It was not a power move. It was quite a common thing for slaves to do that if asked to harm their master. They couldn't hurt him, yet they couldn't disobey him. So... they took their own lives instead of dishonor.
This episode feels like an end to a really long book. Finally, after years of Caesars intrigues, reforms and conquests resulting in a civil war, we get to see the end of it all. The fall of a republic and the rise of the empire. Truly one of the greatest stories ever told.
The fact that we are still telling and retelling this story after over 2000 years says a lot. I wouldn't be shocked if it is still being told 2000 years from now if there are still any humans around to retell it.
@@scotandiamapping4549 I think they’re misinterpreting the caption in white at 23:42. I’m guessing brichesss8227 thinks that line is referring to 3 other children and not the 2 Claudia’s and Marcellus
Basically his parthian campaign was stupid, he literally lt his guard down like Octavian wasnt going to take advantage of the fact his legions are weak. Not sure what he was thinking
Anthony rarely knew what to do. He was a god awful administrator, average general at best, and a terrible diplomat. The only thing he had was great charisma which allowed him to be a good Public speaker. But that will only get you so far until you encounter someone who knows how to actually play the game. Then you've come to a dead end.
@@josephherrera6656 Im not saying this is true of him, but id say an above average general at best is more appropriate. He had his moments which make that an arguable case, although personally id simply call him competent and dependable.
He did it. He covered the entire Era that preceded the fall of the Republic. It feels special. HCiv, you can give yourself a pat on the back, man. This is awesome.
Well he should make episodes about the Gracchi brothers and Sulla if he wants to round off the fall of the Republic era. I’d also like to see content about the Roman conquest of Greece-I haven’t seen this covered that much on YT at least.
Plot twist: He used the same bribe to bribe the Arabians and Judeans later. Not mentioned in the video, but the timing at which the Arabians raided and the speed with which Judeans flipped can't be just explained as random events.
@@Progamermove_2003 The Arabians perhaps, but from what we know about him Herod was a pretty pragmatic guy and he could probably very well have seen where the wind was blowing and jumped ship as soon as he could.
@@rgm96x49 If he was so pragmatic, then he would've used this opportunity to take some bribes as well. Afterall, Octavian was trying to wrap up the operation as soon as possible.
I never knew we were close to a Ptolemy seeking refuge with the Indo-Greek Kingdom. What a fascinating twist of history that could have been, the last remnants of the Diadochi dynasties gathering together.
I’m presuming that Indo-Greek kingdom would have been a rump of Bactria. In real history these remnants more or less dissipated into the annals-but with Cleopatra showing up to take over? The implications are quite intriguing…
@@warlordofbritannianot likely. Bactria correlates roughly to modern day Pakistan. There were many indo-Greek kingdoms running down the Hindu Kush and all the way down the indus. Archaeological and literary evidence is limited to coins and reference material but there’s strong evidence to believe the Indus Valley for centuries was home to numerous Greco-Indian dynasties up until the later Parthi-Indians take over.
@@simonbirch5726 Oh, I know Bactria wasn’t the only one-I meant to bring it up as a general idea of the situation, that Cleopatra would be showing up in this collection of disjointed Indo-Greek states. Hence “rump of Bactria.” It really does suck that we don’t have anything from them but archeological evidence like coins. Like I said, they just quietly dissipated into the ether, leaving little physical evidence of their existence-though no doubt their cultural influence left more permanent if largely invisible marks. One must doubt that legacy would be so enigmatic had Cleopatra entered the arena.
@@DISTurbedwaffle918 possible but doubtful I think. Being exiled in modern day Pakistan without an army or support base would have been more then enough. It wouldn’t be worth the trouble to pursue them.
23:55 For reference, the King Juba mentioned here is Juba II. He first enters history at 4-6 years old as the child king of Numidia (his father died in a suicide pact) in Caesar's North African triumph. He was Romanized and served throughout Octavian's campaigns, including Actium. He was installed to the Numidian throne about a year after Actium. As a major ally of Octavian, it was a natural pick for him to wed Cleopatra Selene. He reigned as King for 53 years, 32-26 of which he was married to Cleopatra Selene. By all accounts his reign was a success, with major developments to the North African economy, culture and sciences. Speaking of which, he is also notable for his numerous contributions to culture and science. Pliny alone cites him as an authoritative source 65 times. The other scholars citing him are a veritable who's who of ancient historians, biographers and researchers. He purportedly was the one who named the Canary Islands after the dogs there. By modern standards he would easily have gotten a Ph.D and maybe even a Nobel.
Juba II was a legit monarch and one of the most successful vassals in Roman history. Odenathus ranks above him (and probably Quietus) but there's not many more.
Juba II definitely doesn't get the attention and recognition he deserves, nor does Cleopatra Selene, who may have ruled as regent during Juba's absences
"It was the end of an era, or perhaps it's better to say that it was the beginning of a new one." I hope this is true not only for The Roman Republic but Historia Civilis, too.
Perfect timing to release a Cleopatra episode with all the controversy over the historically inaccurate Netflix show. Hopefully he gains lots of clicks and follows.
One thing that makes me sad is the fact that we only know about her and these people because of a few roman historians decided to write this down. Imagine all the amazing stories lost to history. Because no one wrote it down. This exact same thing might have happened thousands of years before this and all the cities and battles might be under the sea or under a river or millions of tons of sand. And we will never know until we do.
By repeatedly backstabbing her ally and causing military losses only to have this be ignored or sometimes even somehow turned into a military genius by youtubers millennia later.
A lot of these figures were very very aware of the fact that there will be centuries or even millennia of recounting their lives, when I read Julius Caesar’s campaign notes and books it was pretty clear to me that he was writing what he wanted history to know about his campaigns
At first I was surprised that nobody in the palace would finish off Antony, but then I remembered what happened last time a triumphant Roman general arrived in Alexandria only to find that the locals had killed his enemy (a CONSUL OF ROME) for him.
This story is really one of a woman that knew what she was doing, and a man that thought he knew what he was doing....fighting a man that knew he DIDN'T know what he was doing, and a man that knew what EVERYONE WAS DOING.
I think it's likely that by the time Actium was about to happen (the actual battle that is, not all the stuff leading up to it) Cleopatra had basically decided to abandon Antony and seek a separate peace. It's the only thing that makes sense given her betraying him twice (fleeing at Actium and then her ships immediately surrendering at Alexandria). She didn't want to throw away her remaining navy on pointless battles she wasn't going to win anyways. And then having her servant tell Antony she was dead. Also mostly Antony lost because Agrippa is a beast. Octavian in terms of command wasn't worth of Caesar's sandals but Agrippa was and then some.
@@danlorett2184I honestly cant blame Cleopatra if she wanted to sue a separate peace. For all intents and purposes, Rome declared war on HER, if there was anybody that can stop the war it was her. If we are to believe in a world where Cleopatra and Antony truly loved one another, it only makes sense that Cleopatra gives up herself and negotiate before they start losing even more. Cleopatra's ambitions were never really for her to be a powerful monarch, sure it was nice to be one but her goal had always been to give her children the seat of the monarchy that is why she had gone into great lengths destroying virtually every opposing claimant that there can be that can create another power struggle. And honestly, Agrippa is so much more of a genius than Ceasar. His single term as Aedile proves so much of what he is capable of.
@@anon2427, I mean, he points out several times in this series how Antonius was more competent than people give him credit for, but yes, Antonius is not portrayed in the best of light in this series. But honestly, who is? I don't think there was a single significant character in this story who didn't have SOME skeletons in their closet.
Ive got to admire how camp Cleopatra was: trying to run away to India, traping herself in a room with an entire countries worth of wealth with a comically large stone blocking the entrance, dragging Antony up from her balcony, yelling "Wretched Cleopatra! You are taken alive!" like shes the main character and killing herself dressed in her full regalia. She knew how to create a dramatic scene in her final moments. Meanwhile Antony just tried to stab himself and messed even that up
Cleopatra completely overplayed her hand. She could have avoided all that if she didn't have Antonius divorce Octavia and started adding Roman provinces to her own kingdom.
She didn't try to run away to India, she only wanted to have a fleet on the red sea, i mean she could had fleed if she wanted, but killing herself in a bunker like Mithridates in a cave or Hitler after her was unoriginal.
Antony’s death is one of the most horrific things I’ve ever heard. Being slowly lifted up to that balcony with a gut wound must have been absolute hell
I just turned 22 meaning I’ve been watching your content for more than a quarter of my life now. What a fitting end to an amazing historical era. Please never stop
Anthony screaming in agony while panicked servants run about the palace in fear gives me chills. I can imagine the echoes of the painful laments in the halls, adding to the general sense of dread and urgency of those trying to escape with their lives.
@@TheShadowOfMars Exactly. How many times in history have those with with extraordinary egos and ambitions found themselves back against the wall their thither victories and dreams a graveyard.
I fully expected Octavian to just say whatever was necessary to get her out of the mausoleum, then make off with the cash and kill everyone. The fact that he kept the deal is unusually wholesome for him
I imagine it’s easier to be magnanimous when all of your rivals are dead. I’m curious what he would’ve done if the negotiator hadn’t been able to get in to the mausoleum though!
Thus concludes the 8 year old Rome series leading up to the formation of the Roman Empire by Octavian. We learned about the roles of the senators, the office of Pontifix Maximus, Roman Military ranks and formations, Roman religious festivals and the Roman Callender, followed by the entire history of great and terrible men like Clodius, Cicero, Milo, Cato, Pompey, Brutus, Cassius, Crassus, Caesar, Anthony and Octavian. And best pups like Strongboy and Horme. We thank you for all your great efforts and dedication. And we hope you never stop doing this amazing work.
You should do a spin-off episode on the brothers Gracchi. One of the most dramatic, tragic, and absolutely absurd eras of the republic and Roman history at large
@@stevenirizarry1304 And remember that the Gracchi story ties back to the Punic Wars…. It’s actually a pretty epic series: Punic Wars (and the stories of Hannibal and the Scipi in particular) => the Gracchi => Sulla and the rise of Pompey and Crassus => Caesar and the rise and fall of the First Triumvirate and the Roman Civil War => Caesar’s assassination, the formation of the Second Triumvirate, the war against the conspirators, the war against Sextus => the fall of the Second Triumvirate and the Republic and the rise of the Empire. In a way, Hannibal did actually end up destroying the Roman Republic. But not in the way he’d ever have wanted.
