Why This Page Matters
The assassination of Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC is one of history's most famous political acts. The conspirators — led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius — believe they are liberating the Republic from a tyrant. They expect the Senate and people to rally to them. Instead, the assassination triggers chaos. The conspirators have no plan for what happens next. Antony seizes the initiative at Caesar's funeral. Cicero is caught between approval of the deed and horror at its consequences. The Republic the conspirators sought to restore is already dead.