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Glite Dictionary
Battle of Philippi

Battle of Philippi

1 9.4
A major battle in 42 BC near Philippi where Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius
  • proper noun
translation icon : Batalla de Filipos
  • Many historians study the Battle of Philippi to understand the power struggles of Ancient Rome.

Examples

  • But afterwards, having proved his faithfulness and utility to Bruno, he died with him in the battle of Philippi.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Somehow he managed to survive the Battle of Philippi, fighting on the losing Republican side, even though he fled the battle without his shield.

    Blog text (32)

  • The Battle of Philippi was a crucial moment in Roman history, marking the defeat of Brutus and Cassius.

  • In 42 BC, the forces of Octavian and Mark Antony decisively won the Battle of Philippi against their opponents.

Surface Forms

Battle of Philippi main

Morphology

battle + of + Philippi

The phrase is compositionally built from 'battle' (a large armed fight) and the place name 'Philippi', with the preposition 'of' indicating the location/association; thus its meaning ('a battle that took place at Philippi') is directly derivable from the constituents. The 'Battle of X' naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily understand this MWE.

Etymology

The Battle of Philippi was a real fight in 42 BC near the town of Philippi, where Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the armies of Brutus and Cassius. That's why the name now refers to that important battle which helped bring the 'end of the Roman Republic'.