Guys, we all know that this is probably the last episode of this epic series which started years ago. I thank *Historia Civilis* for it and I hope that he will be able to tell us more stories of our past
You think so? I think his patrons vote on videos and I bet 90% of them are there for the Rome content. Unless he gets burnout, I expect this series to go on.
I sure hope we get more We.could get st least one episode on how Octavian did the empire thing or we could get a series fo tthe Graccus or early republic. Dunno, many posibilities. I love this and I really hope so.
14:45 Ancient historians loved their literary motifs and i can't help but notice that this story about Octavian weeping when he learned about his rivals death is exactly the same thing that Julius Caesar is said to have done when he learned of Pompey's death. Both events even occurred in Alexandria. Its seems likely to me that the ancient historians made this up specifically to draw comparisons between Octavian and Caesar
It's a strong theory. But Octavian also spent half his life copying Caesar and trying to convince everyone they were exactly the same. After he was adopted in Caesars will, he made everyone call him Caesar, so reports said he wore a Caesar-like wigs and practiced imitating Caesars mannerisms. He did this to get Caesars armies to transfer their loyalty to him. it made sense. So Octavian might have copied Caesar on purpose here also.
Why do you call Octavian a “disturbed man” For a Roman emperor, at least from what I know, he was one of the most practical and level headed. His reign lasted for a very long time, was relatively peaceful, and Rome flourished. He could be ruthless, but when he was it wasn’t out of rage but calculation about what was best for Rome (of course really best for him but like all Roman leaders he thought the two were the same) Certainly compared to emperors who came later like Caligula, Nero, Comodious, he was very well balanced.
@@MehmedtheBoringHe could have also been legitimately sad. Antony was Caesar’s right hand man and Octavian owed everything to his adopted father Caesar. Also, initially Antony and Octavian fought as allies against the curs who stabbed Caesar in the back. I’m not saying Octavian would have shown mercy to Antony, but the Romans had complex views about honor and nobility and could feel empathy for a vanquished foe who fought with honor, even as they sentenced them to death. Supposedly, Caesar wept for his greatest foe Pompey when he learned Pompey had been murdered rather than dying with honor in battle against Caesar
@@michaeldebellis4202 I have to disagree, the way Antony treated Octavian immediately following Caesar's death in my mind permanently made him an enemy of Octavian. He was trying to usurp Octavian's title as Caesar's heir.
@@NixonRules963 I don't know that time in history all that well so you are probably correct. I was just saying from my knowledge of previous Romans it is at least possible that Octavian had some pity for Antony. That is one thing that I always find striking about Caesar. He could be magnanimous with his enemies, especially if they were Romans. I think you can make a case that Caesar's magnanimous nature (due to his excessive pride) was his downfall because many of the Senators who stabbed him in the back owed their lives to him not having them put to death after the Civil War the way most Romans would have (and as Pompey almost certainly would have to Caesar's high level followers like Antony). I need to read up on Antony and Octavian sometime. I was wondering after I watched some of these videos what made them turn against each other to begin with? My understanding is after Caesar's death they were united in their opposition to his murderers and I think Antony could have made an excellent general for Octavian as he was for Caesar. My guess is Antony just couldn't face the fact that while he was a good soldier he wasn't a good politician. Especially because he was used to thinking of Octavian as a child, having seen him grow up.
I'm an Egyptian living in Alexandria and I just want to say your videos are truly one of a kind. Roman and Greek history runs deep here in Alexandria and we still have to this day a lot of places/monuments the Greeks and Romans left behind. Amazing content as always
@@oppionatedindividual8256 Not really sure why the hate is necessary, but sure. Once you give us back the tons of artifacts, Jewellery and antiquities you stole from out temples and tombs and are rotting in your museums. BTW we never really asked for shit from you, The Romans and Macedonians invited themselves in here you know that buddy :)
@@TheGhostLegend001 there probably will be. but this is the end of 5 years of Roman Civil War starting with Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon. I hope he continues forward with videos on the Roman Empire. I am sure he will at least make a video on how the Republic officially became an Empire.
@@thecatwhisperer2820 I don't think there's really any point before the later ERE where the Republic was ever "dissolved". Pretty sure I read a source from the 6th century where they still called it "Our Republic". Of course, in practice the idea and functioning of the Republic had deeply changed by then.
@@oveja3518Domitian did a lot to kill the Republic in all but name, but I'd put that point at Diocletian as the de jure end of the Republic, and the transition from the Principate to the Dominate, where any vestiges of the Emperor being a Princeps, the first citizen of the Republic, were abandoned in favour of them being the Dominus, the undisputed lord and master of all Romans, and the shift into a far more authoritarian, beurocratic and less collegial system closer to Imperial China than anything Roman before it.
So do we just have 3 more episodes after this one to get to 27 B.C.E. and then he's done covering the fall of the Roman Republic? It's been a journey, man, and it's not over yet.
@@vincentfarrell3868 I guess he could do a video on the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the legacy of that conquest. But, doing a whole series on Jesus sounds like a can of worms that I wouldn’t open if I were him.
I love this channel so much. This guy is such an amazing narrator. Its not necessarily his voice, it’s just the flow of the script. The tempo. Hope you never stop man this is great stuff. I’ve learned more about history from watching a few years worth of videos from this channel than I did in 12 years of school combined.
Hope we get to see more of Octavian and the future of Rome's empire... I had little to no knowledge of ancient history before this video series and I'm excited to see it continue. I can't wait to see the emperors of Rome through the centuries, Rome before the Punic Wars, or even Rome during Sulla's reign of terror. There could be 50 more videos made in this Roman series and it wouldn't get old, and there is always Alexander the Great's conquests, or your series on the European Peace at the Congress of Vienna. Thank you, Historia for giving us such high-quality content and educating us throughout the years.
@@stevencooper4422 we all have that one friend who is not stupid, but just insists on saying the worst thing at the worst time I think that’s the most likely explanation. After all, if you’re going to betray your master, you probably wanna commit suicide alongside them later.
9:20 has got to be the best moment. your king and leader orders you to kill him as everyone knows Octavian is at the gates, and Eros decides that the pressure is too much and just kills himself for some reason. imagine being anthony in this moment watching your dumbass servant shove a sword in his heart after you order him to kill you. if the moment wasn't already so grim i imagine anthony would have struggled to keep himself from busting out laughing.
@@kkirschkk I imagine they were thinking something like "If I rat this chick out, I can get brownie points with Octavian and he won't kill me!". Kinda dumb, since she just antagonized the chick, who she'd still be bound to if she didn't off herself. Octavian was unlikely to reward her anything more than what Cleo would have given her, and he didn't plan to kill them if he was talking at that point. Maybe she thought they'd all be executed and decided to flap her mouth in some desperate attempt to throw the dying queen under the bus to save her skin, which was probably pointless.
Anthony died as he lived, asking for wine. Also, I think the story of Octavian crying at the news of Anthony’s death was an orchestrated stunt. Just as Caesar grieved his enemy Pompey’s death in Egypt, so too does his successor grieve his enemy in Egypt.
Caesar was genuinely upset at the news of Pompey’s death. Caesar has good strategic reason to want Pompey alive, since it would legitimize his victory, instead of forcing him to fight off all of Pompey’s seconds and thirds over the next half decade (see Cato in north Africa and Labienus in Spain). Furthermore, I genuinely believe Caesar liked Pompey, and was saddened at the death of a friend. None of this applied to Octavian though. Whereas Caesar was a strategic genius, Octavian was cold, emotionless, and brutal. Octavian would have seen Antony tortured to death if he could, as if his humiliating death wasn’t torture enough.
Except that Caesar and Pompey were allies at one point, some would even say friends (after all Pompey married Caesar's daughter), while Octavian and Antony were basically rivals from the start.
@@aaanawaleh "Dutch style!" You mean common western European standards. Unfortunately my friend America needs more than just a change in infrastructure, american culture needs to be completely changed when it comes to infrastructure, and quality of living..
@Freyia935 as someone who has spoken to many people from across Europe, its definitely just dutch style lol. No other country in Europe, no other country in the world comes close to being as bike friendly and oriented, or walkable as the Netherlands. Walkability, of course, it's common in western and central Europe, but its not as good as the Netherlands, and public transport, I've heard particularly via train, is also pretty decent in western and central europe, but they all look to the Dutch public transport and friendliness towards bikes as America looks to western European friendliness towards busses, trains and walkable routes throughout cities, which still isn't on the same level as the Dutch. Every European I've ever talked to that comes from central, Northern, or western Europe makes fun of American transportation, and then goes ahead and praises the Dutch and wishes their country was like the Netherlands when it comes to the topic. The Dutch are just on a whole other level in general, and should be what every country strives to be when it comes to transportation
@@tuxtitan780 You clearly havent seen central or western europe. Are the dutch on a different level? Sure, but most developed EU countries are not far behind at all.
Personally I do believe that Octavian wept when he saw the sword, not because he missed Antony but because he missed the chance of dragging him through the streets of Rome for his triumph
@@Darkfawfulx Well, pretty much all of Octavian's propaganda painted Antony as being Cleopatra's slave, so Octavian could easily justify it as Antony barely being Roman anymore.
@@basedimperialism they couldnt have included antony in the triumph directly it would be extraordinarily sacrilegious and would go down distastefully and poorly like Catos inclusion in the numidian triumph. Although antony was still likely to be executed in some manner regardless as unlike Pompey their was no chance at reconciliation or pardon
@@ultra-papasmurf Octavian ordered his personal thugs to beat up Vestal Virgins, break into the temple of Vesta and steal Antony's will. With that on your resume what's executing a Roman citizen in your triumph?
An entire era of Historia Civilis is in the books. What a ride it was. Thanks for being the best Roman history CZcamsr. Thanks for years of incredible knowledge. I can't wait to see what's next. This has been truely the best representation of the fall of the republic I have ever seen. Next might I suggest the prequel saga of the Gracci brothers, the Cataline conspiracy, and the war between Sulla and Marius.
Don't you want a couple of episodes on Octavian's reign as Augustus? I think it would be fitting, after having seen lots of generals and head of states dying in the search of absolute power, to see how the last man standing actually managed to create an Empire.
I would personally really like to hear about how Octavian changed his image and that of the republic into that of an empire and why the romans kept the senate around for so long.
