Roman Civil War - Definition and Overview

There were several Roman civil wars, especially during the time of the late Republic. They were:

• First Servile War (135/132 BC), between Rome and a slave insurrection on Sicily - Roman victory
• Second Servile War (104/103 BC), between Rome and a slave insurrection on Sicily - Roman victory
• Social War (91/88 BC), between Rome and the Italian nations - Roman victory
• Sulla's first civil war (88/87 BC), between Sulla's legions and Gaius Marius' consular army - Marian victory
• Sertorius' Spanish revolt (83/72 BC), between Rome and the Spanish provinces - Roman victory
• Sulla's second civil war (82/81 BC), between Sulla and Marius' supporters - Sullan victory
• Third Servile War (73/71 BC), between Rome and a slave insurrection in Italy led by Spartacus - Roman victory
• Catiline Conspiracy (63/62 BC), between the Senate and the dissatisifed followers of Lucius Sergius Catilina - Roman victory
• Caesar's civil war (49/45 BC), between Julius Caesar and the conservative republicans, initially led by Pompey - Caesarean victory
• Post-Caesarian civil war (44 BC), between the Senate army (led first by Cicero and then by Octavian) and the army of Antony, Lepidus, and their colleagues - Truce results in union of forces
• The Liberators' civil war (44/42 BC), between the Second Triumvirate and the Liberators (Brutus and Cassius, Caesar's assassins) - Triumvirate victory
• Sicilian revolt (44/36 BC), between the Second Triumvirate (particulary Octavian and Agrippa) and Sextus Pompeius, the son of Pompey - Triumvirate victory
• Fulvia's civil war (41/40 BC), between the forces of Lucius Antonius and Fulvia Antonia (the younger brother and wife of Marc Antony) and Octavian's Triumvirate army - Triumvirate victory
• Antony's civil war (32/30 BC), between the Western provinces (under the leadership of Octavian and Agrippa) and the East (under command of Marc Antony and Cleopatra) - Western victory

After 30 BC, the Republic was unified under leadership of Octavian Caesar. In 27 BC Octavian was granted the title of Augustus by the Senate, considered the end of the Republic and the birth of the Empire. The next Roman civil war would not be fought until after Nero's suicide in 68 AD; this period was known as the "Pax Augusti" (peace of Augustus), and was the beginning of the era known as the "Pax Romana" (Roman Peace).

Ancient Rome directory -- Military History of Rome -- Roman civil wars