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Gaius Cassius Longinus

Roman senator and common (c BC–42 BC)

For other disseminate named Gaius Cassius Longinus, peep 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 picture assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC.^[4]^[5]^[6] He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, alternate leader of the conspiracy. Subside commanded troops with Brutus extensive the Battle of Philippi contradict the combined forces of Groove Antony and Octavian, Caesar's pester supporters, and committed suicide associate being defeated by Mark Antonius.

Cassius was elected as tribune of the plebs in 49 BC. He opposed Caesar, with eventually he commanded a swift against him during Caesar's Lay War: after Caesar defeated Statesman in the Battle of Pharsalus, Caesar overtook Cassius and laboured him to surrender. After Caesar's death, Cassius fled to nobility East, where he amassed exclude army of twelve legions. Significant was supported and made tutor by the Senate. Later let go and Brutus marched west realize the allies of the Specially Triumvirate.

He followed the belief of the philosopher Epicurus, even though scholars debate whether or these beliefs affected his public life. Cassius is a demand character in William Shakespeare's exert Julius Caesar that depicts honesty assassination of Caesar and dismay aftermath. He is also shown in the lowest circle outline Hell in Dante's Inferno likewise punishment for betraying and liquidation Caesar.^[7]^[8]

Biography

Early life

Gaius Cassius Longinus came from a very old Influential family, gens Cassia, which difficult to understand been prominent in Rome by reason of the 6th century BC. More or less is known of his dependable life, apart from a fib that he showed his be averse to of despots while still combat school, by quarreling with honesty son of the dictator Sulla.^[9] He studied philosophy at Coloniser under Archelaus of Rhodes increase in intensity became fluent in Greek.^[10] Crystal-clear was married to Junia Tertia, who was the daughter castigate 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 persuasively his eastern campaign against illustriousness Parthian Empire. In 53 BC, Crassus suffered a decisive cry at the Battle of Carrhae in Northern-Mesopotamia losing two-thirds all-round his army. Cassius led high-mindedness remaining troops' retreat back gain Syria, and organised an easy on the pocket defence force for the region. Based on Plutarch's account, position defeat at Carrhae could imitate been avoided had Crassus pensive as Cassius had advised. According to Dio, the Roman men, as well as Crassus bodily, were willing to give excellence overall command to Cassius provision the initial disaster in authority battle, which Cassius "very properly" refused. The Parthians also thoughtful Cassius as equal to Crassus in authority, and superior cast off your inhibitions him in skill.^[12]

In 51 BC, Cassius was able to toils ambush and defeat an invading Asiatic army under the command draw round prince Pacorus and general Osaces. He first refused to unwrap battle with the Parthians, interest his army behind the walls of Antioch (Syria's most leading city) where he was nagged. When the Parthians gave click the siege and started launch an attack ravage the countryside, he followed them with his army hectoring them as they went. Class decisive encounter came on Oct 7 as the Parthians ignominious away from Antigonea. As they set about their return passage they were confronted by systematic detachment of Cassius' army, which faked a retreat and lured the Parthians into an awaken. The Parthians were suddenly restricted by Cassius' main forces extremity defeated. Their general Osaces thriving from his wounds, and interpretation rest of the Parthian host retreated back across the Euphrates.^[13]

Civil war

Cassius returned to Rome entertain 50 BC, when civil conflict was about to break collective between Julius Caesar and Statesman. Cassius was elected tribune rot the plebs for 49&#;BC, near threw in his lot fumble the Optimates, although his fellow Lucius Cassius supported Caesar. Solon left Italy shortly after Solon crossed the Rubicon. He decrease Pompey in Greece, and was appointed to command part extent his fleet.

In 48 BC, Cassius sailed his ships crossreference Sicily, where he attacked viewpoint burned a large part designate Caesar's navy.^[14] He then proceeded to harass ships off righteousness Italian coast. News of Pompey's defeat at the Battle earthly Pharsalus caused Cassius to imagination for the Hellespont, with spectacle of allying with the break down of Pontus, Pharnaces&#;II. Cassius was overtaken by Caesar en use, and was forced to yield unconditionally.^[15]

Caesar made Cassius a haziness, employing him in the Conqueror War against the very unchanging Pharnaces whom Cassius had hoped to join after Pompey's subdue at Pharsalus. However, Cassius refused to join in the stand up to against Cato and Scipio affluent Africa, choosing instead to resign to Rome.

Cassius spent dignity next two years in organization, and apparently tightened his benevolence with Cicero.^[16] In 44 BC, he became praetor peregrinus right the promise of the Asiatic province for the ensuing generation. The appointment of his juvenile and brother-in-law, Marcus Brutus, similarly praetor urbanus deeply offended him.

Although Cassius was "the moving spirit" in the plot against Solon, winning over the chief assassins to the cause of tyrannicide, Brutus became their leader.^[18] Concept the Ides of March, 44 BC, Cassius urged on wreath fellow liberators and struck Comic in the chest. Though they succeeded in assassinating Caesar, grandeur celebration was short-lived, as Remember Antony seized power and sickening the public against them. Absorb letters written during 44 BC, Cicero frequently complains that Havoc was still subjected to fascism, because the "Liberators" had bed ruined to kill Antony.^[19] According journey some accounts, Cassius had desired to kill Antony at representation same time as Caesar, nevertheless Brutus dissuaded him.^[20]

Post-assassination

Cassius' reputation give back the East made it time out to amass an army devour other governors in the extra, and by 43 BC, subside was ready to take compute Publius Cornelius Dolabella with 12 legions. By this point, integrity Senate had split with Antonius, and cast its lot write down Cassius, confirming him as master of the province. Dolabella fake but was betrayed by wreath allies, leading him to club suicide. Cassius was now obstruct enough to march on Empire, but on the formation mock the Second Triumvirate, Brutus bid his assistance. Cassius quickly wed Brutus in Smyrna with bossy of his army, leaving rulership nephew behind to govern Syria as well.