Way back when Historia Civilis did Cleopatra and the Siege of Alexandria, he referenced a line by historian Stacy Schiff in her biography of Cleopatra. Thanks to HC giving credit where credit is due, I eventually bought that book and just recently finished reading it before this video was uploaded. Reading that biography and then seeing Historia Civilis videos that cover Cleopatra was a good combination, something you won't get from the History Channel or Netflix. Thanks, HC.
This series as a whole, from the format to your ability to show the human/emotional side of the history while still maintaining historical accuracy is incredible. I'd love to see more eras in Roman history too!
I think there's something strangely emotional about this. Antony's perpetual failures and yet still at his deathbed he was thinking about Cleopatra, who, to me, this series had painted as something of borderline sociopathic in her pragmatism (in her case, to the very end with how she had hid from Antony), a trait she seemingly shares with Octavian; yet still, Cleopatra wished to bring Antony to her at his deathbed, and come her own death, had requested to be entombed alongside him, and had begged for her children to be spared-- Octavian, who I had fully expected to tie up loose ends with any potential road bumps, still yet let Cleopatra's children with Antony live, honoring his deal. These same children being raised with dignity by Octavia, who Antony had fundamentally mistreated, and would go on to live full lives. It hardly absolves most of these players from their sins, and no doubt I could be looking too much into this/misrepresenting them in my head to fit this narrative, but it was nevertheless distinct lack of tragic unnecessary bloodshed and treachery that plagued the civil war period, oddly... human?
He didn’t die in battle, but through a botched suicide, after his servant committing suicide rather than killing him, after literally no one pays attention to him, after being pulled to a roof by his wife who didn’t actually die. Very low ending for a historical figure who nearly became the first emperor of Rome.
Honestly, him trying to comfort- and advise Cleopatra in his dying moments is a level of dignity I did not expect Antony to go out with. Pour one out for our boy, Marcus Antonius. F.
I'm really impressed at the sponsorship in this video. The guild of millers, producing true Roman bread, for true Roman citizens? That's the best sponsor on youtube!
The story these people were all apart of feels almost magical. A completely different world, with unknowable rapidly changing, wild situations. Thanks for bringing this story to all of us, can’t wait to see what the squares are up to next! So happy to see how far this channel has come please never stop
Honestly the story of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra reminds me of stories of dictators who have lost power: their servants and populations ignore them, they go into despair and they attempt to negotiate an escape for the last things they have with the last things they have left. Edit: even down to keeping your jewellery so that you have some wealth after you escape
I love Historia Civilis. Your battle breakdowns are the most interesting and well told in CZcams. No exaggerate narration, simple visuals, clean sound and good humor. I wish you did other battles and interesting time periods, but being a huge Roman history fan, your work is very appreciated nonetheless. Keep on doing the good work!
The worst part about these videos is when they are over and I am left wondering how many months til the next one. Honestly worth the wait though, somehow these manage to be the clearest explanations of historical events I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait until my kids start studying the Roman Empire so I can share these with them.
I kinda feel bad for Anthony, dude just failed at everything he ever tried to do, even dying in style was denied to him xp and omg the story of cleopatra and her ladies pulling anthony over the balcony is just glorious, just imagine the picture of your queen using all of her strength to pull over a man who just a few years ago was the most powerful man in the roman east over with a rope on his waist
It's really important to remember though _who_ is telling us these things. All this stuff at the end of Anthony's life makes him sounds like a truly pathetic figure; his wife has more courage than him, his servant has more courage than him, and when he finally does the deed expected of him, he fails miserably and his dying body is then subjected to further indignities. In _Parallel Lives_ , the most famous ancient text on the story, Plutarch literally writes that the people who witnessed it had "never seen a more piteous sight". But _Parallel Lives_ was written to make ethical and moral points, not historical ones. Is this an accurate telling of what happened, or is it fictionalised to teach the reader a lesson? Consider, that work was likely written in the first century, by which time Rome's leaders had been calling themselves "Caesar" and "Augustus" for over *a hundred years*. Bear in mind, also, that if you view these events from a different perspective, Mark Anthony was the _last Roman_ who provided a credible threat to the power of the man who would establish the Empire that Plutarch lived and died under. So is this an accurate telling of what happened, or is it fabricated to make the last opponent of the first emperor into a sad and pathetic man who all should shun and revile?
Pompeius' death was even more pitiful. He was stabbed in some tiny boat on the orders of Ptolemy XIII, whose father he had put back on the throne, while his wife and son were looking on.
I watched the last 3 of these back to back and genuinely felt like 5 minutes had gone by. You have a unique ability to really bring this period of history to life in a super compelling fashion. If only youtube reminded me of your videos properly like I told it to :D
@@coolguyjki How is the ethnicity of a historical figure worthless? That's kind of a massive deal in the context of ancient history, just because it doesn't cater to your modern sensibilities doesn't invalidate it LOL
Magnific chapter. Great writing, full of details and noticeabled historic topics shared in an interesting and funny way. Thank you! This has been a long and great run!
Historia Civilis is back!!! Just finished rewatching this entire series of Caesar and Caesar's histories, and a new one immediately comes out. Love your channel!
The urbanism joke is funny, but it's also true. When you are walking around (hint hint) Ostia or Pompeii or Herakleion, it's immediately obvious that the restaurants, the baths, the temples, the markets, all of the other public spaces, are within easy walking distance of residential areas, often mid-rise insulae, making these cities walkable in exactly the modern urbanism kind of sense.
Damn, as an american, I feel disgusted by the fact that we have to sell our souls to retailers just to be able to function in dysfunctional cities, on top of the whole built on the backs of racism and it being an inherent part of the US that we can never get past thing.
@@tachikaze222 That's kinda the point I was making. There are folks making a big deal about "15 minute cities" or whatever, presenting it as some sort of boogeyman conspiracy, or perhaps a revolutionary new thing, but for entire history of human civilization other than some parts of the world during the last hundred or so years, "15 minute city" is just "a city".
So happy that my boy Juba is doing well, having went from a little kid on the verge of getting executed to the wealthy king of the Numida who gets to marry Cleopatra's daughter.
It feels like the end of a journey of almost 6 years, with Historia Civilis and all you wonderful folks. What a journey its been! You've been the single most impactful youtuber on roman history for me and so many others!
I love the casualness of this video compared to the older content. I've noticed each new episodes just gets a little more relaxed, and makes the story telling aspect a lot better.
1) loses battle decisively 2) beloved queen abandons him and seeks hiding spot 3) orders servant to help him die, but servant choses to commit sucide instead 4) choses to do it himself, aims for the heart, slashes open his stomach instead. Hurts like shyt! 5) while dying, having a rope attached to him and drawn up on a balcony A bad day indeed!
That plan Cleopatra wanted to set up with the boats was almost Caesarian in scope and original thinking. In an alternate universe, Cleo and Antony were a pirate power couple.
This could be the finale of this series... It's been a total honour watching all these videos. I've learned so much and have learned to love history because of this channel. I hope you pick up somewhere down the road of Roman history. Maybe the year of the 4 emperors could be a decent mini series? Either way I can't wait for what comes next!
I really like this series and I wish for the entire thing that this channels has covered to be made into a multi part movie. Most people heard about Cesar and Cleopatra but have no idea what has happened then.
I would love for him to actually continue with a couple of episodes to explain how Octavian actually managed to maintain power and transformed Rome into an Empire. As anti-climactic as it may be, It would really fit the spirit of this series: to explore history in detail and really educate people while entertaining them.
Not only did Cleopatra's children live out the rest of their lives in peace, through them she was the ancestor of Caracalla, Elagabalus, Alexander Severus, and Zenobia. It's also possible that, if her line survived, she's the ancestor of most humans currently alive.
You should see Anthony's descendants. He was the ancestor of an entire branch of the Bosporus, Pontus, Armenian and Mauretanian royal families through Antonia.
Seconded! One of my all-time favourite series of books is the "First Man in Rome" series by Colleen McCullogh. Like this channel, she really brings the characters involved to life!
This is one of the most cathartic episodes. There was another really good one like that. I think Caesar’s death? No, no, another one where the guy died alone. I love all of them. This may be my favourite show of all time, and I would not swap the squares for anything. They have so much character, but at the same time the minimalism makes it like a book where your imagination can fill out the details.
@@aperson4913 no, I just checked. My memory of this is very foggy, but it was something like just when you thought he was about to die, his failures and humiliation continued until he finally died sick and alone in a forest, or something like that. Maybe it was one of Caesars rivals? Uhh maybe it’s time to rewatch the whole thing…
@@fifthofascalante7311 Ah I think I know. Decimus. He had his army and bodyguards abandon him while he tried to go to Gaul and find allies, and then was unfortunate enough to be caught in a check and then got executed. Its about 25:30 in the video Cicero's Finest Hour.
For all Antony’s faults, I think his more positive aspects came out in his final weeks and days. For starters even when he knew he was dying and was in intense pain, he was still advising Cleopatra to seek peace with Octavian to save herself. He must have really loved her. And likewise from what I understand of the sources, he had also offered to hand himself over to Octavian and even commit suicide he’d agree to leave Cleopatra and her children unharmed and in power in Egypt. He also reportedly distributed his wealth amongst his personal friends after Actium. That’s not the behaviour of a glutton or a coward, and despite his many faults I think Antony was a good man by the standards of the day.
Alan Pennie - I still think he and Cleopatra together would have made just as good rulers as Octavian made. Particularly if Caesarian as the heir of Caesar succeeded them as Rome and Egypt’s first Emperor. Cleopatra could have handled the administration side of the Empire, while Mark Antony could have handled any military crisis. Octavian was a brilliant administrator, but he was **** at handling any military matters. He was just fortunate that over his lifetime he always had competent military men he could fall back on like Agrippa, who were also not interested in taking power for themselves. That’s a very rare strike of fortune.
Just want to say I've been binging all of your vids over the past two weeks, and absolutely love your way of telling these stories. Looking forward to more!
I really like what HBO (Rome) did with this. Instead of addressing points where historians (and Shakespeare) disagree, they just invented two characters (Titus and Pullo), put them into the story and had them responsible for everything. Having Pullo be the actual father of Cesearion was a particularly funny way to end it. "Uh, boy...about your father...." And having Julia watch as Anthony and Cleopatra's corpses were paraded past in Octavian's triumph was one of the saddest moments of the series, despite having absolutely no basis in history. Cleopatra telling a frustrated Octavian with her last breath: "You are a very..naughty boy!" That was good TV.
