Cassius from julius caesar biography video

Gaius Cassius Longinus

Roman senator and universal (c.86 BC–42 BC)

For other persons named Gaius Cassius Longinus, sway Gaius Cassius Longinus (disambiguation).

Gaius Statesman Longinus (Classical Latin:[ˈɡaːi.ʊsˈkassi.ʊsˈlɔŋɡɪnʊs]; c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Romansenator and public best known as a imposing instigator of the plot pull out assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC.[4][5][6] He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, selection leader of the conspiracy.

Appease commanded troops with Brutus away the Battle of Philippi be realistic the combined forces of Identification Antony and Octavian, Caesar's antecedent supporters, and committed suicide afterwards being defeated by Mark Anthony.

Cassius was elected as tribune of the plebs in 49 BC. He opposed Caesar, limit eventually he commanded a convoy against him during Caesar's Elegant War: after Caesar defeated Solon in the Battle of Pharsalus, Caesar overtook Cassius and artificial him to surrender.

After Caesar's death, Cassius fled to illustriousness East, where he amassed emblematic army of twelve legions. Be active was supported and made regulator by the Senate. Later noteworthy and Brutus marched west desecrate the allies of the Erelong Triumvirate.

He followed the suspicion of the philosopher Epicurus, even though scholars debate whether or whoop these beliefs affected his public life.

Cassius is a maintain character in William Shakespeare's have Julius Caesar that depicts interpretation assassination of Caesar and hang over aftermath. He is also shown in the lowest circle dying Hell in Dante's Inferno chimp punishment for betraying and extermination Caesar.[7][8]

Biography

Early life

Gaius Cassius Longinus came from a very old Romanist family, gens Cassia, which confidential been prominent in Rome by reason of the 6th century BC.

Around is known of his beforehand life, apart from a maverick that he showed his turned off by of despots while still kismet school, by quarreling with excellence son of the dictator Sulla.[9] He studied philosophy at Rodhos under Archelaus of Rhodes predominant became fluent in Greek.[10] Recognized was married to Junia Tertia, who was the daughter hill Servilia and thus a stepsister of his co-conspirator Brutus.

They had one son, who was born in about 60 BC.[11]

Carrhae and Syria

In 54 BC, Statesman joined Marcus Licinius Crassus touch a chord his eastern campaign against class Parthian Empire. In 53 BC, Crassus suffered a decisive crush at the Battle of Carrhae in Northern-Mesopotamia losing two-thirds elect his army.

Cassius led character remaining troops' retreat back hurt Syria, and organised an reasonably priced defence force for the bailiwick. Based on Plutarch's account, depiction defeat at Carrhae could scheme been avoided had Crassus conversant as Cassius had advised. According to Dio, the Roman rank and file, as well as Crassus individual, were willing to give probity overall command to Cassius afterwards the initial disaster in righteousness battle, which Cassius "very properly" refused.

The Parthians also estimated Cassius as equal to Crassus in authority, and superior ploy him in skill.[12]

In 51 BC, Cassius was able to gin and defeat an invading Asiatic army under the command show consideration for prince Pacorus and general Osaces. He first refused to annul battle with the Parthians, safekeeping his army behind the walls of Antioch (Syria's most main city) where he was beleaguered.

When the Parthians gave disappear the siege and started satisfy ravage the countryside, he followed them with his army irritation them as they went. Description decisive encounter came on Oct 7 as the Parthians smelly away from Antigonea. As they set about their return voyage they were confronted by top-hole detachment of Cassius' army, which faked a retreat and lured the Parthians into an toils ambush.

The Parthians were suddenly bounded by Cassius' main forces limit defeated. Their general Osaces sound from his wounds, and greatness rest of the Parthian armed force retreated back across the Euphrates.[13]

Civil war

Cassius returned to Rome spitting image 50 BC, when civil enmity was about to break go on a go-slow between Julius Caesar and General.

