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After defeating Pompey and the senatorial faction in the civil war that erupted from the power struggle prompted by his unauthorised conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar was left as the most powerful man in Rome and had the Senate declare him dictator in perpetuity

Though popular with the people, Caesar’s growing power worried and angered much of the Roman patrician class, many of whom were Rome’s most honourable men.

Caesar was aware of the appearance of his actions and took steps to assure the people. He once declared he was ‘not a king, only a Caesar’; ‘Caesarem se, non regem esse’

In February 44 BC, Brutus met with Cassius Longinus to plot the murder of Caesar Seeing themselves as the legitimate saviours of Rome from a tyrant, they endeavoured to recruit other influential Romans for it to appear that Rome had risen up against him. The conspirators began to meet secretly to plan Caesar’s downfall.

Fierce debate took place over whether they should kill those around Caesar, specifically Marcus Antonius. In the end Brutus successfully argued that they were engaging in a legal removal of Caesar and that Caesar, and Caesar alone, should die.

The time had come. The plan was set. They would kill Caesar at a senate meeting where he would be without the presence of his bodyguards. On the morning of the Ides of March, Caesar and Marcus Antonius approached the Senate House but Antonius was detained outside

Once inside Caesar was presented with a petition from Lucius Tillius Cimber whom he waved away until he seized upon Caesar and began to pull on his clothing. At the same time another senator named Casca took out his dagger and tried to stab Caesar in the neck!

Caesar caught his arm and cried ‘Casca, you villain, what are you doing?’ He threw Casca back but another Senator stabbed him in the side. With a strike finally landed, the other senators lurched at Caesar in a frenzy, stabbing him over twenty times!

As Caesar lay dying, his killers marched through the streets declaring that Rome was once again free but had grievously misjudged the public reaction. A crowd amassed at the Forum so enraged that they ended up burning the Senate House. Marcus Arminius Lepidus, Caesar’s deputy, moved a legion of soldiers into the city to surround the Forum.

Marcus Antonius summoned the senate two days after the assassination and negotiated an agreement that would allow the plotters to go un-punished in return for retaining all of Caesar’s appointments, greatly diminishing the aims of the plot. Then it was revealed that Caesar had made his sister’s grandson, Octavius his sole heir, bequeathing him the right to the name ‘Caesar’ and making him incredibly rich.

With the city under the control of the Caesarian faction, the ‘Liberatores’, as Brutus and his faction had were known, realised that they would be side-lined and fled to the East to consolidate their positions and raise an army.

In Greece, Brutus was acclaimed by the younger Roman aristocrats and he was able to raise an army. In January 43 BC, he entered Macedonia and captured Mark Antony’s brother, Gaius Antonius. Meanwhile in Rome, fighting between Antony and Octavian ended and, together with & Lepidus, they had formed the Second Triumvirate

The Second Triumvirate proscribed many important Romans, including Cicero, who was murdered in December of 43 BC

With the news of events in Rome, Brutus and Cassius met in Asia Minor with their forces and embarked on a campaign that saw more coerced payments than sackings, making the two men enormously wealthy. Brutus was reportedly uneasy with the violence.

This compelled the Triumvirs to act and they marched their combined forces to meet the Liberators at the battle of Philippi. Brutus’ forces rushed towards Octavian’s without an order to advance. This assault was successful and Octavian’s men retreated, losing three standards!

However, on the other side of the field, Mark Antony stormed Cassius’ defences and easily captured his camp. The bulk of Cassius’ forces had already left to head south. When they returned Mark Antony’s men saw them off! Cassius somehow came to believe that Brutus had died in the fighting and ordered one of his servants to kill him. With Cassius dead and Octavian routed, the battle was too indecisive for victory to be claimed.

After outmanoeuvring the less experienced Brutus over the next three weeks, Mark Antony forced Brutus to over extend his line of defences. Brutus’ men grew tired of waiting for their naval forces to wear out that of the Triumvirs and his Eastern allies began deserting. He was forced into action.

The two sides met again at Philippi with each side raging desperately to break the ranks of each other. Brutus’ eastern flank lacked the numbers and had to be extended too far to be able to withstand the charge of the Triumvirs.

Eventually, Octavian’s men were able to capture Brutus’ camp and his army could not reform! The battle was over, but Brutus escaped with four legions until he saw that surrender was inevitable and took his own life.

With the war over, Antony and Octavian divided rule of the republic and eventually sidelined Lepidus. Ultimately, war broke out between Mark Antony and Octavian, ending with Mark Antony’s suicide in 30 BC after the Battles of Actium and Alexandria!

Octavian, now known as Augustus, was left with the sole rule of the Roman world as First Citizen, and the first of more than a thousand years of Emperors of the Roman Empire.

Thank you for reading this far. I have posted many other history threads including this one on Aurelian’s attempt to save the empire