Böcker av Clifford Alexander

With the murder of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March 44 BC, a new political constellation seized control of the city of Rome. Known as the Second Triumvirate, this alliance between Gaius Octavius (Augustus), Marc Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus formed in the year 43 BC and saw the three most powerful men in Rome overcome their own personal differences to bring about a new stability to their tumultuous city. It was a period of extreme violence, as the Second Triumvirate first needed to contend with the rebellious conspirators who had first assassinated Caesar and then broken away from the Roman state. Gradually emerging victorious over the assassins, the Second Triumvirate attempted to consolidate their hold on the Roman Empire by partitioning its vast expanse amongst themselves. However, as Rome always proves true only one man can master the greatest empire of the Mediterranean. In what followed, political intrigue pitted each member of the Triumvirate against one another, as all attempted to seize absolute power. This contest between the greatest Roman politicians mobilized vast armies from across the world, and featured battles that stretched from the sands of the Persian heartlands to the Spanish steppes. From the ashes of the Second Triumvirate emerged a new form of government that we now know as the Empire. It was a form of governance that reflected the violence from which it was born. Cruel and absolute in their use of power, the Roman emperors could now dictate the course of the nation without having to bow to the desires of the people of Rome. Under their direction, Rome would be resplendent and glorious once more.

The First Century BC was a watershed for the development of the Roman state. It was a century characterized by near incessant warfare and political strife in Rome, evidence that a new form of government was necessary to rule over its new extensive conquests. It was becoming apparent to the traditional ruling elite that the ancient military superpower was beginning to undergo an uneasy transition from Republic to Imperial Power. Central in this change were the actions of the First Triumvirate: an alliance between the most powerful men in Rome. The Triumvirate was composed of Gnaeus Pompey Magnus, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gaius Julius Caesar, and together these individuals combined their vast political influence to reduce the Roman Senate to a mere charade. Together, they eked out a place for themselves at the head of the Roman state. Through their efforts, Gaul, Spain and Syria came firmly into the Roman fold. However, like all things true to the Roman Republic, the First Triumvirate was not invulnerable to outside coercion and manipulation. Soon, it too began to show signs of corruption, and each man started to suspect the other of looming betrayal. These misgivings would seep through the alliance until the poison had successfully turned the members of the First Triumvirate against one another. The political tension, and the ensuing war, would fundamentally alter the very fabric of the Roman state forever. From the chaos of the Triumvirate, a new form of government would take root: the Roman monarchy we now know as the Empire.