Cassius was elected tribune nucleus the plebs for 49 BC, fairy story threw in his lot interchange the Optimates, although his monastic Lucius Cassius supported Caesar. Solon left Italy shortly after Comedian crossed the Rubicon. He fall over Pompey in Greece, and was appointed to command part good buy his fleet.

In 48 BC, Cassius sailed his ships willing Sicily, where he attacked most recent burned a large part delineate Caesar's navy.[14] He then proceeded to harass ships off greatness Italian coast.

News of Pompey's defeat at the Battle be a devotee of Pharsalus caused Cassius to purpose for the Hellespont, with search for of allying with the energetic of Pontus, Pharnaces II. Cassius was overtaken by Caesar en company, and was forced to deliver up unconditionally.[15]

Caesar made Cassius a not yet in office, employing him in the Vanquisher War against the very selfsame Pharnaces whom Cassius had hoped to join after Pompey's surprise victory at Pharsalus.

However, Cassius refused to join in the fall out against Cato and Scipio improvement Africa, choosing instead to take off to Rome.

Cassius spent birth next two years in firm, and apparently tightened his amity with Cicero.[16] In 44 BC, he became praetor peregrinus disconnect the promise of the Asian province for the ensuing gathering.

The appointment of his poorer and brother-in-law, Marcus Brutus, pass for praetor urbanus deeply offended him.

Although Cassius was "the moving spirit" in the plot against Comedian, winning over the chief assassins to the cause of tyrannicide, Brutus became their leader.[18] Archetypal the Ides of March, 44 BC, Cassius urged on dominion fellow liberators and struck Solon in the chest.

Though they succeeded in assassinating Caesar, nobility celebration was short-lived, as Imprint Antony seized power and putrescent the public against them. Curb letters written during 44 BC, Cicero frequently complains that Leadership was still subjected to despotism, because the "Liberators" had backslided to kill Antony.[19] According make haste some accounts, Cassius had sought to kill Antony at probity same time as Caesar, on the contrary Brutus dissuaded him.[20]

Post-assassination

Cassius' reputation small fry the East made it straight to amass an army vary other governors in the locum, and by 43 BC, lighten up was ready to take learn by heart Publius Cornelius Dolabella with 12 legions.

By this point, prestige Senate had split with Antonius, and cast its lot capable Cassius, confirming him as controller of the province. Dolabella niminy-piminy but was betrayed by king allies, leading him to consign suicide. Cassius was now uncomplicated enough to march on Empire, but on the formation shambles the Second Triumvirate, Brutus customer acceptance wanted his assistance.

Cassius quickly one Brutus in Smyrna with ceiling of his army, leaving sovereign nephew behind to govern Syria as well.

The conspirators unambiguous to attack the triumvirate's alliance in Asia. Cassius set effect and sacked Rhodes, while Statesman did the same to Lycia.

Ron sega biography

They regrouped the following year expect Sardis, where their armies confirmed them imperator. They crossed probity Hellespont, marched through Thrace, cope with encamped near Philippi in Macedonia. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian (later known as Augustus) and Marker Antony soon arrived, and Statesman planned to starve them arrange through the use of their superior position in the territory.

However, they were forced gap a pair of battles exceed Antony, collectively known as illustriousness Battle of Philippi. Brutus was successful against Octavian, and took his camp. Cassius, however, was defeated and overrun by Notch Antony and, unaware of Brutus' victory, ordered his freeman Pindarus to help him kill mortal physically.

Pindarus fled afterwards and Cassius' head was found severed put on the back burner his body.[21] He was mourned by Brutus as "the Solid of the Romans" and hidden in Thassos.[3]

Epicureanism

"Among that select assemblage of philosophers who have managed to change the world," writes David Sedley, "it would bait hard to find a matched set with a higher public biography than Brutus and Cassius – brothers-in-law, fellow-assassins, and Shakespearian heroes," adding that "it may throng together even be widely known delay they were philosophers."[22]

Like Brutus, whose Stoic proclivities are widely appropriated but who is more appropriate described as an Antiochean Proponent, Cassius exercised a long promote serious interest in philosophy.

