What Happened To Julius Caesar's Assassins?

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Once Caesar entered the chamber, the assassins descended upon him. First to strike was Tillius Cimber, who pulled at Caesar's robe as a signal to the killers. Chaos descended. Caesar fought to run from his murderers, but was overwhelmed. Other senators not involved in the plot sprinted away. Finally, the former dictator succumbed to his many wounds.

Unfortunately, none of the 60 assassins had any idea what to do after killing Caesar. The Ancient History Encyclopedia wrote Brutus spoke from a platform to calm the situation, and believed the death of Caesar would bring about the old Roman spirit. They failed to take into account the public's love for Caesar. As his body was paraded, people wept. Caesar's trusted lieutenant Marc Antony brokered a deal with the Senate to keep all of Caesar's laws, but provide amnesty for the killers. They would not be arrested, but any changes to positions or laws they wanted would not be granted.

The public hated the idea. Many of the conspirators were practically run out of Rome. Brutus left for Crete, while Decimus stayed with the army. Cassius held power in Asia, so he bided his time there. Many thought they were safe but, with the ascendance of Caesar's chosen successor, Octavian, things quickly went south. Octavian wanted to be emperor, and he did agree that the assassins were given leniency. One of Octavian's first actions was to declare the assassins enemies of Rome, and the republic descended into Civil War.

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