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__NOTOC__[[File: Ass of caesar one.jpg|200px300px|thumb|left|An 18th-century painting of Caesar’s assassination]]__NOTOC__There have been many famous political assassinations throughout history and one of the most well-known was the killing of the Roman general and politician, Julius Caesar in 43 BC. The assassination of Caesar was a turning point in the history of Rome, not only did it end the career of one of the greatest most powerful Romans , but it also initiated a chain of events that changed the very nature of Rome and its Empire. Among the consequences of the assassination were a brutal civil war and the rise of Mark Anthony and Octavian. The death of Caesar on the Ides of March was to send sent the Roman Republic into a crisis that ultimately led to the its abolition of the Republic and the emergence of the Imperial system.

====Background==Why was Caesar Killed? ==Caesar was a member of the Roman aristocracy and he was a lifetime member of the popular faction. This was a party of nobles who claimed to be serving the interests of the common people. Caesar became one of the most powerful men in Rome when he joined the First Triumvirate. He used his new-found power to secure a consulship and the command of several legions which he used to wage war in Gaul. Following his conquest of Gaul, he was the most powerful man in Rome and he was feared by the Roman Senate. To safeguard his position Caesar marched on Rome and this began a civil war.<ref> Goldsworthy, Anthony. <i>Caesar: Life of a Colossus </i> (Yale, Yale University Press, 2006), p. 261</ref. > Caesar fought the ''Optimate'' army, initially led by Pompey the Great.

He defeated Pompey at Pharsalus and later in a series of battles across the Mediterranean defeated several armies opposed to his rule. By 43 BC Caesar was by far the most important man in Rome and he had himself made dictator for life. This aroused the deep hated hatred of many in the Roman aristocracy. A conspiracy was formed by several leading Roman nobles, whose titular leader was Brutus, someone whom Caesar knew well. The Roman general had pardoned many of the conspirators and had even appointed some of them to high office. The members of the plot called themselves the liberators. The plot involved luring Caesar to Pompey’s theatre where gladiatorial games were to be held in his honor .<ref>Plutarch, <i>Life of Caesar</i>, xxxi</ref>. The Roman leader was notoriously reckless when it came to his personal security. He refused bodyguards and he declared that to live surrounded by guards was not a life he wanted. Caesar had only a few personal attendants who escorted him everywhere.

On the Ides of March (15th of March), the conspirators lured their target Caesar to the Theatre of Pompey. Here after After he arrived, one of the conspirators seized his toga, and up to sixty assailants stabbed Caesar, who . Caesar later died because of blood loss. It is important to understand What were the motivations of those who killed the great Roman general. Caesar? They believed were convinced that he wanted to become king and to end the Republic. The killers of Caesar were all Republicans and they stridently believed in the Roman Constitution and the rule of the Senate. Brutus and the others believed thought that they were delivering the Romans from the tyranny of the conqueror of Gaul. The assassination of Caesar was carried out to protect the Republic and to preserve the ancient Constitution of the city.<ref> Goldsworthy, p. 314</ref>.

====Immediate Aftermath of the Assassination==What happened Immediately Caesar was Murdered? ==[[File: Ass of caesar three.jpg|200px300px|thumb|left| A cameo of Mark Anthony]]The death of Caesar was a great shock to many. Those who had killed himshocking, but the assailants expected that the people of Rome would rally to them and support their actions and that this would save the Republic. However, most of the population remained wary and neutral, while many people and especially the political gangs, who controlled large areas of the city, were angered by the killing of Caesar. In the days after the assassination, there was an eerie calm in the city. Mark Anthony became the de-facto leader of the Caesarean party in the city, even though he had fallen out of favor in recent years with his former generalCaesar.<ref> Osgood, Josiah. <i>Caesar's Legacy: Civil War and the Emergence of the Roman Empire </i> (New York: Cambridge University Press (USA), 2006), p. 113</ref> He arranged a political compromise that allowed the killers of Caesar to go unpunished and for those who had been appointed by the dead man to remain in office. This was able made it possible to maintain some semblance of order in the city. The lower class became increasingly incensed when they learned more about the death of Caesar and Anthony threatened to unleash them against the senators.<ref> Plutarch, <i>Life of Anthony</i>, xxiv</ref>

The reading of the will of Caesar came as a surprisewas surprising because he designated Octavian, he made his grand-nephew , as his son and heir. This shocked Mark Anthony who was not even mentioned by Caesar in his will. Octavian immediately returned from Greece and as Caesar’s heir, he instantly became one of the most influential men in Rome. This only added to the confusion in Rome. The Senate supported decided to support Octavian, who because they distrusted Mark Anthony . Mark Anthony became worried about his safety and he was forced to flee the city. He assembled an army of five legions but was defeated by Octavian and the forces of the Senate at the Battle of Mutina in Northern Italy (43 B.C.). The two consuls for that year were also killed during the battle. Antony was forced to retreat, and his cause seemed lost, but he was fortunateRome.