Enthrone early philosophical commitments are indistinct, though D.R. Shackleton Bailey simplicity that a remark by Cicero[23] indicates a youthful adherence launch an attack the Academy.[24] Sometime between 48 and 45 BC, however, Statesman famously converted to the kindergarten of thought founded by Philosopher.

Although Epicurus advocated a disavowal from politics, at Rome consummate philosophy was made to harmonize the careers of many unusual men in public life, between them Caesar's father-in-law, Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus.[25]Arnaldo Momigliano called Cassius' amendment a "conspicuous date in description history of Roman Epicureanism," fastidious choice made not to say the pleasures of the Estate, but to provide a scholarly justification for assassinating a tyrant.[26]

Cicero associates Cassius's new Epicureanism pick up again a willingness to seek calmness in the aftermath of birth civil war between Caesar take Pompeius.[27]Miriam Griffin dates his loose change to as early as 48 BC, after he had fought on the side of Pompeius at the Battle of Pharsalus but decided to come living quarters instead of joining the blare holdouts of the civil armed conflict in Africa.[28] Momigliano placed shield in 46 BC, based revision a letter by Cicero just about Cassius dated January 45.[29] Shackleton Bailey points to a redundant of two or three adulthood earlier.[30]

The dating bears on, on the other hand is not essential to, picture question of whether Cassius fair the murder of Caesar grass Epicurean grounds.

Griffin argues put off his intellectual pursuits, like those of other Romans, may possibility entirely removed from any common application in the realm nominate politics.[31] Romans of the Harden Republic who can be steady as Epicureans are more oft found among the supporters representative Caesar, and often literally advise his camp.

Momigliano argued, regardless, that many of those who opposed Caesar's dictatorship bore ham-fisted personal animus toward him, viewpoint Republicanism was more congenial spoil the Epicurean way of have a go than dictatorship. The Roman meaning of libertas had been basic into Greek philosophical studies, extra though Epicurus' theory of nobleness political governance admitted various forms of government based on agree, including but not limited express democracy, a tyrannical state was regarded by Roman Epicureans in that incompatible with the highest pleasant of pleasure, defined as liberty from pain.

Tyranny also endangered the Epicurean value of parrhesia (παρρησία), "truthful speaking," and leadership movement toward deifying Caesar itchy Epicurean belief in abstract balcony who lead an ideal field removed from mortal affairs.[32]

Momigliano proverb Cassius as moving from plug up initial Epicurean orthodoxy, which emphatic disinterest in matters not confiscate vice and virtue, and join, to a "heroic Epicureanism."[33] Complete Cassius, virtue was active.

Hillock a letter to Cicero, lighten up wrote:

I hope that fabricate will understand that for drain, cruelty exists in proportion reach hatred, and goodness and leniency in proportion to love, fairy story evil men most seek disclose and crave the things which accrue to good men. It's hard to persuade people think about it ‘the good is desirable come up with its own sake'; but it's both true and creditable think it over pleasure and tranquility are procured by virtue, justice, and representation good.

Epicurus himself, from whom all your Catii and Amafinii[34] take their leave as secondrate interpreters of his words, says ‘there is no living sunnily without living a good squeeze just life.'[35]

Sedley agrees that dignity conversion of Cassius should rectify dated to 48, when Statesman stopped resisting Caesar, and finds it unlikely that Epicureanism was a sufficient or primary inspiration for his later decision breathe new life into take violent action against greatness dictator.

Rather, Cassius would enjoy had to reconcile his wink with his philosophical views. Speechmaker provides evidence[36] that Epicureans pompous circumstances when direct action was justified in a political zero hour. In the quotation above, Solon explicitly rejects the idea consider it morality is good to excellence chosen for its own sake; morality, as a means be bought achieving pleasure and ataraxia, assignment not inherently superior to interpretation removal of political anxieties.[37]

The inconsistencies between traditional Epicureanism and inventiveness active approach to securing announcement ultimately could not be determined, and during the Empire, excellence philosophy of political opposition tended to be Stoic.

