Editing Battle of Philippi (section)

== Prelude ==
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After the [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|assassination of Caesar]], the two main conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, known as the [[Liberatores|Liberators]], and leaders of the Republicans had left [[Italy]]. They took control of all the eastern provinces from [[Greece in the Roman era|Greece]] to [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]] and of the allied eastern kingdoms. In Rome the three main Caesarian leaders ([[Mark Antony|Antony]], [[Augustus|Octavian]] and [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)|Lepidus]]), who controlled almost all the [[Roman army]] in the west, had crushed the opposition of the Senate and established the [[Second Triumvirate]]. One of their first tasks was to destroy the Liberators' forces, not only to get full control of the Roman world, but also to avenge Caesar's death.

The triumvirs decided that Lepidus would remain in Italy, while the two main partners of the triumvirate, Antony and Octavian, moved to northern Greece with their best troops, a total of 28 [[Roman legion|legions]]. They were able to ferry their army across the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]] and sent out a scouting force of eight legions, commanded by [[Gaius Norbanus Flaccus|Norbanus]] and [[Decidius Saxa|Saxa]], along the [[Via Egnatia]], with the aim of searching for the Liberators' army. Norbanus and Saxa passed the town of [[Philippi]] in eastern [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] and took a strong defensive position at a narrow mountain pass. Antony was following, while Octavian was delayed at [[Durrës|Dyrrachium]] because of his ill-health (which would accompany him throughout the Philippi campaign). Although Antony and Octavian had been able to cross the sea with their main force, further communications with Italy were made difficult by the arrival of the Republican admiral [[Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 32 BC)|Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus]], with a large fleet of 130 ships.

The Liberators did not wish to engage in a decisive battle, but rather to attain a good defensive position and then use their naval superiority to block the triumvirs' communications with their supply base in Italy. They had spent the previous months plundering Greek cities to swell their war-chest. They gathered in [[Thrace]] with the Roman legions from the eastern provinces and levies from allies. With their superior forces they were able to outflank Norbanus and Saxa, who had to abandon their defensive position and retreat west of Philippi. This meant that Brutus and Cassius could position their forces to hold the high ground along both sides of the [[Via Egnatia]], about {{convert|3.5|km|mi}} west of the city of Philippi. The southern position was anchored on a supposedly impassable [[marsh]], while on the north on impassable hills. They had time to fortify their position with a rampart and ditch. Brutus positioned his camp to the north while Cassius was on the south of the Via Egnatia. Antony arrived and positioned his army south of the Via Egnatia, while Octavian put his legions north of the road.