The Assassination Of Julius Caesar Essay

On March 15 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by sixty members of the Senate and his personal counsel, whom he trusted.[ D.F. Epstein, ‘Caesar’s Personal Enemies on the Ides of March’, (1987), 566.] Rome at this time was a prosperous empire; it was succeeding militarily and flourishing economically. Furthermore, Rome had begun colonizing to deal with overpopulation issues.[ F. E. Adcock, ‘Caesar 's Dictatorship’, (Cambridge and New York, 1951). 710] Then, however, if Caesar was excelling as the ruler of the Roman Empire, why was he assassinated? To become a great leader with the amounts of power Caesar held, one is bound to make enemies. The motives of the individuals who conspired against Caesar and ultimately struck the fatal blows are not necessarily political, but rather very personal. In order to bring a group of intellectuals and influentials together to perform an illegal deed, there must also be a political driving force. By exploring these motives, the hatred these individuals possessed is clear. In turn, by analyzing the political honours bestowed onto Caesar by these men, and his popularity amongst the people, it is evident that the assassination of Caesar was the direct …show more content…
They gave him temples and bishops giving the illusion that he was related to, or even, a god.[ Sue, 76-79] This can be related to any monarchy were they either see themselves as descendants of gods, gods themselves or ordained by god. He would be addressed as Julian Jupiter, insinuating that he was related to the god Jupiter, furthering the evidence that he was becoming a king.[ Dio, 4.1-11] This along with the statue set up to Caesar “the unconquered god” in the temple of Quirinus was all the proof the assassins needed convict of going against the ancestral constitution.[ L.R. Taylor, Party Politics in the Age of Caesar, (University of California Press, 1949).