@@mesicek7 Yeah that’s another fascinating touch they did - Vorenus and Pullo were two soldiers Caesar mentions in his Gallic dispatches who supposedly had a rivalry and in a battle with Gauls one of them gets caught out surrounded by foes and the other saves him. Which, incidentally, mirrors the very first scene in the show with Pullo and Vorenus fighting at Alesia. A stroke of genius to take these two completely unknown men and have them be the vehicles for the entire story.
@@mesicek7 In Caesar's diaries both men are centurions and they have sort of friendly rivalry, in a typical Roman fashion, risking their lives constantly to one-up each other. But the rest of their lives were invented by the tv show. So basically they share little more than their names with the originals.
It allowed us to look at Rome from the perspective of far more ordinary citizens. Vorenus does become a senator but doesn't have much ancestral wealth it seems, or a major family, the way the Senators mostly did, and it was mostly because of his raw talent in Caesar's army that he got the job. Otherwise, quite ordinary Romans who have all the physical difficulties that life brought them, and very relatable in a way the fame of Caesar, Cicero, Pompey, Cleopatra, Augustus, their machinations, and so on can't give us much of. It gives us a chance to see how these people affected their country at the time and not just by their enormous historical legacy we remember them by, and also reminding us that not everything important to a historical tale or how life worked back then was because only what these politicians did but the daily interactions people had with their friends and family.
I had never heard such a well-sourced argument against Cleopatra committing suicide via snake venom. It's interesting to hear that that may just be a folk tale caused by public misunderstanding!
I always wondered what happened during or caused the transition of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire but never really got around to educating myself on the topic. Recently came across your channel and have already binge-watched a bunch of your videos. Love how you visually represent and explain these historical events. Very easy subscribe! Please keep making these!! 💯
@@peytongonavy I mean, an ending to the tale of Augustus' rise to power. But as Civilis said himself, perhaps a beginning too. I hope we get a series about a Roman emperor or something.
I personally believe the misunderstanding is plausible. If the servant said something flowery, such as, "The Queen is resting peacefully in her mausoleum. You need not worry for her safety." It must have been something that didn't translate well from Greek/Egyptian to latin.
It's so weird to feel so much empathy for a bunch of literal squares, I don't know how you do it. Fantastic video! Feels like an ending to this story, but I hope you make an addendum video about Octavians later exploits and reforms.
i think its the most human thing there is to empathise with a story and the feel its feelings, to be able to abstract people down to their choices and a square
Great episode and probable end to a great series about Rome from Caesar to Octavian/Augustus. And thank you for bringing back the old BGM (and sound effects for Agrippa).
this is my favourite history channel by far the information is in depth, your story telling is great, you dont overdo it but emphasize the right parts as well. id give you a fat bonus if I was wealthy
Some interesting anecdotes about these events (some probably made up, but hey) that might be interesting to hear: - Herod of Judea supposedly advised Antony to kill Cleopatra, take Egypt and its treasury for Rome. Thus Octavian would have no justification to invade. Antony, unsurprisingly, refused. - One account speaks of Antony being impressed by a soldier who distinguished himself in a skirmish outside Alexandria. He and Cleopatra supposedly presented this hero with a breastplate and helmet of gold. But the same evening this soldier took his treasures and defected to Octavian. - The days before his death, Antony apparently resorted to every trick he could think of. He shot arrows into Octavian's camp carrying leaflets promising six thousand sesterces to every deserter. The response was derision. He challenged Octavian to single combat, but only received a reply suggesting he consider the several other more practical alternatives to ending his life.
"Why am I seeing comments from 3 weeks ago?" CZcams Members get Early Access babyyyyyy! czcams.com/users/HistoriaCivilisjoin
If Cleopatra isn't a black square you are racist
Will there be more videos about republic?(before Caesar)
I just hope that you actually researched Antony's history and don't just portray him as a pure fool again
@@balabanasireti seething
@@arttuy437 oh no. Octavian a is a sick man!
Not His Year: Antony
Bong
Lol!
He never had the makings of a varsity athlete
😂🤣
😂😂
This recent controversy about what Cleopatra looked like is ridiculous! Everyone knows that Cleopatra was a blue square!
It’s not even a controversy it’s just a stupid take to make her black
@@jackalope07 this doesnt make her black
@@jackalope07 cleopatra was greek, there was no possible universe where she was black
it's only a [youtube] why you have to be mad? - Ilya Bryzagalov
@@jackalope07 Trollers deciding to casually spread misinformation on the internet thinking its "funny". Disgusting tbh.
Eros killing himself as a power move is one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. I was actually howling with laughter, what a legend
Maybe he just misheard. “Nooo you fool! I said “me”, not “yourself”!”
It was not a power move. It was quite a common thing for slaves to do that if asked to harm their master.
They couldn't hurt him, yet they couldn't disobey him. So... they took their own lives instead of dishonor.
@@RazorsharpLT shut up
@@kukifitte7357Sill issue
This episode feels like an end to a really long book. Finally, after years of Caesars intrigues, reforms and conquests resulting in a civil war, we get to see the end of it all. The fall of a republic and the rise of the empire. Truly one of the greatest stories ever told.
Hope he covers the story of Agrippa next. The greatest general of the Roman empire and I hardly knoe anything about the guy
Agreed. It's been like a journey of almost 6 years with Historia Civilis and all you folks.
The fact that we are still telling and retelling this story after over 2000 years says a lot. I wouldn't be shocked if it is still being told 2000 years from now if there are still any humans around to retell it.
@@thechannelbeyond4896 *One of. Aurelian was an absolute beast.
This series has told the greatest story ever in a great way
Better than Netflix document for sure ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
Personally, I really enjoy Agrippa's can-do presentation in particular.
Roman history is so great, no wonder it inspired a lot of SCI-FI
I don't care what they told you on Historia Civilis. Cleopatra was 🟦
@@jjhh320 I imagine her to have 90º angles like me and a similar fill color
"In true Roman fashion, he aimed for his heart, but in true Antony fashion, he missed!"
I nearly died, but thankfully I missed too!
“Oof”
Eros might have shown Anthony how it should be done just a couple minutes before, and Anthony proceeded to mess that up.
@@abcpsc I like your version
Anthony : "Kill me."
Eros : "Go kill yourself."
Anthony : "..."
Eros : "I will show you how it's done."
@@abcpsc i cant believe it but sommehow this comment makes the whole thing even funnier
If only he had Lucius Vorenus by his side, it would have gone flawlessly.
A moment to appreciate how octavia managed to raise TWELVE children
Mother who stepped up, fr
He richest man in Rome or whole world at that moment .
Twelve? The video showed nine, who was missing?
@@scotandiamapping4549 I think they’re misinterpreting the caption in white at 23:42. I’m guessing brichesss8227 thinks that line is referring to 3 other children and not the 2 Claudia’s and Marcellus
@@Edmonton-of2ec ah
I feel kind of bad for Antony, his death is like a metaphor for his entire life. He generally knew what to do, but often messed up the execution.
Basically his parthian campaign was stupid, he literally lt his guard down like Octavian wasnt going to take advantage of the fact his legions are weak. Not sure what he was thinking
or was betrayed by cleopatra
Anthony rarely knew what to do. He was a god awful administrator, average general at best, and a terrible diplomat. The only thing he had was great charisma which allowed him to be a good Public speaker. But that will only get you so far until you encounter someone who knows how to actually play the game. Then you've come to a dead end.
@@josephherrera6656 Im not saying this is true of him, but id say an above average general at best is more appropriate. He had his moments which make that an arguable case, although personally id simply call him competent and dependable.
Yeah I feel bad too but we know one thing for sure the man the legend was no coward
He did it. He covered the entire Era that preceded the fall of the Republic. It feels special. HCiv, you can give yourself a pat on the back, man. This is awesome.
Well he should make episodes about the Gracchi brothers and Sulla if he wants to round off the fall of the Republic era.
I’d also like to see content about the Roman conquest of Greece-I haven’t seen this covered that much on YT at least.
@@vincentfarrell3868 Aren't the Marian reforms before the Gracchi?
Yeah but too bad he didn't start with Marius and Sulla. Maybe he can now go back and start with the Gracchi brothers.
@Vincent Farrell lol read my mind.
Now onto the EMPIRE!!!
"They tried sending him a massive bribe. He kept the bribe."
Absolute power move
“You can bribe me, but you ain’t gettin’ nuthin’”-An Absolute Chad
Plot twist: He used the same bribe to bribe the Arabians and Judeans later.
Not mentioned in the video, but the timing at which the Arabians raided and the speed with which Judeans flipped can't be just explained as random events.
@@Progamermove_2003well perhaps they just wanted to jump on the winners ship.
@@Progamermove_2003 The Arabians perhaps, but from what we know about him Herod was a pretty pragmatic guy and he could probably very well have seen where the wind was blowing and jumped ship as soon as he could.
@@rgm96x49 If he was so pragmatic, then he would've used this opportunity to take some bribes as well. Afterall, Octavian was trying to wrap up the operation as soon as possible.
I never knew we were close to a Ptolemy seeking refuge with the Indo-Greek Kingdom. What a fascinating twist of history that could have been, the last remnants of the Diadochi dynasties gathering together.
I’m presuming that Indo-Greek kingdom would have been a rump of Bactria. In real history these remnants more or less dissipated into the annals-but with Cleopatra showing up to take over? The implications are quite intriguing…
@@warlordofbritannianot likely. Bactria correlates roughly to modern day Pakistan. There were many indo-Greek kingdoms running down the Hindu Kush and all the way down the indus. Archaeological and literary evidence is limited to coins and reference material but there’s strong evidence to believe the Indus Valley for centuries was home to numerous Greco-Indian dynasties up until the later Parthi-Indians take over.
@@simonbirch5726
Oh, I know Bactria wasn’t the only one-I meant to bring it up as a general idea of the situation, that Cleopatra would be showing up in this collection of disjointed Indo-Greek states. Hence “rump of Bactria.”
It really does suck that we don’t have anything from them but archeological evidence like coins. Like I said, they just quietly dissipated into the ether, leaving little physical evidence of their existence-though no doubt their cultural influence left more permanent if largely invisible marks.
One must doubt that legacy would be so enigmatic had Cleopatra entered the arena.
I wonder if it would have been enough for Octavian to try and pursue them. Would he have taken ships, or would he have invaded Parthia, I wonder?
@@DISTurbedwaffle918 possible but doubtful I think. Being exiled in modern day Pakistan without an army or support base would have been more then enough. It wouldn’t be worth the trouble to pursue them.
