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The Second Triumvirate saw the rise of Octavian and Mark Anthony, who became the most powerful man in Rome. Lepidus was decidedly a junior partner in the political arrangement. Octavian Mark Anthony and Octavian divided the Roman Empire between them and deftly side-lined Lepidus. Anthony assumed responsibility for the pacification of the east which had become restive after the civil wars. Anthony successful reimpose Roman control over the Eastern section of the Roman Empire. The relationship between Mark Anthony and Octavian was sealed by a series of marriages. However, in truth the two men were never really allies and both knew that there would be a day of reckoning. The Second Triumvirate allowed Octavian and Mark Anthony to rule the Roman Empire. Both paid only scant regard to the Senate. Octavian was the real power in Rome and he observed the forms of the Republican system <ref>Holland, Tom, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic (London, Anchor Books, 2003), p. 207 </ref>. In the east Mark Anthony began a relationship with the Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra IV. For a brief period, the Roman territories were divided between Octavian who presented himself as champion old fashioned Roman values and beliefs and Mark Anthony who seemed to be creating a personal domain for himself and Cleopatra in the east. For the entire duration of the Second Triumvirate, the Senate was subservient to the demand of especially Octavian. The Second Triumvirate that was made possible by the assassins who sought to preserve the Republic, did much to undermine the old system of governance and politics<ref> Holland, p 298</ref>.
==The Rise of Octavian and the End of the Roman Republic==
Perhaps the most important result of the death of Caesar was the rise of his grand-nephew Octavian. He had not been particularly close to the great general and politician, but he was one of his last living male relatives. It seemed that the victor of so many battles saw something in the young man and Octavian was to prove his grand-uncle right. The death of Caesar cleared the way for the rise of Octavian and he was to prove to be one of the most calculating and brilliant politicians in the entire Roman era <ref> Goldsworthy, Adrian. Augustus: First Emperor of Rome (Yale, Yale University Press, 2010), p. 213 </ref>. The young Octavian was able to manipulate the situation to make himself master of the Roman world. For example, he goaded Mark Anthony into a war, in which and he defeated him at the Battle of Actium. This was to make him master of the entire Roman world. Octavian learned from the assassination of Caesar and he did not make the same mistakes as the legendary leader. He was very respectful to the Senators and observed all the procedures. This was to placate the sensibilities of the Roman aristocracy. Octavian made sure that he did not goad the senators’, but he also controlled them <ref> Suetonius, Life of Augustus, cvii</ref>. Octavian slowly concentrated power into his own hands and created an Imperial system under the guise of a Republican system. He safeguarded his position by sharing power with the Senators and the rest of the Roman aristocracy. However, he was the dominant player in Rome. Octavian moved slowly and amassed so many powers that he was the leading man in Rome. Many welcomed the stability that he offered, and he governed the Empire wisely. However, he was also slowly undermining the Empire. His pre-eminence was confirmed when he was granted the title Augustus. Such was his hold on power that he was able to pass on his position to his family designated heir and found established the first Roman Imperial dynasty. For this year , Augustus, as he became known is regarded as the first Roman Emperor and the founder of an Imperial system that was to last in the West until 476 AD. The assassins of Caesar who killed him to save their beloved Republic, simply paved the way for the rise of the man who was to quietly dismantle the Republic and erect a new Imperial system<ref> Osgood, p. 452</ref>.
[[File: Ass of Augustus.jpg|200px|thumb|left| A statue of Augustus]]
==Conclusion==
The death of Caesar at the hands of aristocratic Romans was to have far reaching consequences in both the short and the longer term. The killing led to a series of events that led to the rise of Mark Antony and Octavian. It also led to a civil war between the adherents of the Caesarean party and the liberators and their allies that ended with the total defeat of those who believed in the Republic. The defeat at Philippi was to effectively end the military power of those who sympathized with the old Republican system. The death of the conqueror of Gaul also enabled Mark Anthony and Octavian to partition the Empire between them. Perhaps the most significant event, that emerged from the bloody confusion in the aftermath of the assassination was the rise of Octavian. He learned much from the death of his grand-uncle and did not repeat his mistakes. He created an imperial system while observing the outward form of the Republican system. As a result, he faced little opposition, as he ended the Republic and made himself the first Emperor. The most important consequence of the assassination of Caesar was the fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of an Imperial system that was to last until 476 AD.
