The Assassination of Julius Ceasar
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The assassination of Julius Caesar was truly a tragic event in history. Many would say that it was the event which began the decline of the Roman Republic. The ides of March was the date set by the conspirators to assassinate the great leader, general and dictator of Rome. Although Caesar was warned on many occasions about something bad happening on March 15th, he still insisted on going to the senate meeting, which without knowing, will eventually be his final resting place. The assassination of Caesar was a very important event in human history because with it came a start to more civil wars and it was the final death blow to the republic.
Caesar is a name that is well known among people. He is known for his numerous accomplishments ranging from commanding armies and winning major battles to stabilizing the Mediterranean world with his many reforms. One of the most important characteristics of Caesar is that he works for what he wants and what he has. Unlike many other rulers he was not born into power. In fact he was exiled at a certain point in his life and with his genius and intellect he knew exactly what to do and when to do it in preparation for the time in which he would return to Rome. He was a man who knew well how to mix with people and how to use them to his advantage. When he was captured by pirates, he would treat them more like they are his guards than they are his kidnappers. When he returned to Rome after being exiled, he began to win over the hearts and support of the people and his popularity from this point on only kept growing. In his life time he led many armies into battles and won battles that many people thought couldnt be won. He won due to his intelligence and leadership abilities. He conquered many people and took over many places which eventually led him to being named dictator and then dictator for life over the Roman Republic. This was something that was illegal in Rome because they wanted to stay a democratic republic but it just shows how extraordinary the man was and how he was very popular among the people that they wouldnt care if he broke one of the most important laws of the republic.
Since Caesar was declared dictator for life, some senators among other people felt somewhat threatened by him. They felt as though he had too much power and that he will take theirs away from them therefore they started to plot against him. Cassius was one of the people plotting against Caesar. He was the one leading the conspirators. Cassius always resented Caesar because Caesar would always achieve more than him. He was a competitor against Caesar in multiple political events including consulship, in which he lost the position to Caesar due to Caesar having the most honorable praetorship at the time. Cassius was the one who approached Brutus and exploited his hate for Caesar to make him join the conspirators. Brutus hated Caesar because his mother, Servilia was Caesars lover at the time when Brutus was born, which made people gossip about him and call him a bastard instead of nobleman from the Brutus family. Cassius had won support from members of the senate who were not satisfied with the rewards and offices they were given and thought they deserved more. Brutus was supposed to be in the front of the conspiracy, however, because he was thought of as the “most virtuous of men.” People said the he was a descendant of the Brutus who expelled the monarchies around 460 years before and so he would be the perfect man to head the conspiracy to expel the dictator that was almost crowned king. It was decided that the ides of March, which is the 15th of March, shall be the day in which the great Caesar shall fall. During the evening of the 14th of March Caesar was in town and a question was raised, asking “what is the best death?” Caesar answered in his own words “a sudden one,” which was ironic