23:55 For reference, the King Juba mentioned here is Juba II. He first enters history at 4-6 years old as the child king of Numidia (his father died in a suicide pact) in Caesar's North African triumph. He was Romanized and served throughout Octavian's campaigns, including Actium. He was installed to the Numidian throne about a year after Actium. As a major ally of Octavian, it was a natural pick for him to wed Cleopatra Selene.
He reigned as King for 53 years, 32-26 of which he was married to Cleopatra Selene. By all accounts his reign was a success, with major developments to the North African economy, culture and sciences.
Speaking of which, he is also notable for his numerous contributions to culture and science. Pliny alone cites him as an authoritative source 65 times. The other scholars citing him are a veritable who's who of ancient historians, biographers and researchers. He purportedly was the one who named the Canary Islands after the dogs there. By modern standards he would easily have gotten a Ph.D and maybe even a Nobel.
Was he the one that caesar chose not to execute?
@@tyvizenor965 Yes.
Juba and Caesar: Fights a war
Their sons: Major allies
Juba II was a legit monarch and one of the most successful vassals in Roman history. Odenathus ranks above him (and probably Quietus) but there's not many more.
Juba II definitely doesn't get the attention and recognition he deserves, nor does Cleopatra Selene, who may have ruled as regent during Juba's absences
"It was the end of an era, or perhaps it's better to say that it was the beginning of a new one." I hope this is true not only for The Roman Republic but Historia Civilis, too.
There are no beginnings or ending to the wheel of time, but it was _a_ beginning.
Brom naber
@@AdamtheRed- the wheel of time always turns, the difference is who is deciding how it turns
Hope they did Genghis khan , Vietnam war and qin xi huang conquest
Perfect timing to release a Cleopatra episode with all the controversy over the historically inaccurate Netflix show. Hopefully he gains lots of clicks and follows.
Cleopatra always acted as if she knew historians were going to be writing about her for centuries, so she gave them an entertaining story.
amazingly written, I completely agree
wrgg
One thing that makes me sad is the fact that we only know about her and these people because of a few roman historians decided to write this down.
Imagine all the amazing stories lost to history. Because no one wrote it down. This exact same thing might have happened thousands of years before this and all the cities and battles might be under the sea or under a river or millions of tons of sand. And we will never know until we do.
By repeatedly backstabbing her ally and causing military losses only to have this be ignored or sometimes even somehow turned into a military genius by youtubers millennia later.
A lot of these figures were very very aware of the fact that there will be centuries or even millennia of recounting their lives, when I read Julius Caesar’s campaign notes and books it was pretty clear to me that he was writing what he wanted history to know about his campaigns
At first I was surprised that nobody in the palace would finish off Antony, but then I remembered what happened last time a triumphant Roman general arrived in Alexandria only to find that the locals had killed his enemy (a CONSUL OF ROME) for him.
Good point, I was wondering too
*a defeated Roman general
I never even thought of it like that. This story just has more and more layers the further you go, man. Phew.
This story is really one of a woman that knew what she was doing, and a man that thought he knew what he was doing....fighting a man that knew he DIDN'T know what he was doing, and a man that knew what EVERYONE WAS DOING.
I think it's likely that by the time Actium was about to happen (the actual battle that is, not all the stuff leading up to it) Cleopatra had basically decided to abandon Antony and seek a separate peace. It's the only thing that makes sense given her betraying him twice (fleeing at Actium and then her ships immediately surrendering at Alexandria). She didn't want to throw away her remaining navy on pointless battles she wasn't going to win anyways. And then having her servant tell Antony she was dead.
Also mostly Antony lost because Agrippa is a beast. Octavian in terms of command wasn't worth of Caesar's sandals but Agrippa was and then some.
@@danlorett2184I honestly cant blame Cleopatra if she wanted to sue a separate peace. For all intents and purposes, Rome declared war on HER, if there was anybody that can stop the war it was her.
If we are to believe in a world where Cleopatra and Antony truly loved one another, it only makes sense that Cleopatra gives up herself and negotiate before they start losing even more. Cleopatra's ambitions were never really for her to be a powerful monarch, sure it was nice to be one but her goal had always been to give her children the seat of the monarchy that is why she had gone into great lengths destroying virtually every opposing claimant that there can be that can create another power struggle.
And honestly, Agrippa is so much more of a genius than Ceasar. His single term as Aedile proves so much of what he is capable of.
Youre dumb. The war was on Anthony not Cleopatra. The military would not turn back until they had been defeated or had a triumph or victory.
Antony was competent however Historia Civilis is clearly an anti Antony and anti Caesar source. Just keep that in mind when viewing
@@anon2427, I mean, he points out several times in this series how Antonius was more competent than people give him credit for, but yes, Antonius is not portrayed in the best of light in this series. But honestly, who is? I don't think there was a single significant character in this story who didn't have SOME skeletons in their closet.
Ive got to admire how camp Cleopatra was: trying to run away to India, traping herself in a room with an entire countries worth of wealth with a comically large stone blocking the entrance, dragging Antony up from her balcony, yelling "Wretched Cleopatra! You are taken alive!" like shes the main character and killing herself dressed in her full regalia. She knew how to create a dramatic scene in her final moments.
Meanwhile Antony just tried to stab himself and messed even that up
Antony and Cleopatra truly balance each other out lmao
The OG drama queen.
Cleopatra completely overplayed her hand. She could have avoided all that if she didn't have Antonius divorce Octavia and started adding Roman provinces to her own kingdom.
She didn't try to run away to India, she only wanted to have a fleet on the red sea, i mean she could had fleed if she wanted, but killing herself in a bunker like Mithridates in a cave or Hitler after her was unoriginal.
Tbh, would be funny to see in HBO’s Rome
Antony’s death is one of the most horrific things I’ve ever heard. Being slowly lifted up to that balcony with a gut wound must have been absolute hell
Then drinking wine into a ruptured stomach...
@@diegonatan6301 LMAO just fuck my shit up
Nah it’ll be fine.
@@MasterMalrubius That sounds like a certain drinker
@@diegonatan6301 😂😂
"...smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism that's illegal to build in many American cities...." 😢
Sounds like someone's been watching NotJustBikes
ROADS!!!
I just turned 22 meaning I’ve been watching your content for more than a quarter of my life now. What a fitting end to an amazing historical era. Please never stop
Nor you! Keep it up.
Anthony screaming in agony while panicked servants run about the palace in fear gives me chills. I can imagine the echoes of the painful laments in the halls, adding to the general sense of dread and urgency of those trying to escape with their lives.
Berlin 1945 vibes.
Its crazy that he was shouting orders for tens of thousands of legionaries for so long and at his last moments he was whimpering
@@TheShadowOfMars Exactly. How many times in history have those with with extraordinary egos and ambitions found themselves back against the wall their thither victories and dreams a graveyard.
I fully expected Octavian to just say whatever was necessary to get her out of the mausoleum, then make off with the cash and kill everyone. The fact that he kept the deal is unusually wholesome for him
I imagine it’s easier to be magnanimous when all of your rivals are dead. I’m curious what he would’ve done if the negotiator hadn’t been able to get in to the mausoleum though!
Not murdering all family members of your enemies so that nobody could seek revenge is a sign of confidence in your own power.
the marriage of cleoptra daughter was smart by Octavian it removes on rival and Juba gets an high political maariage
Octavian is wholesome as far as national 🏛 long term stability is concerned.
I read that as "make out with the cash," which frankly would've been believable
Thus concludes the 8 year old Rome series leading up to the formation of the Roman Empire by Octavian.
We learned about the roles of the senators, the office of Pontifix Maximus, Roman Military ranks and formations, Roman religious festivals and the Roman Callender, followed by the entire history of great and terrible men like Clodius, Cicero, Milo, Cato, Pompey, Brutus, Cassius, Crassus, Caesar, Anthony and Octavian. And best pups like Strongboy and Horme.
We thank you for all your great efforts and dedication. And we hope you never stop doing this amazing work.
You should do a spin-off episode on the brothers Gracchi. One of the most dramatic, tragic, and absolutely absurd eras of the republic and Roman history at large
this
The best name 👍
It’s basically an epic trilogy
The brothers Gracchi
The Marius and Sulla civil wars
The wars of Caesar, Octavian, and Antony
@@stevenirizarry1304 quadrilogy if you count the second triumverate.
@@stevenirizarry1304
And remember that the Gracchi story ties back to the Punic Wars….
It’s actually a pretty epic series: Punic Wars (and the stories of Hannibal and the Scipi in particular) => the Gracchi => Sulla and the rise of Pompey and Crassus => Caesar and the rise and fall of the First Triumvirate and the Roman Civil War => Caesar’s assassination, the formation of the Second Triumvirate, the war against the conspirators, the war against Sextus => the fall of the Second Triumvirate and the Republic and the rise of the Empire.
In a way, Hannibal did actually end up destroying the Roman Republic. But not in the way he’d ever have wanted.
Guys, we all know that this is probably the last episode of this epic series which started years ago. I thank *Historia Civilis* for it and I hope that he will be able to tell us more stories of our past
You think so? I think his patrons vote on videos and I bet 90% of them are there for the Rome content. Unless he gets burnout, I expect this series to go on.
@@anglophone412 yeah it's not like history suddenly ends here
Stay tuned for Rome 2: Rome Harder
@@Fronzel412rome 2furious
I sure hope we get more
We.could get st least one episode on how Octavian did the empire thing or we could get a series fo tthe Graccus or early republic.
Dunno, many posibilities. I love this and I really hope so.
14:45 Ancient historians loved their literary motifs and i can't help but notice that this story about Octavian weeping when he learned about his rivals death is exactly the same thing that Julius Caesar is said to have done when he learned of Pompey's death. Both events even occurred in Alexandria. Its seems likely to me that the ancient historians made this up specifically to draw comparisons between Octavian and Caesar
I’m sure Octavian had a hand in that comparison as well
If he really did weep it may have been an emotional release realizing he won the long struggle with Antony.
Even Julius' is kinda sus, why would megalomaniac psychopaths weep? I guess they could have acted it out to appear human.. hmm..
@@arkthul8872 seems like weeping when your enemies died was a pretty common ancient Roman troupe, likely having to do with honor or some BS
It's a strong theory. But Octavian also spent half his life copying Caesar and trying to convince everyone they were exactly the same. After he was adopted in Caesars will, he made everyone call him Caesar, so reports said he wore a Caesar-like wigs and practiced imitating Caesars mannerisms.
