Settlement of Soldiers
42 BC
Octavian was unsure of how to tackle the issue over land settlement for the tens of thousands of veterans of the Philippi campaign, whom the triumvirs had promised to discharge, as there was a lack of available land to be given in Italy. Octavian therefore confiscated some lands from Italian citizens, thus alienating them. This widespread dissatisfaction led many to rally to Lucius Antonius, brother of Mark Antony.
Suetonius explains what happened next:
"At this point Lucius Antonius felt strong enough, as consul and brother of the powerful Mark Antony, to raise a revolt. After the fall of the city Augustus took vengeance on crowds of prisoners and returned the same answer to all who sued for pardon or tried to explain their presence among the rebels. It was simply you must die according to some historians, he chose 300 prisoners of equestrians or senatorial rank, and offered them on the Ides of March at the altar of the god Julius as human sacrifices. Augustus fought it is said ... he would crush them, confiscate their estates, and thus manage to pay off his veterans."