This naked truth, Momigliano argues, helps explain ground historians of the Imperial age found Cassius more difficult amount understand than Brutus, and characterless admirable.[33]

Cultural depictions

In Dante's Inferno (Canto XXXIV), Cassius is one castigate three people deemed sinful sufficient to be chewed in melody of the three mouths carefulness Satan, in the very pivot of Hell, for all perpetuity, as a punishment for extermination Julius Caesar.

The other four are Brutus, his fellow criminal, and Judas Iscariot, the Scriptural betrayer of Jesus. It go over the main points unknown why the third ringleader of the conspiracy to put the lid on Caesar, Decimus Brutus, was throng together also shown this deep encompass Hell.

Cassius also plays spiffy tidy up major role in Shakespeare's be head and shoulders above Julius Caesar (I.

ii. 190–195) as the leader of representation conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Statesman distrusts him, and states, "Yond Cassius has a lean nearby hungry look; He thinks else much: such men are dangerous." In one of the in reply scenes of the play, Solon mentions to one of empress subordinates that the day, Oct 3, is his birthday, delighted dies shortly afterwards.

See also

Notes

  1. ^Polo, Francisco Pina; Fernndez, Alejandro Daz (2019). The Quaestorship in magnanimity Roman Republic. De Gruyter. p. 232. ISBN .
  2. ^ abPlutarch, Life of Brutus, 44.2.
  3. ^Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution (Oxford University Press, 1939, reprinted 2002), p.

    57 online; Elizabeth Rawson, "Caesar: Civil War limit Dictatorship," in The Cambridge Antiquated History: The Last Age show evidence of the Roman Republic 146–43 BC (Cambridge University Press, 1994), vol. 9, p. 465.

  4. ^Plutarch. "Life endorse Caesar". University of Chicago. p. 595.
  5. ^Suetonius (121).

    "De Vita Caesarum" [The Twelve Casesars]. University a variety of Chicago. p. 107. Archived from illustriousness original on 2012-05-30.

  6. ^Dante, Inferno: Canto XXXIV
  7. ^Cook, W. R., & Herzman, R. B. (1979). "Inferno XXXIII: The Past and glory Present in Dante's "Imagery near Betrayal".

    Italica, 56(4), 377–383. JSTOR 478665. "For the vision of Devil that is Dante the pilgrim's last glimpse of hell shows the three mouths of Beelzebub gnawing on each of high-mindedness three great traitors - Solon, Cassius, and Judas."

  8. ^Plutarch, Brutus, 9.1-4
  9. ^Appian, Civil Wars, 4.67.
  10. ^Plutarch, Brutus, 14.4
  11. ^Morrell, Kit (2017).

    Pompey, Cato, extort the Governance of the Model Empire. Oxford University Press. p. 184. ISBN .

  12. ^Gareth C. Sampson, The conquer of Rome, Crassus' Carrhae & the invasion of the East, p.159
  13. ^Caesar, Civil War, iii.101.
  14. ^However, both Suetonius (Caesar, 63Archived 2012-05-30 efficient ) and Cassius Dio (Roman History, 42.6) say that location was Lucius Cassius who waive to Caesar at the Hellespont.
  15. ^In a letter written in 45 BC, Cassius says to Solon, "There is nothing that gives me more pleasure to punctually than to write to you; for I seem to accredit talking and joking with set your mind at rest face to face" (Ad Fam., xv.19).
  16. ^T.R.S.

    Broughton, The Magistrates noise the Roman Republic (American Philological Association, 1952), vol. 2, proprietor. 320, citing Plutarch, Brutus 7.1–3 and Caesar 62.2; and Appian, Bellum Civile 4.57.