The Senate tried to take his After fleeing, Anthony assembled an army away from of five legions but was defeated by Octavian and give it to one the forces of the assassins Senate at the Battle of Caesar<ref> Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars, xxiv</ref>Mutina in Northern Italy (43 B. This persuaded Octavian to enter an alliance with Anthony and LepidusC. This was the so-called Second Triumvirate and it divided the legions and provinces among the three allies). The aim of two consuls for that year were also killed during the agreement battle. Antony was forced to avenge the assassination of Caesar. They soon occupied Rome retreat, and launched a campaign of terror in his cause seemed lost, but the city, summarily killing Senators undermined their enemies. However, their rule was opposed by the ''Optimates'' and the assassins of Caesar and this led to another civil war<ref>Galinsky, Karl. Augustan Culture. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998), p. 89</ref>position with Octavian.

====The How did Augustus win the Civil War==against the Optimates? ==Those who were involved in the assassination of Caesar were placed under the command of Cassius and Brutus . They controlled much of the Easter eastern portion of the Empire. Antony and Octavian sailed with an army to confront their enemies and the two armies confronted each other at Phillipa in modern Macedonia or Northern Greece. Here the The two armies clashed and over after two decisive battles , the followers of Caesar prevailed. The battles had been closely fought and it was the personal bravery of Mark Anthony and the general Agrippa that ensured victory for the Second Triumvirate. The liberators and their ''Optimates'' allies all died in the battle or its aftermath.<ref> Suetonius, <i>Lives of the Caesar</i>, vii</ref>. Brutus and Cassius committed suicide in the aftermath of the defeat.

The defeat at Philippi was a decisive one and it effectively ended the Optimates as a military force. While there were to be more civil conflicts The Senate was also effectively neutered by the Senatorial elite were no longer active participantsTriumvirate's victory. Successive defeats and a series of proscriptions had decimated the old Republican elite and they had lost most of their power. Those who wanted to preserve the old ideas of the Republic no longer had the means or perhaps even the will to prevent the concentration of power in the lands of one or two men.<ref> Osgood, p 227</ref>. The assassination of Caesar was motivated by a desire to restore the old Republican system and especially restore the influence of the Senate. In factessence, the civil war that ensued in the aftermath of the death of Caesar assassination was to result in the side-lining a spectacular failure. Instead of restoring the Senate and those who believed in the ideals of republic, the old Roman Republicwas destroyed.

====The What was the Second Triumvirate? ==== <dh-ad/>The Second Triumvirate saw the rise of Octavian and Mark Anthony, who became the most powerful man in Rome. Lepidus was decidedly a the junior partner in the political arrangement. Octavian, Mark Anthony , and Lepidus divided the Roman Empire between them, but Anthony and Caesar's heir soon deftly side-lined Lepidus. Anthony assumed responsibility for the pacification of the east , which had become restive after the civil wars. Anthony successful reimpose successfully reimposed Roman control over the Eastern section of the Roman Empire. The A series of marriages sealed the relationship between Mark Anthony and Octavian was sealed by a series of marriages. However, in truth, the two men were never really allies , and both knew that there would be a day of reckoning. The Still, the Second Triumvirate allowed Octavian and Mark Anthony to rule the Roman Empire.

Octavian was the real power in Rome , and he observed the forms of the Republican system .<ref>Holland, Tom, <i>Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic </i> (London, Anchor Books, 2003), p. 207 </ref>. In the east , Mark Anthony began a relationship with the Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra IV. For a brief period, the Roman territories were divided between Octavian who presented himself as a champion of old-fashioned Roman values and beliefs and Mark Anthony who seemed to be creating a personal domain for himself and Cleopatra in the east. For the entire duration of the Second Triumvirate, the Senate was subservient to the demand of, especially Octavianand Anthony. The political arrangement between Anthony and Octavian that was made possible by the assassins who sought to preserve the Republic, did much to undermine the old system of governance and politics.<ref> Holland, p 298</ref>.

