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On the Ides of March (15th of March), the conspirators lured Caesar to the Theatre of Pompey. After he arrived, one of the conspirators seized his toga and up to sixty assailants stabbed Caesar. Caesar later died because of blood loss. What were the motivations of those who killed Caesar? They were convinced that he wanted to become king and 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 thought that they were delivering the Romans from the tyranny. 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|300px|thumb|left| A cameo of Mark Anthony]]
The death of Caesar was shocking, but the assailants expected that the people of Rome would rally to them and support their actions. 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 Caesar.<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 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. <ref> Plutarch, <i>Life of Anthony</i>, xxiv</ref>
The will of Caesar was surprising because he designated Octavian, his grand-nephew, as his son and heir. Mark Anthony who was not even mentioned by Caesar in his will. Octavian immediately returned from Greece and instantly became one of the most influential men in Rome. This only added to the confusion in Rome. The Senate decided to support Octavian because they distrusted Mark Anthony. Mark Anthony became worried about his safety and was forced to flee Rome.
