Is Rome Worth One Good Man's Life?-A Roman TL

Chapter I: Cicero's Exile



220px-Cicero_-_Musei_Capitolini.JPG
-Marcus Tullius Cicero​

Of the men proscribed by the Second Triumvirate between Octavian, Antonius, and Lepidus, Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of the most viciously and doggedly hunted down. Cicero befriended the young Octavian after Caesar's assassination, even helping him convince the Senate to declare Marcus Antonius an enemy of the state. When Octavian and Antonius put aside their differences however, and formed the Second Triumvirate along with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, they created a long list of proscriptions, similar to those created only a generation a before by the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Antonius made sure Cicero was on the top of that list.


At first, Cicero showed signs of his trademark indecision, unsure whether to join the Liberators, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in the east, or remain in Italy. Luckily, his respect and sympathy amongst the populace was such that only a small few dared to even admit they had seen the legendary statesman. Finally, with the help of friends, Cicero left in the midst of a large crowd from his villa in Formiae, on December 5th, 43 BC.[1]When he reached the seaside, he embarked on a ship bound for Macedonia, with the intentions of meeting up with Brutus and Longinus.

Things began to go awry soon after the ships departure, as the ship was caught in a storm. It was only due to an experienced ship belonging to the navy of Sextus Pompeius, another enemy of the triumvirate, happening to be there at the same time, that the ship and her crew, including Cicero, were rescued. The crew was shocked to see that the great Marcus Tullius Cicero was also on the ship, to which they thanked Poseidon for sparing the prestigious senator. It was not long before they reached Pompeius's stronghold base of Sicily, from which an envoy was immediately despatched to inform the general of the unexpected arrival of what would become his most important asset in the times ahead.

[1] IOTL, he left on December 7th, and was caught while leaving Formiae.


Why hello there. This is a timeline I've been eager to do for awhile. Cicero surviving is a mini POD that I added in that is going to have a sizeable impact, mainly for the reputations of both Octavian and Sextus Pompeius. I have more written, it's just that I don't have the time to type it up at the moment, and wanted to get this posted so I could get some feedback.

Feedback is not only welcomed but encouraged. Don't be afriad to post criticisms either. I want to keep this as plausible as possible, and while I am familiar with this period, there are still many details I do not know of, and can certainly use your help in pointing it out. Hope you enjoyed the intro. :D
 
Last edited:
Have you read Robert Harris' historical fiction novels about Cicero? Yes, they're fiction, but the Cicero character is fascinating and full of contradictions and it might lend something to this TL. And the books are so good that they revived my old interest in Roman history after a long lapse.
 
Nice start, my favorite era of history, look forward to more ;)

Thanks, your TL is probably my biggest inspiration for this one!


. Have you read Robert Harris' historical fiction novels about Cicero? Yes, they're fiction, but the Cicero character is fascinating and full of contradictions and it might lend something to this TL. And the books are so good that they revived my old interest in Roman history after a long lapse.
I actually read his book on Pompeii, at the same time my friend was reading the book you mentioned. That was last year. I meant to read his book on Cicero but completely forgot about it lol. Thanks for reminding me I've been in need of a new book to read.
 

Deleted member 67076

Once again, another good Roman timeline:D. Ya better finish the other ones though.
 
Well, I am sorry to disapoint you, but I can't see how this timeline can be something else than a short term dead end unless you have Anthony lose the battle of Philippi in october 42 BCE.

Let's assume Cicero succeeds in escaping Italy in late 43 BCE.

Then, if the caesarians still win the battle of Philippi, then Anthony and many other caesarians and even many common people are going to want Cicero dead. Maybe this time Cicero is going to commit suicide.

In 43, Cicero had played the part of a civil war-monger. He wanted no more compromise with the caesarians and he knew he would have to pay the price for his action. Not only Anthony but also Octavian wanted Cicero dead.
 
Well, I am sorry to disapoint you, but I can't see how this timeline can be something else than a short term dead end unless you have Anthony lose the battle of Philippi in october 42 BCE.

Let's assume Cicero succeeds in escaping Italy in late 43 BCE.

Then, if the caesarians still win the battle of Philippi, then Anthony and many other caesarians and even many common people are going to want Cicero dead. Maybe this time Cicero is going to commit suicide.

In 43, Cicero had played the part of a civil war-monger. He wanted no more compromise with the caesarians and he knew he would have to pay the price for his action. Not only Anthony but also Octavian wanted Cicero dead.

I recognize all of that. Like I said, this us just a mini POD. The real PODs are gonna start coming up in the next few updates.
 
