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Why was Caesar murdered at the hands of his fellow citizens? Caesar was killed for three reasons: First, the conspirators wanted to halt the growth in his power. Second, they tried to prevent him from becoming king and destroying the Roman Republic. Finally, some were motivated by basic of human emotions - personal vengeance. The assassination of Julius Caesar ultimately started a civil war that ended with the destruction of the Roman republic.

Caesar was born to a patrician Roman family who had once been very influential in the Republic. However, by the time of Caesar’s birth, their fortunes had declined, and they were no longer particularly prominent.<ref> Freeman, Philip. [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]. (Simon and Schuster, 2008), p. 16</ref> We know little about Caesar's childhood, but during his teenage years, Rome was unstable. Additionally, the death of his father left him somewhat unprotected.

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[[File: Ass 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A bust of Brutus]]

By March 44 BCE, members of the Roman elite conspired to remove Caesar from power. The members of the conspiracy were all prominent Romans who knew Caesar.<ref>Syme, Ronald, <i>The Roman Revolution</i> (Oxford, Oxford University, 2002), p 218</ref> The sources on the assassination and the conspiracy could be best described as imperfect. None of the sources are contemporary, and they often contradict each other.

It was later revealed that Caesar had been stabbed over thirty times and that he died from blood loss. While it is somewhat disputed by historical sources, some sources claimed that Caesar's last words were ‘Et Tu Bruti’, meaning you too Brutus. Brutus's betrayal would have been especially shocking because Caesar viewed Brutus almost as a son.<ref>Plutarch, <i>Life of Julius Caesar</i>, xxv </ref> Several of the sources also state that the Caesar died at the foot of a statue of his hated rival and enemy - Pompey.

[[File: Ass 3.jpg|200px|thumb|left|coins celebrating Brutus and Casca, two of the leading assassins]]

Why did the conspirators want to kill Caesar? One of the most commonly cited reasons for the assassination was the fact they believed that Caesar wanted to be the king of Rome. Many ordinary Romans did not have any problem with a monarchy and Caesar was popular with this class. However, the idea of a monarch was one that was unacceptable to the Roman aristocracy. They believed monarchs were a threat to ‘liberty’ and were ultimately tyrants. They believed that if Caesar became king, they would lose their freedom to take part in public life and protect their property.<ref>.Goldworthy, p 134</ref>

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Many of those who took part in the assassination of Caesar were formerly ardent supporters of Pompey and had fought with him at Pharsalus.<ref> Jiménez, Ramon L. <i>Caesar Against Rome: The Great Roman Civil War</i> (New York, Praeger, 2006), p. 117</ref> However, the fear of emperor was so powerful that overwhelmed than gratitude or even personal affection for Caesar. Cassius the prime mover of the conspiracy was able to present the assassination of the victor of Pharsalus as tyrannicide, the killing of a tyrant. This persuaded many including Brutus to join the plot as they saw it as their duty as Romans. However, the evidence that Caesar wanted a return to the monarchy is scanty and inconclusive. Whatever his intentions, it is clear that the conspirators believed that he was determined to rule as king.<ref> Holland, Tom, <i>Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic</i> (London, Anchor Books, 2003), p 189</ref>

While the apparent pretensions of Caesar angered many of the conspirators, others were angered over his apparent lack of respect for Roman senators. Several of the conspirators were linked to senators, and the plotters believed that they were acting in the name of the Senate. Senators were technically the lawmakers and the ultimate source of authority in the Republic.<ref>Holland, p. 197</ref> However, Caesar treated that body in a high-handed manner and often with contempt. He did not act in a respectful manner towards the Senate, and this alienated many of them.

====Vengeance====

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====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====

*[[What made Julius Caesar a great general?]]