He did this to get Caesars armies to transfer their loyalty to him. it made sense. So Octavian might have copied Caesar on purpose here also.
I absolutely believe that Octavian wept at seeing Antony’s sword. Tears of joy from a disturbed man.
He might have been sad about not getting to see him suffer
Why do you call Octavian a “disturbed man” For a Roman emperor, at least from what I know, he was one of the most practical and level headed. His reign lasted for a very long time, was relatively peaceful, and Rome flourished. He could be ruthless, but when he was it wasn’t out of rage but calculation about what was best for Rome (of course really best for him but like all Roman leaders he thought the two were the same) Certainly compared to emperors who came later like Caligula, Nero, Comodious, he was very well balanced.
@@MehmedtheBoringHe could have also been legitimately sad. Antony was Caesar’s right hand man and Octavian owed everything to his adopted father Caesar. Also, initially Antony and Octavian fought as allies against the curs who stabbed Caesar in the back. I’m not saying Octavian would have shown mercy to Antony, but the Romans had complex views about honor and nobility and could feel empathy for a vanquished foe who fought with honor, even as they sentenced them to death. Supposedly, Caesar wept for his greatest foe Pompey when he learned Pompey had been murdered rather than dying with honor in battle against Caesar
@@michaeldebellis4202 I have to disagree, the way Antony treated Octavian immediately following Caesar's death in my mind permanently made him an enemy of Octavian. He was trying to usurp Octavian's title as Caesar's heir.
@@NixonRules963 I don't know that time in history all that well so you are probably correct. I was just saying from my knowledge of previous Romans it is at least possible that Octavian had some pity for Antony. That is one thing that I always find striking about Caesar. He could be magnanimous with his enemies, especially if they were Romans. I think you can make a case that Caesar's magnanimous nature (due to his excessive pride) was his downfall because many of the Senators who stabbed him in the back owed their lives to him not having them put to death after the Civil War the way most Romans would have (and as Pompey almost certainly would have to Caesar's high level followers like Antony). I need to read up on Antony and Octavian sometime. I was wondering after I watched some of these videos what made them turn against each other to begin with? My understanding is after Caesar's death they were united in their opposition to his murderers and I think Antony could have made an excellent general for Octavian as he was for Caesar. My guess is Antony just couldn't face the fact that while he was a good soldier he wasn't a good politician. Especially because he was used to thinking of Octavian as a child, having seen him grow up.
I'm an Egyptian living in Alexandria and I just want to say your videos are truly one of a kind. Roman and Greek history runs deep here in Alexandria and we still have to this day a lot of places/monuments the Greeks and Romans left behind. Amazing content as always
Give it back :)
@@oppionatedindividual8256 Not really sure why the hate is necessary, but sure. Once you give us back the tons of artifacts, Jewellery and antiquities you stole from out temples and tombs and are rotting in your museums. BTW we never really asked for shit from you, The Romans and Macedonians invited themselves in here you know that buddy :)
so was Cleopatra black? My grandma told me so
@@jpb2366 No. There is no evidence for that.
@@wsxyz but my grandma told me to not trust school
The end of an era not just for Rome, but for Historia Civilis. Loved this Roman Civil War series, dude; congratulations on finishing it.
Wait is this it? Is there not gonna be more about how Octavian moves forward?
@@TheGhostLegend001 there probably will be. but this is the end of 5 years of Roman Civil War starting with Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon. I hope he continues forward with videos on the Roman Empire. I am sure he will at least make a video on how the Republic officially became an Empire.
@@thecatwhisperer2820 I don't think there's really any point before the later ERE where the Republic was ever "dissolved". Pretty sure I read a source from the 6th century where they still called it "Our Republic". Of course, in practice the idea and functioning of the Republic had deeply changed by then.
@@oveja3518Domitian did a lot to kill the Republic in all but name, but I'd put that point at Diocletian as the de jure end of the Republic, and the transition from the Principate to the Dominate, where any vestiges of the Emperor being a Princeps, the first citizen of the Republic, were abandoned in favour of them being the Dominus, the undisputed lord and master of all Romans, and the shift into a far more authoritarian, beurocratic and less collegial system closer to Imperial China than anything Roman before it.
So do we just have 3 more episodes after this one to get to 27 B.C.E. and then he's done covering the fall of the Roman Republic? It's been a journey, man, and it's not over yet.
I’m 100% sure he’s gonna do videos about the empire, or continue the unfinished series on Macedon or maybe the slave rebellions?
@@jtgd It would be cool to see him go back over the Punic Wars in the new detail and style he's putting out, or move on to things like the Crusades!
He should do what HBO was trying to set up and do a Jesus arc next.
@@vincentfarrell3868 I guess he could do a video on the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the legacy of that conquest. But, doing a whole series on Jesus sounds like a can of worms that I wouldn’t open if I were him.
@@yourethatmantis5178 the can of worms being what color of square he picks for Jesus oc
I love this channel so much. This guy is such an amazing narrator. Its not necessarily his voice, it’s just the flow of the script. The tempo. Hope you never stop man this is great stuff. I’ve learned more about history from watching a few years worth of videos from this channel than I did in 12 years of school combined.
Hope we get to see more of Octavian and the future of Rome's empire... I had little to no knowledge of ancient history before this video series and I'm excited to see it continue. I can't wait to see the emperors of Rome through the centuries, Rome before the Punic Wars, or even Rome during Sulla's reign of terror. There could be 50 more videos made in this Roman series and it wouldn't get old, and there is always Alexander the Great's conquests, or your series on the European Peace at the Congress of Vienna. Thank you, Historia for giving us such high-quality content and educating us throughout the years.
Well, there's the 95 years of Claudio-Julian dynasty, which is not going to be idle.
This is a prime example of the fine line between comedy and tragedy.
18:33 was the servant mentally slow? What was that all about?
@@stevencooper4422 likely saw the writing on the wall and wanted to be on the surviving side of it all.
@@stevencooper4422 we all have that one friend who is not stupid, but just insists on saying the worst thing at the worst time I think that’s the most likely explanation. After all, if you’re going to betray your master, you probably wanna commit suicide alongside them later.
9:20 has got to be the best moment. your king and leader orders you to kill him as everyone knows Octavian is at the gates, and Eros decides that the pressure is too much and just kills himself for some reason. imagine being anthony in this moment watching your dumbass servant shove a sword in his heart after you order him to kill you. if the moment wasn't already so grim i imagine anthony would have struggled to keep himself from busting out laughing.
@@kkirschkk I imagine they were thinking something like "If I rat this chick out, I can get brownie points with Octavian and he won't kill me!".
Kinda dumb, since she just antagonized the chick, who she'd still be bound to if she didn't off herself.
Octavian was unlikely to reward her anything more than what Cleo would have given her, and he didn't plan to kill them if he was talking at that point.
Maybe she thought they'd all be executed and decided to flap her mouth in some desperate attempt to throw the dying queen under the bus to save her skin, which was probably pointless.
Anthony died as he lived, asking for wine. Also, I think the story of Octavian crying at the news of Anthony’s death was an orchestrated stunt. Just as Caesar grieved his enemy Pompey’s death in Egypt, so too does his successor grieve his enemy in Egypt.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Caesar actually did cry. Say what you will about him, but I don’t think he was evil. Octavian was cold as ice though.
@@vincentfarrell3868 He did started multiple conflict with allied Germanic tribes for petty reasons.
Those tears could've been shed in joy rather than sorrow.
Caesar was genuinely upset at the news of Pompey’s death. Caesar has good strategic reason to want Pompey alive, since it would legitimize his victory, instead of forcing him to fight off all of Pompey’s seconds and thirds over the next half decade (see Cato in north Africa and Labienus in Spain). Furthermore, I genuinely believe Caesar liked Pompey, and was saddened at the death of a friend.
None of this applied to Octavian though. Whereas Caesar was a strategic genius, Octavian was cold, emotionless, and brutal. Octavian would have seen Antony tortured to death if he could, as if his humiliating death wasn’t torture enough.
Except that Caesar and Pompey were allies at one point, some would even say friends (after all Pompey married Caesar's daughter), while Octavian and Antony were basically rivals from the start.
“The kind of smart walkable mixed-use urbanism that’s illegal to build in most American cities” Love that line.
So true....
Hopefully that'll change in the coming years. Bike lanes, walkability and great public transport services dutch style for the win!
@@aaanawaleh "Dutch style!" You mean common western European standards. Unfortunately my friend America needs more than just a change in infrastructure, american culture needs to be completely changed when it comes to infrastructure, and quality of living..
@Freyia935 as someone who has spoken to many people from across Europe, its definitely just dutch style lol. No other country in Europe, no other country in the world comes close to being as bike friendly and oriented, or walkable as the Netherlands. Walkability, of course, it's common in western and central Europe, but its not as good as the Netherlands, and public transport, I've heard particularly via train, is also pretty decent in western and central europe, but they all look to the Dutch public transport and friendliness towards bikes as America looks to western European friendliness towards busses, trains and walkable routes throughout cities, which still isn't on the same level as the Dutch. Every European I've ever talked to that comes from central, Northern, or western Europe makes fun of American transportation, and then goes ahead and praises the Dutch and wishes their country was like the Netherlands when it comes to the topic.
The Dutch are just on a whole other level in general, and should be what every country strives to be when it comes to transportation
@@tuxtitan780 You clearly havent seen central or western europe. Are the dutch on a different level? Sure, but most developed EU countries are not far behind at all.
Seeing Octavian (the square) move around euphorically when discovering Egyptian architecture is lovable. 😂
Personally I do believe that Octavian wept when he saw the sword, not because he missed Antony but because he missed the chance of dragging him through the streets of Rome for his triumph
Would he really do that to another Roman? Did Caesar do that for his fifth triumph? I am genuinely curious.
@@Darkfawfulx Well, pretty much all of Octavian's propaganda painted Antony as being Cleopatra's slave, so Octavian could easily justify it as Antony barely being Roman anymore.
My Theory is that he was crying of Joy. "I did it, father, rome is finally mine and mine alone."
Edit: corrected spelling mistakes
@@basedimperialism they couldnt have included antony in the triumph directly it would be extraordinarily sacrilegious and would go down distastefully and poorly like Catos inclusion in the numidian triumph. Although antony was still likely to be executed in some manner regardless as unlike Pompey their was no chance at reconciliation or pardon
@@ultra-papasmurf Octavian ordered his personal thugs to beat up Vestal Virgins, break into the temple of Vesta and steal Antony's will. With that on your resume what's executing a Roman citizen in your triumph?