I just wanted to say that, even though I really haven't posted in your TLs before, I do enjoy them.

This is a rather interesting POD. It would be interesting to see where you take this.
 
Sextus Pompey and Cicero in the same TL! This has the recipe for greatness?
I don't suppose that Sextus will be thrashing Octavian in Sicily anytime soon?

Anyway, looks good so far!
 
Chapter II: The Roman Civil War Part I:First Battle of Philippi

In an attempt to gain complete control of the Roman Empire, the triumvirs focused their complete attention on the Liberatores, Cassius and Brutus, in Macedonia. They did so under the pretenses of avenging Caesar’s death, gathering an imposing force of 28 legions for their campaign. Lepidus was left to manage affairs in Italy, with Octavian and Antonius marching off to confront Brutus and Cassius. Octavian was more than happy to leave Rome, which was on the verge of revolt, even before the failed assassination of Cicero caused an uproar.
In Macedonia, the Liberatores had taken effective control over all of the eastern provinces along with the various Roman client kingdoms. Brutus and Cassius felt secure in their chances of winning the war-they would be in the same position Pompeius Magnus was against Caesar, and unlike Pompeius, they had no intention of wasting their advantage. Between them they mustered 17 legions, along with a sizeable amount of levies raised from the client kingdoms under their control. Only 2 of these were at full strength, with most of them being garrisons left in the east by Caesar, bringing their loyalty to question. A string of inspiring speeches by Cassius, as well as a huge bonus, helped to quell their loyalty doubts.
Once in Greece, the triumvirs immediately encountered troubles. Shortly after landing, the Republican fleet of 130 ships under the command of Ahenobarbus cut off supplies and communication with Italy. A scouting party of 8 legions lead by Nabanus and Saxa was sent out along the Via Egnatia to search for the Liberatore army. Saxa had discovered and taken up a defensive position at a narrow mountain pass near the city of Philippi, with Antony following close behind. Octavian however, was still in Dyrrachium, struck with an illness. With relative ease, Brutus and Cassius were able to outflank Saxa and force him to retreat, thus giving them the strong defensive position they desired, with impassable marches to their south, and an unassailable hill to their north. With the time afforded them, they built extensive fortifications, as Antony and Octavian moved up with a combined force of 19 legions.

300px-Phil2.png
Octavian being a relatively inept commander to put it nicely, the bulk of the work was done by Antonius. After much effort, Antonius was able to cut a pathway through the marshes, but not before it was noticed by Cassius, who responded by cutting off Antonius’s outstretched right wing. This caused the first battle of Philippi to commence, on October 3rd, 42 BC.
Antonius was quick to order a charge against Cassius’s fortifications. On the other side, Brutus’s forces sprang into action, launching a surprise attack on the forces of Octavian, and achieving remarkable success. Octavian’s troops broke and fled back to camp, where they were hotly pursued by Brutus’s men. The camp was captured, and Octavian himself was slain in his tent. Although legend will tell you it was Brutus himself who killed him, this is incredibly unlikely, and rather, it was an ordinary legionary who ended the life of Caesar’s heir prematurely.
While Brutus achieved spectacular success, things were not going well for Cassius. Antonius had successfully stormed Cassius’s fortifications, destroying the palisade and filling the ditch. Soon, Cassius’s camp was in the hands of Antonius, and a counter-attack was repulsed with ease.
The battle was in some ways a draw, yet in others a victory for the Liberatores. When Cassius received word of Brutus’s success and Octavian’s death, he informed his men, who rejoiced. Octavian’s forces had lost a staggering amount of 18,000 men, compared to Cassius only losing half of that against Antonius. It was certainly a moral victory for the Liberatores, with Antonius suffering a massive setback. Command of Octavian’s force was transferred to his best friend and right hand man, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, though in reality, Antonius now had full control over the entire triumvirate force.
Meanwhile, the triumvirs suffered another disaster at sea on the same day. Two legions attempting to reinforce the triumvirate forces were intercepted by the Republican fleet and annihilated. Antonius’s position was precarious, since his army would be unable to supply themselves for long off the already depleted lands of Thessaly and Macedonia. Defeat seemed inevitable, as the Brutus and Cassius held all the cards. In an attempt to boost morale, Antonius offered 5,000 denarii as a bonus for each soldier, and 25,000 to each centurion. All the while, he desperately searched for options.
 
Last edited:
Excellent! Antonius is in a sticky situation now. I wonder if he will negotiate some sort of agreement with either the liberators or Sextus-which given that they were "noble" and "honest" to a fault i would view as quite possible.

Anyway, keep it up!
 
Top