The Men Who Killed Caesar: Brutus, Cassius, and the Cost of Saving Rome

The Men Who Killed Caesar: Brutus, Cassius, and the Cost of Saving Rome

I have been learning more about Julius Caesar and Roma. So I was looking at the story of Cassius and Brutus.

Gaius Cassius Longinus was born around 85 BC, and he seemed to develop a strong sense of independence and resistance to authority. He had already proved to be a capable soldier, particularly during the campaigns against the Parthians. By the time Julius Caesar rose to dominance after the Roman Civil War, Cassius appears to have grown increasingly uneasy. 

Marcus Junius Brutus was born around 85 BC as well, but had a very different background. He was closely connected to Rome’s political traditions, and his family claimed descent from Lucius Junius Brutus, the man who had helped to overthrow Rome’s last king. Brutus was known for his intelligence and his philosophical nature, influenced by Stoic ideas about duty and virtue. But, despite this, he had also been shown favour by Caesar, who pardoned him after the civil war. represented.

It was Cassius who began to draw Brutus into the conspiracy. He saw in Brutus not only a trusted ally, but a symbol. If they could persuade Brutus  then their cause might appear noble rather than being driven by jealousy or ambition. Cassius is often portrayed as the driving force maybe even the one  fuelling the frustration and a fear of tyranny. Brutus seemed to have struggled more. He must have questioned whether removing Caesar was an act of justice or betrayal.

By early 44 BC, the conspiracy had taken shape. A group of senators had united by a mixture of fear, principle, and  grievance, made the decision to act. On the 15th of March 44 BC, the Ides of March, they carried out their plan. Caesar was assassinated in the Senate House, he had been struck down by men that he had once trusted. Can you begin to imagine what Brutus may have felt. Ancient sources do suggest that when Caesar saw Brutus with his attackers, he was both shocked and heartbroken.

Afterwards, Cassius and Brutus believed they had actually restored the Republic. Instead, they found themselves facing utter chaos. Public opinion turned, especially after Mark Antony’s powerful speech at Caesar’s funeral. Rome did not return to the past they had hoped for. Instead, it moved toward ever more conflict.

By 42 BC, the two men were leading forces against the Second Triumvirate. At the Battle of Philippi, their cause began to collapse. Cassius, believing all was lost after a misinterpretation of the battlefield, chose to take his own life. Brutus continued briefly, but after the defeat became inevitable, he also ended his life. It feels like a tragic end, two men who had acted in the belief that they were saving something great, but found themselves unable to live with the outcome.

It leaves me wondering, if you truly believed you were saving your country, how far would you be willing to go?

Image info:

Artist: Vincenzo Camuccini

Title: La morte di Cesare The Death of Julius Caesar

Date: 1804 – 1805

Collection: Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma