Julius Caesar's death

Austin Harrison
April 26, 2014
IND 101 - Civilization: The Human Experience I
Prof. Maddock
Julius Caesar’s Assassination

In the lives we have read, the assassination of Julius Caesar is arguably the most famous. Julius Caesar is one of the most important people in early Roman history. He is often looked at is one of the best military minds, and also is credited for laying the groundwork for the Roman Empire. Caesar, after getting involved in politics and the military, he successfully gained consulship in 60 B.C. therefore leading Rome with two other men; Pompey the Great and Crassus. Soon the Roman leader encountered trouble including civil wars, and an affair with Cleopatra, and was assassinated in 44 B.C. The conspiracy, his assassins, and the fates of those assassins were all very important in the Roman Empire at that time, and still today.

Julius Caesar’s assassination conspiracy on March 15, 44 B.C. had at least 60 senators involved. To this day there are only around 20 names that are actually known. When there is a group this big it is hard to pinpoint one reason, so it is believed to be several issues. For a large number of the senators however, the more popular motive was the hatred for Caesar. This is shown by the eight conspirators that had grudges against Caesar. Many even blamed Caesar for setback by them or their families. Another reason for the conspirators, is the older friends of Caesar, were aggravated by the promotion of former enemies. They were really upset when this promotion led them to being politically equivalent. Instead of feeling happy for what Caesar gave them, there focused on that negative. These same people soon resented Caesar, and then became humiliated by the situation because of how much they owed to Caesar[1]. Julius Caesar, who claimed himself as the “Dictator for life”, was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. Cassius Longinus started the plot to assassinate the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a note warning him of danger as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. When he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca stabbed Caesar first, stabbing Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators then all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly in the head. Marcus Brutus, who had wounded Caesar in the groin, is said to have been the one that Caesar was talking to when said his last words “You, too, my child?”[2]

After the assassination of Julius Caesar, it caused the end of the Roman Empire. It also upset the Romans lower class, who thought fond of Caesar, because a small group of people had killed Caesar. As far as the two men that led the group of conspirators to kill Caesar. Cassius Longinus after Caesar's murder he was sent as proconsul by the Senate in 43. Cassius then found himself in a war against Mark Antony. Cassius later had lost to Antony and his army. After the loss, Cassius ordered his freedman to kill him[4]. As for Marcus Brutus, uproar in the city of Rome caused Brutus and other conspirators to leave. Octavian and Brutus soon started engaging in battles, which also put Brutus to his death. After a successful battle, Brutus then lost the next one and committed suicide after the defeat. “By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands." According to Plutarch were his last words.[3] Julius Caesar did a lot for the Roman Empire, and was probably not deserving of his punishment. Being assassinated like that, for a leader in politics and in the military is not the brightest idea. He did happen however, get assassinated, and had a lot of political enemies. Caesar today, is looked at as the man who got the Roman Empire going, and I don’t disagree a bit with that statement. As for the men who led to his assassination, those men got what was coming for them.