Cicero remained convinced that he had a part
to play in the survival of the republic. He knew
that his close political associations with Bru-
tus and other conspirators would hurt his cause,
so he needed a strong political ally to counter
that factor. He thought he had found just the
person—a youth of 18, who was in the early days
of what would turn out to be an impressive career.
That young man was Octavian, a great-nephew
of Julius Caesar. Caesar had named Octavian as
his heir in his will. Octavian received news of
Caesar’s death while in Apollonia (in modern-
day Albania), and at once set out for Rome. He
arrived in April and attempted to gain the trust
of the veterans of Caesar’s legions and of influ-
ential figures like Cicero. He convinced Cicero
to return to Rome, and the elder statesman was
extremely flattered to have Octavian “totally de-
voted to me.” He became convinced that an alli-
ance with Octavian might help to destroy Anto-
ny’s political aspirations. Cicero was encouraged
to observe later in Rome, Octavian presented
himself, unaccompanied by Antony, to the vet-
erans of two legions and reiterated their rights.
Cicero wrote, with misplaced optimism, to his
friend Atticus:“This lad has landed a heavy blow
to Mark Antony.”
Beginning in September and continuing
into the spring of 43, Cicero delivered scath-
ing speeches against Antony in the Senate that
fanned outrage against him. These 14 orations
were called the Philippics because they were
modeled after warnings that the Athenian De-
mosthenes delivered about Philip of Macedon in
the fourth centuryB.C. Perhaps harkening back
to his famed orations against Catiline, Cicero
argued for the restoration of the republic, ad-
vocated for Octavian, and framed Antony as a
tyrant. Eventually the new consuls declared warCICERO’S
FINEST HOUR
It was in the Forum
(above) that Cicero
addressed the people
of Rome in 63B.C.,
congratulating them
for the defeat of
Catiline’s plans to
topple the republic
and establish a
dictatorship.
MASSIMO RIPANI/FOTOTECA 9X12“All honest men killed Caesar... some
lacked design, some courage, some
opportunity: None lacked the will.” —CiceroNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 43