Battle of Philippi
42 BCE · Greece
The Battle of Philippi was fought in 42 BCE in Greece between Second Triumvirate (Mark Antony and Octavian) vs the assassins of Caesar; decisive Triumvirate victory; Brutus and Cassius took their own lives.
Battle of Philippi: quick facts
- Date
- 42 BCE
- Location
- Greece
- Belligerents
- Second Triumvirate (Mark Antony and Octavian) vs the assassins of Caesar
- Commanders
- Mark Antony and Octavian vs Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus
- Result
- decisive Triumvirate victory; Brutus and Cassius took their own lives.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Philippi?
The forces of Octavian and Mark Antony clashed with those of Caesar's assassins Brutus and Cassius in two engagements over three weeks at Philippi in Macedonia. Cassius, mistakenly believing the battle lost, committed suicide after the first engagement. Brutus was defeated in the second battle and also took his own life. The victory avenged Caesar's assassination and left Octavian and Antony as masters of the Roman world.
Did you know?
The ghost of Julius Caesar allegedly appeared to Brutus before Philippi, saying 'I shall meet you at Philippi.' Shakespeare immortalized this encounter in his play.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Philippi on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.