(Nardo 83-84). In 48 BC, Caesar crossed to Greece, where Pompey had escaped to. Pompey escaped to Egypt, where he sought shelter with King Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy's advisors warned him against the wrath of Caesar, so he killed Pompey and sent Caesar his head. In 46 BC, Caesar was named the ten year dictator of the state. He promptly renamed himself dictator for life. On March 15, 44 BC, a group of senators who decided that Caesar was a danger to the Republic. Led by Brutus and Cassius, they attacked Caesar in the senate chambers. Ironically, his body fell at the feet of the statue of Pompey, after suffering twenty three knifewounds. Immediately after Caesar's death, the senate outlawed the dictatorship.After Caesar's death, his adopted grandson, Octavian, formed the second triumvirate with Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Antony ruled the east, Octavian the west and Italy, and Lepidus ruled Africa. The second triumvirate was constituted by an act of state to reconstitute the state. They were given five years, but this was later extended. The three crushed all of their opponents, including Brutus, Cassius, and Cicero. Battling against Sextus Pompeius, Octavian summoned Lepidus to Italy to help him. Upon arriving, Lepidus tried to seize Sicily, and was subsequently kicked out of the triumvirate.Mark Antony fell in love with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, who was rumored to be a former lover of Caesar. Together they ruled the eastern Empire for many years. With the growing support of the Roman people, Octavian declared war on Antony, to secure power for himself. The two forces, Octavian's navy commanded by Marcus Agrippa, and Antony and Cleopatra's navy, met at the battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC. Agrippa, a very capable general and a good friend of Octavian, commanded 260 light ships, while Antony commanded 220 heavy ships (Encarta "Actium"). The battle raged on for a very long time, and was beginning to look like a stalemate, whe...
