Fulvia’s civil war (also called the Perusine War) was a civil war which lasted from 41 to 40 BC. It was fought by Fulvia and Lucius Antonius to support Mark Antony against his political enemy (and the future Emperor Augustus), Octavian.

Fulvia, who was married to Mark Antony at the time of the civil war, felt strongly that her husband should be the sole ruler of Rome instead of sharing power with the Second Triumvirate, especially Octavian.

Fulvia and Antony’s younger brother, Lucius Antonius, raised eight legions in Italy. The army held Rome for a brief time, but was then forced to retreat to the city of Perusia. During the winter of 41 – 40 BC, Octavian’s army held the city under siege, finally causing it to surrender due to starvation. The lives of Fulvia and Lucius Antonius were both spared, but Antonius was sent to govern a Spanish province. Fulvia was exiled to Sicyon. The inhabitants of the city were then butchered.

Fulvia died in 40 BC, and with her death came a peace between Antony and Octavian. The peace would be short lived, however, as a civil war began a few years later.

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PERUSINE WAR (41–40)

Discontent against Octavian was coordinated by a consul for 41, no other than Lucius Antonius, Antony’s brother; he was supported in turn by Antony’s wife, Fulvia, the widow of Curio, who had been killed on campaign in 49. By the fall, Octavian had trapped both Antonius and Fulvia in Perusia (modern Perugia), which he besieged and eventually captured in spring 40. Antonius was then pardoned by Octavian, and Fulvia was allowed to depart for the East; both in fact soon died. Many Perusines, on the other hand, were butchered, and their city was looted and burnt. Ironically, Octavian’s survival of this severe challenge, and his ability to reassert control in Italy, owed much to indecisiveness on Antony’s part. Although far away, he was kept well informed of developments, but reckoned that he had most to gain by simply awaiting the outcome. Naturally it might not disappoint him if Octavian were to suffer defeat, yet at the same time he hesitated to act openly against him at this point. Because Antony sent no clear directives, therefore, several commanders in the West who were loyal to him chose not to engage their substantial bodies of troops. The fact is that, if they had, Octavian’s chances of survival would have all but disappeared.

In summer 40 Octavian gave Antony further cause for concern by coolly taking over Gaul and its garrison, following the death of the governor there who had been loyal to Antony. Antony sought a meeting with Octavian, therefore, which took place at Brundisium in September. There was every likelihood that it would turn into a serious clash between both men’s forces, but in the event the mood throughout their two armies was strongly for an agreement rather than further fighting. Agreement was duly reached, and sealed by the marriage of Antony and Octavian’s elder sister, Octavia; both partners’ previous spouses had recently died. Octavian in effect now took responsibility for the West, including Italy, and Antony the East; Lepidus, whose role had become increasingly insignificant, was assigned only Africa in his absence. Octavian was charged with ending the threat posed by Sextus Pompey, either by defeating him, or by making a settlement with him. There was some chance of the latter possibility, insofar as during the summer Octavian had agreed to marry Scribonia, the sister of Sextus Pompey’s father-in-law, even though she was considerably older than he. It was her third marriage, and it lasted only a year. But by Scribonia Octavian had his only child, a daughter named Julia.

Inevitably the agreement reached at Brundisium encouraged Antony to confine his attention to the east of the empire; in fact, he was never to see Rome again after October 39. Octavian, meanwhile, had an invaluable asset in his possession of Italy, although he recognized that he would not be secure there until the threat presented by Sextus Pompey had been removed. For the time being, the impact of the latter’s widespread raids and blockades made an agreement with him the only practical recourse. This was reached at Misenum in summer 39, with Sextus Pompey, Octavian, and Antony all present in person. Sextus Pompey undertook to abandon hostilities against the Triumvirate. In return, he was to retain control of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, and be given the Peloponnese, all for five years; he was made an augur at once, and was promised a consulship in 33. Octavian had Antony to thank for help in reaching this pact, although of course he had no wish to adhere to its humiliating terms any longer than absolutely necessary. Antony, for his part, was concerned to see that the threat presented by Sextus Pompey did not extend eastwards.

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