Editing Roman Republic (section)

====Second Triumvirate====
{{Main|Second Triumvirate|Liberators' civil war|War of Actium}}
{{multiple image|total_width=400
|image1=Venus and Cupid from the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus at Pompeii, most likely a depiction of Cleopatra VII (2).jpg
|image2=Venus and Cupid from the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus at Pompeii, most likely a depiction of Cleopatra VII (5).jpg
|footer=This mid-1st-century&nbsp;BC [[Roman wall painting]] in [[Pompeii]] is probably a depiction of [[Cleopatra VII]] as [[Venus (mythology)#Epithets|Venus Genetrix]], with her son [[Caesarion]] as [[Cupid]]. Its owner Marcus Fabius Rufus most likely ordered its concealment behind a wall in reaction to the execution of Caesarion on orders of [[Octavian]] in 30&nbsp;BC.{{sfn|Roller|2010|p=175}}{{sfn|Walker|2008}}}}
The civil wars that followed destroyed what was left of the Republic.{{sfn|Abbott|2001|p=133}}

After the assassination, Caesar's three most important associates, [[Mark Antony]], Caesar's co-consul, [[Octavian]], Caesar's adopted son and great-nephew, and [[Lepidus]], Caesar's {{lang|la|[[magister equitum]]}}, formed an alliance known as the [[Second Triumvirate]].{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2003|p=237}} The conspirators were defeated at the [[Battle of Philippi]] in 42.

Following Philippi, Rome's territories were divided between the triumvirs, but the agreement was fragile. Antony detested Octavian and spent most of his time in the East, while Lepidus favoured Antony but felt himself obscured by his colleagues. Following [[Bellum Siculum|the defeat]] of [[Sextus Pompeius]], a dispute between Lepidus and Octavian regarding the allocation of lands broke out and, in 36&nbsp;BC, Lepidus was forced into exile in [[Circeii]] and stripped of all his offices except that of {{lang|la|[[pontifex maximus]]}}. His former provinces were awarded to Octavian.

Antony, meanwhile, married Caesar's lover, [[Cleopatra]] of [[Ptolemaic Egypt]], intending to use wealthy Egypt as a base to dominate Rome. The ambitious Octavian built a power base of patronage and then launched a campaign against Antony. Another [[War of Actium|civil war]] broke out between Octavian on one hand and Antony and Cleopatra on the other. This culminated in the latter's [[Battle of Actium|defeat at Actium]] in 31&nbsp;BC; Octavian's forces then chased Antony and Cleopatra to [[Battle of Alexandria (30 BC)|Alexandria]], where they both [[Death of Cleopatra|committed suicide]] in 30&nbsp;BC.

Octavian was granted a series of special powers, including sole {{lang|la|imperium}} within the city of Rome, permanent consular powers, and credit for every Roman military victory. In 27, he was granted the use of the name "Augustus", from which point he is generally considered the first Roman emperor.{{sfn|Luttwak|1976|p=7}}