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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.
====BackgroundWho was Julius Caesar?====
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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====The Assassination of Julius Where was Caesarkilled?====
[[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.
However, many of the facts of the assassination have been established with a great deal of certainty. The guiding spirit behind the conspiracy was Cassius, a leading Roman senator. The members of the plot called themselves the liberators. They sought to liberate Rome from Caesar's rule/ . The plot involved luring Caesar to Pompey’s theatre where gladiatorial games were to be held in his honor. Caesar was notoriously reckless when it came to his 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 (the 15th of March) the gladiatorial games were staged. Caesar was expected to come, and he was the guest of honor. On the day, he was late which alarmed the conspirators. The nominal leader of the conspirators, Brutus, agreed to bring Caesar to the theatre. Brutus and Caesar were well acquainted. Caesar and Brutus's mother were alleged to have been lovers. Brutus had also fought against Caesar at Pharsalus, but Caesar had pardoned him. Despite this long history, Brutus agreed to lure Caesar to the theatre to help their plan to place. Brutus ultimately convinced Caesar to attend the games.
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.
====Why was Caesar Killedby Roman Senators? ====
[[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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====who Who killed Caesar?====
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>
====Breakdown in relations Why were Roman Senators angry with the SenateCaesar?====
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.
Moreover, many senators who had conferred honorific titles and powers on the general were shocked when he used this largely symbolic powers to cement his position in Rome.<ref>Holland, p. 199</ref> The senators believed that the conqueror of Gaul was engaged in illegally gathering more personal power at the expense of the traditional elite and was subverting the constitution. The strained relationship between Caesar and the Senate was one of the factors that persuaded many that Caesar had to be assassinated.<ref>Plutarch xxi</ref>.
====VengeanceWere Roman Senators motivated by vengence against Casesar?====
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====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====
*[[What made Julius Caesar a great general?]]
====Conclusion====
The assassination of Caesar was carried out by a small group of members of the elite. They believed that they were acting in the best interests of the Republic and sought to preserve it. The group who killed Caesar were motivated to prevent Caesar from becoming a permanent dictator. They genuinely believed that he wanted to crown himself king of Rome. Caesar’s poor relations with the Senate was also a crucial factor in the unfolding of the conspiracy. His actions appeared that he was bent on destroying the old constitution and fed into the narrative that he was a tyrant who wanted to ultimately re-establish royal rule in Rome. Moreover, Caesar was a divisive figure and was hated by many of Pompey's supporters. Instead of healing Rome, his policy of clemency failed to win him adherents and became an embarrassment for the pardoned.
====Additional Readings====
