The Roman Senate () was the highest and Roman constitution, constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the Rome, city of Rome (traditionally founded ...

and military commander. He fought for

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

in the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

against

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

Life

Marcus Octavius was son of Gnaeus Octavius, consul in 76 BC. In 53 BC, he accompanied his friend, Appius Claudius Pulcher, governor of

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, to his province, but returned to Rome early in order to run for the office of curule

aedile Aedile ( , , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public orde ...

. Elected for the year 50 BC, he and his colleague, Marcus Caelius, asked

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

, another governor of Cilicia, to send them panthers, to be displayed in the games the aediles had to hold at Rome. During

Caesar's civil war Caesar's civil war (49–45 BC) was a civil war during the late Roman Republic between two factions led by Julius Caesar and Pompey. The main cause of the war was political tensions relating to Caesar's place in the Republic on his expected ret ...

, Octavius sided with

against

. At the end of 49 BC, he and

Lucius Scribonius Libo Several men of plebeian status were named Lucius Scribonius Libo during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire; they were members of the ''gens'' Scribonia. L. Scribonius Libo (praetor 204 BC) Lucius Scribonius Libo was a tribune of the plebs in 216 ...

were given joint charge of the Liburnian and

Achaia Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The ...

n squadrons of Pompey's fleet in the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

and Ionian seas. Octavius and Libo defeated Caesar's fleet under Publius Cornelius Dolabella on the

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

n coast, and managed to trap fifteen Caesarian cohorts under

Gaius Antonius Gaius Antonius (82 – 42 BC) was the second son of Marcus Antonius Creticus and Julia, and thus, younger brother of the Triumvir Mark Antony. Life Early life Like both of his brothers, Gaius started his life free from paternal guidance, ...

on the island of Curicta, where they were starved into submission. After Libo departed with the Liburnian fleet, Octavius obtained some further successes, securing the defection of the island of Issa to his side, but failed to persuade the Roman citizens at

Salona Salona (, ) was an ancient city and the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and near to Split, in Croatia. It was one of the largest cities of the late Roman empire with 60,000 inhabitants. It was the last residence of the final western ...

to do the same. He tried to besiege the city, but the inhabitants defended it vigorously, eventually making a surprise sortie and storming Octavius's camp. Suffering heavy losses and with winter approaching, Octavius was forced to withdraw to his ships and join Pompey at Dyrrachium. In 48 BC, Octavius reappeared in Dalmatia, where he gathered a powerful following from Pompeian fugitives in the aftermath of Pompey's defeat at Pharsalus, and from defectors among the native population. The first man whom Caesar sent to Dalmatia to restore his position,

Aulus Gabinius Aulus Gabinius ( – 48 or 47 BC) was a politician and general of the Roman Republic. He had an important career, culminating with a consulship in 58 BC, mainly thanks to the patronage of Pompey. His name is mostly associated with the '' le ...

, was unsuccessful in dislodging Octavius, but the second,

Publius Vatinius Publius Vatinius was a Roman politician during the last decades of the Republic. He served as a Caesarian-allied plebeian tribune in the year 59 – he was the tribune that proposed the law giving Caesar his Gallic command – and later fought on ...

, successfully captured several places, raised Octavius's siege of

Epidaurum Epidaurus (, ) or Epidauros was an ancient Greek colony founded sometime in the 6th century BC and renamed to Epidaurum during Roman rule in 228 BC, when it was part of the province of Illyricum and later of Dalmatia.Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians ...

, and defeated the Pompeian commander on a naval battle at the

Battle of Tauris The Battle of Tauris was a naval battle during Caesar's civil war in which a Pompeian fleet led by Marcus Octavius was defeated by a Caesarian fleet led by Publius Vatinius operating off the coast of Dalmatia. Background Caesar's civil war b ...

. Octavius was wounded but escaped by swimming. Stopping at Issa,

Corcyra Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

, and then

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, he went to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

to join the remaining Pompeians led by Cato. In February 46 BC, Octavius commanded, alongside Publius Attius Varus, a fleet which intercepted some Caesarian warship near Aigimuros. No more is heard of Octavius, unless he is to be identified with the Marcus Octavius who commanded part of

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

's fleet at the

Battle of Actium The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between Octavian's maritime fleet, led by Marcus Agrippa, and the combined fleets of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC in the Ionian Sea, near the former R ...

in 31 BC (though Münzer finds this doubtful).

References

Citations Sources * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Octavius, Marcus 1st-century BC Romans Ancient Roman generals Correspondents of Cicero Curule aediles Marcus Senators of the Roman Republic 1st-century BC births 1st-century BC deaths