Editing Marcus Junius Brutus (section)

=== Philippi ===
{{see|Battle of Philippi}}

[[File:Brutus and his companions after the battle of Philippi.jpg|thumb|Brutus and his companions after the battle of Philippi]]
The Caesarians also marched into Greece, evading the naval patrols of [[Sextus Pompey]], {{interlanguage link|Lucius Staius Murcus|de}}, and [[Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 32 BC)|Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus]].{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=197}} The ''liberatores'' had positioned themselves west of Neapolis with clear lines of communication back to their supplies in the east.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=197}} Octavian and Antony, leading the Caesarian forces, were not so lucky, as their supply lines were harassed by the superior republican fleets, leading the ''liberatores'' to adopt a strategy of attrition.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=197}}

Octavian and Antony had some 95,000 infantry with 13,000 horsemen, while Brutus and Cassius had some 85,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry. Flush with cash, the ''liberatores'' also had a substantial financial advantage, paying their soldiers in advance of the battle with 1,500 denarii a man and more for officers.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=198}} Antony moved quickly to force an engagement immediately, building a causeway under cover of darkness into the swamps that anchored the republican left flank; Cassius, commanding the republican left, countered with a wall to cut off Antony from his men and to defend his own flank.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=200}}

In the ensuing first battle of Philippi, the start of the battle is unclear. Appian says Antony attacked Cassius whereas Plutarch reports battle was joined more-or-less simultaneously.{{Sfn|Tempest|2017|p=201}} Brutus' forces defeated Octavian's troops on the republican right flank, sacking Octavian's camp and forcing the young Caesar to withdraw.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=201}} Cassius' troops fared poorly against Antony's men, forcing Cassius to withdraw to a hill. Two stories then follow: Appian reports that Cassius heard of Brutus' victory, and killed himself out of shame; but all other sources describe how one of Cassius' legates failed to relay the news of Brutus' victory, causing Cassius to believe that Brutus had been defeated, and leading to his suicide.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=202}}

Following the first battle, Brutus assumed command of Cassius' army with the promise of a substantial cash reward.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=203}} He also possibly promised his soldiers that he would allow them to plunder Thessalonica and Sparta after victory, as the cities had supported the triumvirs in the conflict.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=204}} Fearful of defections among his troops and the possibility of Antony cutting his supply lines, Brutus joined battle after attempting for some time to continue the original strategy of starving the enemy out.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=205}} The resulting second battle of Philippi was a head-to-head struggle in which the sources report few tactical manoeuvres but heavy casualties, especially among eminent republican families.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=206}}

After the defeat, Brutus fled into the nearby hills with about four legions.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=207}} Knowing his army had been defeated and that he would be captured, he took his own life by falling on his sword.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=208}} Among his last words were, according to [[Plutarch]], "By all means must we fly, but with our hands, not our feet".{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=208}} Brutus reportedly also uttered the well-known verse calling down a curse quoted from Euripides' ''Medea'': "O Zeus, do not forget who has caused all these woes".{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=207}} It is, however, unclear whether Brutus was referring to Antony, as claimed by Appian, or otherwise Octavian, as Kathryn Tempest believes.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=207}} Also according to Plutarch, he praised his friends for not deserting him before encouraging them to save themselves.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=208}}

Some sources report that Antony, upon discovering Brutus' body, as a show of great respect, ordered it to be wrapped in Antony's most expensive purple mantle and cremated, with the ashes to be sent to Brutus' mother, [[Servilia (mother of Marcus Junius Brutus)|Servilia]].{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=208}} Suetonius, however, reports that Octavian had Brutus' head cut off and planned to have it displayed before a statue of Caesar until it was thrown overboard during a storm in the Adriatic.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=209}}