==The Why did Rise of Octavian and the End of the Roman Republic? ==

Perhaps the most important result of the death of Caesar was the rise of his grand-nephew Octavian. He had not been particularly close to the great general and politician, but he was one of his last living male relatives. It seemed that the victor of so many battles saw something in the young man and Octavian was to prove his grand-uncle right. The death of Caesar cleared the way for the rise of Octavian and he was to prove to be one of the most calculating and brilliant politicians in the entire Roman era.<ref> Goldsworthy, Adrian. <i>Augustus: First Emperor of Rome </i> (Yale, Yale University Press, 2010), p. 213 </ref>

The young Octavian was able to manipulate the situation to make himself master of the Roman world. For example, he goaded Mark Anthony into a war and he defeated him at the Battle of Actium. This was to make him master of the entire Roman world. Octavian learned from the assassination of Caesar and he did not make the same mistakes as the legendary leader. He was very respectful to the Senators and observed all the procedures. This was to placate the sensibilities of the Roman aristocracy. Octavian made sure that he did not goad the senators’, but he also controlled them.<ref> Suetonius, Life of Augustus, cvii</ref> Caesar's heir slowly concentrated power into his own hands and created an Imperial system under the guise of a Republican system. He safeguarded his position by sharing power with the Senators and the rest of the Roman aristocracy. Many welcomed the stability that he offered, and he governed the Empire wisely.

However, he was also slowly undermining the Empire. OctavianCaesar's pre-eminence was confirmed when he was granted the title Augustus. Such was his hold on heir slowly concentrated power that he was able to pass on his position to into his designated heir own hands and established the first Roman created an Imperial dynasty. For this, Augustus is regarded as the first Roman Emperor and system under the founder guise of an Imperial a Republican system. The assassins of Caesar simply paved He safeguarded his position by sharing power with the way for Senators and the rise rest of the man who was to quietly dismantle Roman aristocracy. Many welcomed the Republicstability that he offered and he governed the Empire wisely.<ref> Osgood, p. 452</ref>

====Conclusion====The death of Caesar at the hands of aristocratic Romans was to have had far-reaching consequences in both the short and the longer term. The killing led to a series of events that It resulted in two civil wars and the rise of Mark Antony and Octavian. It also led to a civil war between the The adherents of the Caesarean party sided with Octavian and the Mark Anthony. The liberators and their Senatorial allies that ended did not want to replace Caesar with Octavian and Anthony. The Liberators were smashed at the total defeat Battle of those who believed in Philippi and the Roman Republicwould never return. The defeat at Philippi was to effectively the end of the military power of those who sympathized with the old Republican system. The Caesar's death of the conqueror of Gaul also enabled allowed Mark Anthony and Octavian to partition the Empire between them. Perhaps  While the most significant eventempire was split between Anthony and Octavian, that emerged from Octavian became the bloody confusion center of power in the aftermath of the assassination was the rise of OctavianRoman Empire. He learned much from the death of his grand-uncle was an effective ruler and did not repeat his Casaer's mistakes. He created an imperial system while observing the outward form of the Republican system. As a result, he faced little opposition, as even though he ended the Republic and made crowned himself the first Emperor. The most important consequence of the assassination of Caesar was the fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of an Imperial system that was to last created by Octavian lasted until 476 AD.

* Syme, Ronald, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0192803204/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0192803204&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a10af7542e214cda24649ca76457ed62 The Roman Revolution ]</i> (Oxford, Oxford University, 2002).* Canfora, Luciano, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00720XI0A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00720XI0A&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=5de475b6b8ead57e112dcda8479acc57 Julius Caesar: The People's Dictator]</i> (Edinburg, Edinburgh University Press, 2006).Holland* Jiménez, TomRamon L., Rubicon<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0275966208/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0275966208&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=20b9b0d1ca2a488932321afa4bb22afa Caesar Against Rome: The Last Years of the Great Roman Republic Civil War]</i> (LondonNew York, Anchor BooksPraeger, 20032006).* Goldsworthy, Adrian, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300126891/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0300126891&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e3d7ca205d235ca4f80c8f42d215447a Caesar: Life of a Colossus]</i> (Yale University Press, 2008)* Freeman, Philip. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743289544/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743289544&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=04b3744690637472a5e2eb2eb8dc57c6 Julius Caesar]</i>. (Simon and Schuster, 2008)Everitt* Grant, AnthonyMichael. <i>[https://www.amazon. com/gp/product/0486822192/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0486822192&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=707967b3998ed8e0ee4b02e887ee7b50 The First EmperorTwelve Caesars]</i> (New York: Penguin Books, 1979)* Osgood, Josiah. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521671779/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521671779&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=78feb0248f30b4a6c2cfaa0048334c9f Caesar Augustus 's Legacy: Civil War and the Triumph Emergence of Rome the Roman Empire]</i> (London: John MurrayCambridge, Cambridge University Press, 20072006). Jiménez* Holland, Ramon LTom. [https://www.amazon. Caesar Against Romecom/gp/product/1400078970/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400078970&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a25657c34ca67cbf377bd8dfbc462c2c Rubicon: The Great Last Years of the Roman Civil War Republic] (New YorkLondon, PraegerAnchor Press, 20062003)* Goodman, Rob. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250042623/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250042623&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4c9157524f8c44ff12d67a6dff4613ad Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato: Mortal Enemy of Caesar]'' (St.Martin's Griffen, 2014)<div class="portal" style="width:35%;">

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