28 • 11 • 2021

The Assassination of Julius Caesar and the Aftermath

Author: Josiah Amwine Kakitahi

Caesar from the house of Julli, also known as Julius Caesar, was one of the greatest leaders in the history of Rome. His life was full of tragedy and victory, and today I will talk about his history and reasons for his murder.

Rome Before Caesar

At the time, Rome had come out of a war between two of it’s greatest generals, Marius and Sulla. Sulla had won the war and named himself dictator for life until he was murdered by his general Pompey, who took over as leader of Rome.

Julius Caesar and Pompey

Caesar and Pompey forged an unlikely friendship and Caesar jumped on the opportunity, winning the crowd to his side. He convinced Pompey to give him an army so he could go to conquer Gaul, and that is exactly what he did. When he heard of Sulla’s murder and Pompey’s rise to power, being a man that believed that no one man should have too much power, he returned to Rome with his army and waged a bitter civil war with his former friend. When Pompey saw he was at the point of losing the war, he turned and fled with his army to Egypt where he sought refuge.

The Assassination of Pompey

When Pompey arrived in Egypt and asked for a place to stay, the king instead paid off his guards to murder him, thinking it would please Caesar. The king was married to his sister Cleopatra, until he had her exiled from Egypt. Their father owed large debts to Rome, and when Caesar saw what they did to Pompey, he demanded that Egypt pays back the money they owed, until Cleopatra returned to Egypt and seduced Caesar into sleeping with her, and in return, he would restore her to the throne. Caesar agreed, and committed adultery with her. When Caesar’s army decided to execute the men in Pompey’s army, Caesar was okay with it at first, but when he saw a young man named Marcus Julius Brutus, and he could not stand to have this man killed. So he saved him and took him in as his illegitimate son. Little did he know, this would be one of his greatest mistakes.

The Reforms of Rome and Assassination of Caesar

Caesar stayed in Egypt with his queen Cleopatra, until he returned to Rome very ambitious and determined to reform it. He then made plans for a local library, organized a census, and even reformed the calendar to the one we use today. He was such an influence, that we still named a month of the calendar, July, after him. These actions did not appease everyone though. The Senate, afraid that Caesar was getting too much power, began to plot his Assassination. A group of conspirators known as the liberators joined forces to kill Caesar, but they needed a leader. Someone who had something against Caesar, and was skilled in warfare. Who better to choose than Brutus, Caesar’s illegitimate son. Overthrowing Caesar was not only a political matter for Brutus, it was a personal one. Brutus’s grandfather, Lucius Junius Brutus played a key part overthrowing Tarquin the proud and ending the monarchy. It was he who refused to take power after that, and make the people swear that Rome should be ruled by a Senate, and no one man should have too much power. So when Brutus saw his family’s morals being defied by the man that saved his life, he reluctantly agreed to lead the rebels. And on that fateful day on March 15, 44 B.C., the Senate members, alongside Brutus, were able to Assassinate Caesar in the capitol after he had called an assembly. What Brutus and the Senate members underestimated was the popularity of Caesar and how much the population loved him. The Senate members locked themselves up in the capitol building, to avoid being charged for murder, and Brutus, seeing the chaos he had caused was overwhelmed with grief, and took his own life.

The Rise of Augustus Caesar, and Fall of Mark Anthony

Mark Anthony, one of Caesar’s generals, was swift to address the people and promise that the murderers of Caesar would be put to justice. He could not do it on his own though, so he sailed to Egypt to request help from none other than Cleopatra. He took Caesar’s grand-nephew Octavian, also known as Augustus, with him. Upon arriving, everyone could tell something was wrong, and they were right. Mark Anthony had foolishly fallen in love with Cleopatra during the visit, despite her having his former commander’s son. Anthony and Cleopatra were a disaster, they hosted grand banquets in Rome, sitting on golden thrones and dressing up as gods. Anthony even made plans to break parts of the Roman empire into kingdoms for himself and Cleopatra. Meanwhile Augustus was watching and waiting for the right time, and one day, he finally had enough proof to show Rome what Anthony and Cleopatra were up to. Anthony and Cleopatra were in Egypt, when Augustus attacked them and killed his troops. Anthony and Cleopatra fled Egypt and took their lives. Augustus then took sole authority and declared himself Emperor of Rome, showing that Rome went through all of that just to end up with another all powerful ruler.

Conclusion

Julius Caesar’s reign was really full of controversy. His war with Pompey showed his skill in battle, but it might also portray him as an opportunistic traitor, ready to backstab his closest friends for power. His affair with Cleopatra showed rulers scandalous sides, but it also can be said as a ruler doing what needs to be done for the good of the country And his assassination showed the corruptness of officials, but also what it takes to hold on to your values. Though Caesar was probably not able to take Rome to it’s greatest heights, he did leave his mark on history forever for better, or for worse.