An entire era of Historia Civilis is in the books. What a ride it was. Thanks for being the best Roman history CZcamsr. Thanks for years of incredible knowledge. I can't wait to see what's next. This has been truely the best representation of the fall of the republic I have ever seen.
Next might I suggest the prequel saga of the Gracci brothers, the Cataline conspiracy, and the war between Sulla and Marius.
Don't you want a couple of episodes on Octavian's reign as Augustus? I think it would be fitting, after having seen lots of generals and head of states dying in the search of absolute power, to see how the last man standing actually managed to create an Empire.
@@francescomazzei4111 Augustus wasn’t done with conquest yet after annexing Egypt.
no thanks, we need more Alexander
Idk if I want this climax to be the end or if I want to see Augustus's reign, both options are awesome
I would personally really like to hear about how Octavian changed his image and that of the republic into that of an empire and why the romans kept the senate around for so long.
Way back when Historia Civilis did Cleopatra and the Siege of Alexandria, he referenced a line by historian Stacy Schiff in her biography of Cleopatra. Thanks to HC giving credit where credit is due, I eventually bought that book and just recently finished reading it before this video was uploaded. Reading that biography and then seeing Historia Civilis videos that cover Cleopatra was a good combination, something you won't get from the History Channel or Netflix. Thanks, HC.
This series as a whole, from the format to your ability to show the human/emotional side of the history while still maintaining historical accuracy is incredible. I'd love to see more eras in Roman history too!
I think there's something strangely emotional about this. Antony's perpetual failures and yet still at his deathbed he was thinking about Cleopatra, who, to me, this series had painted as something of borderline sociopathic in her pragmatism (in her case, to the very end with how she had hid from Antony), a trait she seemingly shares with Octavian; yet still, Cleopatra wished to bring Antony to her at his deathbed, and come her own death, had requested to be entombed alongside him, and had begged for her children to be spared-- Octavian, who I had fully expected to tie up loose ends with any potential road bumps, still yet let Cleopatra's children with Antony live, honoring his deal. These same children being raised with dignity by Octavia, who Antony had fundamentally mistreated, and would go on to live full lives.
It hardly absolves most of these players from their sins, and no doubt I could be looking too much into this/misrepresenting them in my head to fit this narrative, but it was nevertheless distinct lack of tragic unnecessary bloodshed and treachery that plagued the civil war period, oddly... human?
He didn’t die in battle, but through a botched suicide, after his servant committing suicide rather than killing him, after literally no one pays attention to him, after being pulled to a roof by his wife who didn’t actually die.
Very low ending for a historical figure who nearly became the first emperor of Rome.
It really is a remarkable story to mythologise. That's why Shakespeare was able to make such a fine play out of it.
Honestly, him trying to comfort- and advise Cleopatra in his dying moments is a level of dignity I did not expect Antony to go out with. Pour one out for our boy, Marcus Antonius.
F.
Also Cleopatra going mad with grief at Antony's death when there was no reason for her to put on an act. It looks like she really did love him...
@@windows95leon My grandmother said, no matter what they try to tell you, Shakespeare was black.
9:16 Eros death had me ROLLING
"and then he killed himself instead, funniest shit I ever saw"
@@adambebb99 swear t' god
Slow your roll
It has the same energy as that episode of danger 5 where every secondary character kills itself.
Antonie: kill me.
Eros: meh, do it yourself. *dies*
I love how Historia never hides his disdain for Antony.
I think it’s both “You’re such a f**ng tool Antony” and “I like you for the fool you are and feel a tad sorry for you”
Fun Fact:
There are living descendants of Mark Antony.
The Bagrationi royal family of Georgia are his kin.
Considering how many children he had and how long ago he lived, it is likely that many many people today are descended from him.
I'm really impressed at the sponsorship in this video. The guild of millers, producing true Roman bread, for true Roman citizens? That's the best sponsor on youtube!
of course, the head of the guild is Max Miller, who tried to expand into the Garum business, but ended up fumigating his Insulae with fish stank
Don't forget the erratic hand movements.
The story these people were all apart of feels almost magical. A completely different world, with unknowable rapidly changing, wild situations. Thanks for bringing this story to all of us, can’t wait to see what the squares are up to next!
So happy to see how far this channel has come please never stop
Honestly the story of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra reminds me of stories of dictators who have lost power: their servants and populations ignore them, they go into despair and they attempt to negotiate an escape for the last things they have with the last things they have left.
Edit: even down to keeping your jewellery so that you have some wealth after you escape
Hey Pepper... apart = separated, a part of = being included in something. Just a reminder with love ;-)
@@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901 I was thinking this too. You read it in history book or have lived long enough seen it play out in real life.
I don't see what is magical about it, I found it rather depressing.
@@huwhitecavebeast1972 It's tragic yet mesmerising
I love Historia Civilis. Your battle breakdowns are the most interesting and well told in CZcams. No exaggerate narration, simple visuals, clean sound and good humor. I wish you did other battles and interesting time periods, but being a huge Roman history fan, your work is very appreciated nonetheless. Keep on doing the good work!
The worst part about these videos is when they are over and I am left wondering how many months til the next one. Honestly worth the wait though, somehow these manage to be the clearest explanations of historical events I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait until my kids start studying the Roman Empire so I can share these with them.
I kinda feel bad for Anthony, dude just failed at everything he ever tried to do, even dying in style was denied to him xp and omg the story of cleopatra and her ladies pulling anthony over the balcony is just glorious, just imagine the picture of your queen using all of her strength to pull over a man who just a few years ago was the most powerful man in the roman east over with a rope on his waist
The bit where the servant Eros kills himself instead of Antony is indeed the funniest, and sadest, of dark humor.
How can you call a consul of Rome, a triumvirate of the east for 10 years a failure at all he did? He only failed in becoming the last man standing
It's really important to remember though _who_ is telling us these things. All this stuff at the end of Anthony's life makes him sounds like a truly pathetic figure; his wife has more courage than him, his servant has more courage than him, and when he finally does the deed expected of him, he fails miserably and his dying body is then subjected to further indignities. In _Parallel Lives_ , the most famous ancient text on the story, Plutarch literally writes that the people who witnessed it had "never seen a more piteous sight".
But _Parallel Lives_ was written to make ethical and moral points, not historical ones. Is this an accurate telling of what happened, or is it fictionalised to teach the reader a lesson?
Consider, that work was likely written in the first century, by which time Rome's leaders had been calling themselves "Caesar" and "Augustus" for over *a hundred years*. Bear in mind, also, that if you view these events from a different perspective, Mark Anthony was the _last Roman_ who provided a credible threat to the power of the man who would establish the Empire that Plutarch lived and died under. So is this an accurate telling of what happened, or is it fabricated to make the last opponent of the first emperor into a sad and pathetic man who all should shun and revile?
Pompeius' death was even more pitiful. He was stabbed in some tiny boat on the orders of Ptolemy XIII, whose father he had put back on the throne, while his wife and son were looking on.
I Tribune Aquila Support this message Ave Augustus
5 years of the most incredible, insightful, and thorough content. Thank you HC!
I watched the last 3 of these back to back and genuinely felt like 5 minutes had gone by. You have a unique ability to really bring this period of history to life in a super compelling fashion. If only youtube reminded me of your videos properly like I told it to :D
What a journey this series has been over the last 6 years. So lucky to have experienced it. Thank you Histoiria!
It's just nice to see content about Cleopatra that's actually based on the historical record.
Imagine that.
I know right?
But but..Rome is nothing without Egypt
Bro it was like one movie and some sporadic ppl
Who cares about a niche docuseries getting something as worthless as the race of a character wrong.
@@coolguyjki How is the ethnicity of a historical figure worthless? That's kind of a massive deal in the context of ancient history, just because it doesn't cater to your modern sensibilities doesn't invalidate it LOL
Magnific chapter. Great writing, full of details and noticeabled historic topics shared in an interesting and funny way. Thank you! This has been a long and great run!
Historia Civilis is back!!! Just finished rewatching this entire series of Caesar and Caesar's histories, and a new one immediately comes out. Love your channel!
The urbanism joke is funny, but it's also true. When you are walking around (hint hint) Ostia or Pompeii or Herakleion, it's immediately obvious that the restaurants, the baths, the temples, the markets, all of the other public spaces, are within easy walking distance of residential areas, often mid-rise insulae, making these cities walkable in exactly the modern urbanism kind of sense.
😆
How else could they have possibly built them?!
Damn, as an american, I feel disgusted by the fact that we have to sell our souls to retailers just to be able to function in dysfunctional cities, on top of the whole built on the backs of racism and it being an inherent part of the US that we can never get past thing.
@@blenderbanana
Obviously focused around the mass transportation via horsecart
Tokyo is the same way; never for a moment thought I needed a car when living there
@@tachikaze222 That's kinda the point I was making. There are folks making a big deal about "15 minute cities" or whatever, presenting it as some sort of boogeyman conspiracy, or perhaps a revolutionary new thing, but for entire history of human civilization other than some parts of the world during the last hundred or so years, "15 minute city" is just "a city".
So happy that my boy Juba is doing well, having went from a little kid on the verge of getting executed to the wealthy king of the Numida who gets to marry Cleopatra's daughter.
WHERE ARE YOU. WE NEED MORE
It feels like the end of a journey of almost 6 years, with Historia Civilis and all you wonderful folks.
What a journey its been! You've been the single most impactful youtuber on roman history for me and so many others!
After a bout of deep depression, seeing Historia Civilis release a new video has given me the first taste of true happiness in months. Thank you.
Just coming out of something similar, you got this!!! Really hope you feel better, I’m rooting for you.
Don't be depressed bro.
@@itsthatsebguy93 Can't help it bro
You have worth and value. Took me too long to figure this out for myself.
This channel is making history!
Yes: it is making videos about History.
Literally.
Like...literrrally
You can make history but you can't make more history
So so so good! best thing on youtube. Wish the Historia Civilis episodes focusing on Roman history would never cease!
I love the casualness of this video compared to the older content. I've noticed each new episodes just gets a little more relaxed, and makes the story telling aspect a lot better.