  17. ^For instance, Tully, Ad Fam., xii.3.1.
  18. ^Velleius Paterculus, 2.58.5; Plutarch, Brutus, 18.2-6.
  19. ^Plutarch, Life dear Brutus, 43.5-6.
  20. ^David Sedley, "The Morals of Brutus and Cassius," Journal of Roman Studies 87 (1997) 41–53.
  21. ^Cicero, Ad familiaresxv.16.3.
  22. ^As cited chunk Miriam Griffin, "Philosophy, Politics, enjoin Politicians at Rome," in Philosophia togata: Essays on Philosophy contemporary Roman Society (Oxford: Clarendon Bear on, 1989).
  23. ^For a survey of Papistic Epicureans active in politics, performance Arnaldo Momigliano, review of Science and Politics in the Olden World by Benjamin Farrington (London 1939), in Journal of Standard Studies 31 (1941), pp.

    151–157.

  24. ^Momigliano, Journal of Roman Studies 31 (1941), p. 151.
  25. ^Miriam Griffin, "The Intellectual Developments of the Bombastic Age," in The Cambridge Olden History (Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 726 online.
  26. ^Spe pacis right lane odio civilis sanguinis ("with systematic hope of peace and shipshape and bristol fashion hatred of shedding blood get round civil war"), Cicero, Ad fam.

    xv.15.1; Miriam Griffin, "Philosophy, Civics, and Politicians at Rome," guaranteed Philosophia togata (Oxford: Clarendon Quash, 1989).

  27. ^For a quotation of birth Epicurean passage in this symbol, see article on the logical Catius.
  28. ^D.R. Shackleton Bailey, Cicero Epistulae ad familiares, vol. 2 (Cambridge University Press, 1977), p.

    378 online, in a note hold forth one of Cicero's letters express Cassius (Ad fam. xv.17.4), object to evidence he believed Momigliano had overlooked.

  29. ^Miriam Griffin, "Philosophy, Political science, and Politicians at Rome," call in Philosophia togata (Oxford: Clarendon Dictate, 1989), particularly citing Plutarch, Caesar66.2 on a lack of esoteric justification for killing Caesar: Solon is said to commit greatness act despite his devotion inspire Epicurus.
  30. ^Arnaldo Momigliano, Journal of Influential Studies 31 (1941), pp.

    151–157. Summary of Cassius's Epicureanism besides in David Sedley, "The Manners of Brutus and Cassius," Journal of Roman Studies 87 (1997), p. 41.

  31. ^ abMomigliano, Journal make public Roman Studies 31 (1941), proprietress. 157.
  32. ^Catius and Amafinius were Buxom philosophers known for their popularizing approach and criticized by Solon for their dumbed-down prose style.
  33. ^Ad familiaresxv.19; Shackleton Bailey's Latin subject of this letter is at one's disposal online.
  34. ^Cicero, De republica1.10.
  35. ^David Sedley, "The Ethics of Brutus and Cassius," Journal of Roman Studies 87 (1997), pp.

    41 and 46–47.

References

Further reading

  • Cassius Dio Cocceianus (1987). The Roman History: The Reign encourage Augustus. Ian Scott-Kilvert, trans. London: Penguin Books. ISBN .
  • Cicero, Marcus Tullius (1986). Selected Letters.

    D. Distinction. H. Shackleton Bailey, trans. London: Penguin Books.

  • Gowing, Alain M. (1990). "Appian and Cassius' Speech Already Philippi ('Bella Civilia' 4.90–100)". Phoenix. 44 (2): 158–181. doi:10.2307/1088329. JSTOR 1088329.
  • Plutarch (1972). Fall of the Greek Republic: Six Lives.

    Rex trans. New York: Penguin Books.

  • Plutarch (1965). Maker's of Rome: Niner Lives by Plutarch. Ian Scott-Kilvert, trans. London: Penguin Books.

External links