Optimates

Optimates means ‘Best men’ or Good men’ and they were the Patrician Landed Aristocratic Roman Senators in the Roman Social Class System.
They defended the Roman Republic against the rise of powerful Generals such as Pompey and Julius Caesar, but were ultimately defeated.

The Optimates were Aristocratic Senators who represented the Senatorial elite and opposed the rise of less well connected Senators, by attempting to restrict the power of the Popular Assemblies and Tribune of the Plebs.
They also opposed the rise of the successful Generals who appeared to acquire too much power with their control of the new standing armies.
The most notable Optimates, ironically, were Plebeians, such as Cato the Younger and Cicero.

The Optimates were opposed by the Populares who were Patricians or Noble Plebeians, relying on the People’s Assemblies and Tribunes to achieve power.
The Gracchus brothers were the first to oppose the Optimates between 133-121 BCE, but they were unsuccessful.

Three Roman Generals formed a secret alliance to oppose the Optimates. They were Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus.
But once Crassus had died after his unsuccessful invasion of Parthia in 53 BCE, the two Generals competed to control Rome.

After the death of Crassus in 53 BCE, Pompey allied himself with the Optimates who wanted to oppose the Rise of the powerful General Julius Caesar.
They accused Julius Caesar of Treason, demanding he return to Rome to face Trial.
As this would have ended his career, Julius Caesar was forced to make a decision to Cross the Rubicon, take his army to Rome and seize Power.

The civil war that followed was fought between Julius Caesar on one side and Pompey and the Optimates on the other.
Pompey had joined the Optimates, he fought with them against Julius Caesar, but was defeated at Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BCE and assassinated in Egypt the same year.
The War ended in 45 BCE with Julius Caesar being made Dictator for Life.

The Optimates tried restore the Roman Republic by overthrowing the Dictatorship of Julius Caesar and assassinating him on the Ides of March in 44 BCE.

In 43 BCE the Second Triumvirate was formed between Octavian, Mark Anthony and Lepidus to eliminate the Optimates.
They conducted another Civil War, which led to the Optimates being defeated and eliminated as a political force. This ended the Senate’s independence under the Roman Republic.
In 31 BCE Octavian defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium and became the First Emperor of the Roman Empire.