1) loses battle decisively
2) beloved queen abandons him and seeks hiding spot
3) orders servant to help him die, but servant choses to commit sucide instead
4) choses to do it himself, aims for the heart, slashes open his stomach instead. Hurts like shyt!
5) while dying, having a rope attached to him and drawn up on a balcony
A bad day indeed!
I can’t explain the level of happiness I get when I see that a new Historia Civilis video has been released!
Always makes my day as well!
Same!!!
I was just thinking about when he would upload this one 😅
I've relearned this period of history so many times and yet still seem to learn the most new things watching this channel
Your work is truly amazing. Running thru your channel like an addict
Well done on showing the emotional distress and sadness behind Antony's and Cleopatra's loss and suicides
That plan Cleopatra wanted to set up with the boats was almost Caesarian in scope and original thinking. In an alternate universe, Cleo and Antony were a pirate power couple.
What an amazing series you have made, you are one of my favorite creators. It's been a true pleasure. Thank you.
Good to have you back I missed your content.
This could be the finale of this series... It's been a total honour watching all these videos. I've learned so much and have learned to love history because of this channel. I hope you pick up somewhere down the road of Roman history. Maybe the year of the 4 emperors could be a decent mini series? Either way I can't wait for what comes next!
I really like this series and I wish for the entire thing that this channels has covered to be made into a multi part movie.
Most people heard about Cesar and Cleopatra but have no idea what has happened then.
I would love for him to actually continue with a couple of episodes to explain how Octavian actually managed to maintain power and transformed Rome into an Empire. As anti-climactic as it may be, It would really fit the spirit of this series: to explore history in detail and really educate people while entertaining them.
I want Marius vs Sulla
@@El_Presidente_5337 Cleopatra moved from Egypt and founded Wakanda and became the first Black Panther.
Not only did Cleopatra's children live out the rest of their lives in peace, through them she was the ancestor of Caracalla, Elagabalus, Alexander Severus, and Zenobia. It's also possible that, if her line survived, she's the ancestor of most humans currently alive.
You should see Anthony's descendants. He was the ancestor of an entire branch of the Bosporus, Pontus, Armenian and Mauretanian royal families through Antonia.
Cleopatra caused the Crisis of the Third Century confirmed!
He was also a direct ancestor for several roman emperors
Those are all some pretty unfortunate monarchs lol. Cool that her bloodline lived for so long though.
> Caracalla, Elagabalus, Alexander Severus
oof
> Zenobia
This makes the most sense out of any sentence I've ever heard
The way you had Octavian flying around excited in Egypt was priceless!
I love your videos. I've watched your channel for years and I've never learnt so much about Roman history as I have here. Thanks for all your work.
Thus ends the greatest rivalry in human history - that of Ocavian and Anthony over the successorship to the legacy of Julius Caesar.
would love a series like this on Sulla, Marius, and that era of Roman history, great stuff, keep it up!
Seconded! One of my all-time favourite series of books is the "First Man in Rome" series by Colleen McCullogh. Like this channel, she really brings the characters involved to life!
It would be great.
agreed 100%
No, the show creators will make them all black and completely change up their personalities
Awesome video, I've been following this series for years and I can't believe the saga has come to and end.
i missed these video ! thank you for comming back !
This is one of the most cathartic episodes. There was another really good one like that. I think Caesar’s death? No, no, another one where the guy died alone. I love all of them. This may be my favourite show of all time, and I would not swap the squares for anything. They have so much character, but at the same time the minimalism makes it like a book where your imagination can fill out the details.
Crassus's death?
I think you are thinking of Cicero's death
@@aperson4913 no, I just checked. My memory of this is very foggy, but it was something like just when you thought he was about to die, his failures and humiliation continued until he finally died sick and alone in a forest, or something like that. Maybe it was one of Caesars rivals? Uhh maybe it’s time to rewatch the whole thing…
@@fifthofascalante7311 cato
@@fifthofascalante7311 Ah I think I know. Decimus. He had his army and bodyguards abandon him while he tried to go to Gaul and find allies, and then was unfortunate enough to be caught in a check and then got executed. Its about 25:30 in the video Cicero's Finest Hour.
For all Antony’s faults, I think his more positive aspects came out in his final weeks and days. For starters even when he knew he was dying and was in intense pain, he was still advising Cleopatra to seek peace with Octavian to save herself. He must have really loved her. And likewise from what I understand of the sources, he had also offered to hand himself over to Octavian and even commit suicide he’d agree to leave Cleopatra and her children unharmed and in power in Egypt. He also reportedly distributed his wealth amongst his personal friends after Actium. That’s not the behaviour of a glutton or a coward, and despite his many faults I think Antony was a good man by the standards of the day.
Dude he totally murdered his wife. "Good man" is really pushing it.
He really cared about Cleopatra, according to Cassius dio he offered to kill him self if wicked octavius will leave Egypt alone
He was a fool to love her, Cleopatra looked out for Numero uno and no one else.
It's hard not to like him, unless you happen to be the king of Armenia.
Alan Pennie - I still think he and Cleopatra together would have made just as good rulers as Octavian made. Particularly if Caesarian as the heir of Caesar succeeded them as Rome and Egypt’s first Emperor. Cleopatra could have handled the administration side of the Empire, while Mark Antony could have handled any military crisis. Octavian was a brilliant administrator, but he was **** at handling any military matters. He was just fortunate that over his lifetime he always had competent military men he could fall back on like Agrippa, who were also not interested in taking power for themselves. That’s a very rare strike of fortune.
Just want to say I've been binging all of your vids over the past two weeks, and absolutely love your way of telling these stories. Looking forward to more!
Glad you are uploading again, you do a great Job!
I really like what HBO (Rome) did with this.
Instead of addressing points where historians (and Shakespeare) disagree, they just invented two characters (Titus and Pullo), put them into the story and had them responsible for everything.
Having Pullo be the actual father of Cesearion was a particularly funny way to end it.
"Uh, boy...about your father...."
And having Julia watch as Anthony and Cleopatra's corpses were paraded past in Octavian's triumph was one of the saddest moments of the series, despite having absolutely no basis in history.
Cleopatra telling a frustrated Octavian with her last breath: "You are a very..naughty boy!"
That was good TV.
Weren't Titus and Pullo real men who were mentioned in Ceasar's writings?
@@mesicek7 Yeah that’s another fascinating touch they did - Vorenus and Pullo were two soldiers Caesar mentions in his Gallic dispatches who supposedly had a rivalry and in a battle with Gauls one of them gets caught out surrounded by foes and the other saves him. Which, incidentally, mirrors the very first scene in the show with Pullo and Vorenus fighting at Alesia. A stroke of genius to take these two completely unknown men and have them be the vehicles for the entire story.
@@mesicek7 In Caesar's diaries both men are centurions and they have sort of friendly rivalry, in a typical Roman fashion, risking their lives constantly to one-up each other. But the rest of their lives were invented by the tv show. So basically they share little more than their names with the originals.
It allowed us to look at Rome from the perspective of far more ordinary citizens. Vorenus does become a senator but doesn't have much ancestral wealth it seems, or a major family, the way the Senators mostly did, and it was mostly because of his raw talent in Caesar's army that he got the job.
Otherwise, quite ordinary Romans who have all the physical difficulties that life brought them, and very relatable in a way the fame of Caesar, Cicero, Pompey, Cleopatra, Augustus, their machinations, and so on can't give us much of. It gives us a chance to see how these people affected their country at the time and not just by their enormous historical legacy we remember them by, and also reminding us that not everything important to a historical tale or how life worked back then was because only what these politicians did but the daily interactions people had with their friends and family.
Not Julia, but Atia of the Julia and her daughter Octavia.
I had never heard such a well-sourced argument against Cleopatra committing suicide via snake venom. It's interesting to hear that that may just be a folk tale caused by public misunderstanding!
I always wondered what happened during or caused the transition of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire but never really got around to educating myself on the topic. Recently came across your channel and have already binge-watched a bunch of your videos. Love how you visually represent and explain these historical events. Very easy subscribe!
Please keep making these!! 💯
I always love your videos. It's always a good day when I find one that I haven't seen yet
What a staggeringly cinematic and beautiful ending to this great tale, I'd expect no less of you.
Might be speaking too soon. We're fortunate if you are.
@@peytongonavy I mean, an ending to the tale of Augustus' rise to power.
But as Civilis said himself, perhaps a beginning too. I hope we get a series about a Roman emperor or something.
I’ve been watching your fall of the republic series for 6 years now and now we’re entering the era of the empire truly feels special
Congrats HC. Incredible work
I personally believe the misunderstanding is plausible. If the servant said something flowery, such as, "The Queen is resting peacefully in her mausoleum. You need not worry for her safety." It must have been something that didn't translate well from Greek/Egyptian to latin.
😂 yeah lol, RIP.😅😅😅
It's so weird to feel so much empathy for a bunch of literal squares, I don't know how you do it. Fantastic video! Feels like an ending to this story, but I hope you make an addendum video about Octavians later exploits and reforms.
That red square will be my hero forever.
i think its the most human thing there is to empathise with a story and the feel its feelings, to be able to abstract people down to their choices and a square
Great episode and probable end to a great series about Rome from Caesar to Octavian/Augustus. And thank you for bringing back the old BGM (and sound effects for Agrippa).
this is my favourite history channel by far
the information is in depth, your story telling is great, you dont overdo it but emphasize the right parts as well. id give you a fat bonus if I was wealthy
Some interesting anecdotes about these events (some probably made up, but hey) that might be interesting to hear:
- Herod of Judea supposedly advised Antony to kill Cleopatra, take Egypt and its treasury for Rome. Thus Octavian would have no justification to invade. Antony, unsurprisingly, refused.
- One account speaks of Antony being impressed by a soldier who distinguished himself in a skirmish outside Alexandria. He and Cleopatra supposedly presented this hero with a breastplate and helmet of gold. But the same evening this soldier took his treasures and defected to Octavian.
- The days before his death, Antony apparently resorted to every trick he could think of. He shot arrows into Octavian's camp carrying leaflets promising six thousand sesterces to every deserter. The response was derision. He challenged Octavian to single combat, but only received a reply suggesting he consider the several other more practical alternatives to ending his life.
Herod would indeed suggest killing spouses.
I am genuinely glad you're getting such great support.
-Sincerely, a very broke man.
You are my favorite channel, love you brother thanks for the all the hours and days I've enjoyed this
Your videos are so interesting, and so fun to watch. Please don't stop, I love them.