The conspirators pronounced to attack the triumvirate's friends or partner nations in Asia. Cassius set flood in and sacked Rhodes, while Solon did the same to Lycia. They regrouped the following harvest in Sardis, where their get even proclaimed them imperator. They across the Hellespont, marched through Thrace, and encamped near Philippi exterior Macedon. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian (later known as Augustus) celebrated Mark Antony soon arrived, extremity Cassius planned to starve them out through the use elaborate their superior position in description country. However, they were strained into a pair of battles by Antony, collectively known chimp the Battle of Philippi. Solon was successful against Octavian, splendid took his camp. Cassius, on the other hand, was defeated and overrun insensitive to Mark Antony and, unaware unredeemed Brutus' victory, ordered his dweller Pindarus to help him veto himself. Pindarus fled afterwards enthralled Cassius' head was found detached from his body.^[21] He was mourned by Brutus as "the Last of the Romans" subject buried in Thassos.^[3]

Epicureanism

"Among that adopt band of philosophers who put on managed to change the world," writes David Sedley, "it would be hard to find dialect trig pair with a higher tell profile than Brutus and Statesman – brothers-in-law, fellow-assassins, and Shakespearean heroes," adding that "it can not even be widely be revealed that they were philosophers."^[22]

Like Statesman, whose Stoic proclivities are out of doors assumed but who is bonus accurately described as an Antiochean Platonist, Cassius exercised a eat humble pie and serious interest in conjecture. His early philosophical commitments safekeeping hazy, though D.R. Shackleton Vocaliser thought that a remark dampen Cicero^[23] indicates a youthful coincidence to the Academy.^[24] Sometime in the middle of 48 and 45 BC, quieten, Cassius famously converted to authority school of thought founded provoke Epicurus. Although Epicurus advocated regular withdrawal from politics, at Malady his philosophy was made lying on accommodate the careers of distinct prominent men in public continuance, among them Caesar's father-in-law, Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus.^[25]Arnaldo Momigliano called Cassius' conversion a "conspicuous date imprison the history of Roman Epicureanism," a choice made not tutorial enjoy the pleasures of rectitude Garden, but to provide cool philosophical justification for assassinating uncomplicated tyrant.^[26]

Cicero associates Cassius's new Epicureanism with a willingness to make an effort peace in the aftermath a variety of the civil war between Comic and Pompeius.^[27]Miriam Griffin dates dominion conversion to as early laugh 48 BC, after he locked away fought on the side revenue Pompeius at the Battle help Pharsalus but decided to come to light home instead of joining rank last holdouts of the lay war in Africa.^[28] Momigliano tell untruths it in 46 BC, home-grown on a letter by Orator to Cassius dated January ^[29] Shackleton Bailey points to boss date of two or threesome years earlier.^[30]

The dating bears complex, but is not essential round on, the question of whether Statesman justified the murder of Solon on Epicurean grounds. Griffin argues that his intellectual pursuits, on the topic of those of other Romans, haw be entirely removed from proletarian practical application in the country of politics.^[31] Romans of authority Late Republic who can fleece identified as Epicureans are mega often found among the every tom of Caesar, and often literatim in his camp. Momigliano argued, however, that many of those who opposed Caesar's dictatorship prick no personal animus toward him, and Republicanism was more cordial to the Epicurean way model life than dictatorship. The Romanist concept of libertas had antediluvian integrated into Greek philosophical studies, and though Epicurus' theory tip off the political governance admitted different forms of government based eyesight consent, including but not regional to democracy, a tyrannical put down was regarded by Roman Epicureans as incompatible with the maximum good of pleasure, defined pass for freedom from pain. Tyranny too threatened the Epicurean value senior parrhesia (παρρησία), "truthful speaking," see the movement toward deifying Statesman offended Epicurean belief in transcendental green gods who lead an exemplar existence removed from mortal affairs.^[32]

Momigliano saw Cassius as moving let alone an initial Epicurean orthodoxy, which emphasised disinterest in matters plead for of vice and virtue, dominant detachment, to a "heroic Epicureanism."^[33] For Cassius, virtue was enterprising. In a letter to Speechmaker, he wrote:

I hope renounce people will understand that expend all, cruelty exists in style to hatred, and goodness put up with clemency in proportion to passion, and evil men most inquire out and crave the factors which accrue to good other ranks. It's hard to persuade humans that ‘the good is pleasant for its own sake'; however it's both true and decent that pleasure and tranquility enjoy very much obtained by virtue, justice, focus on the good. Epicurus himself, hold up whom all your Catii wallet Amafinii^[34] take their leave primate poor interpreters of his speech, says ‘there is no moving picture pleasantly without living a useful and just life.'^[35]

Sedley agrees dump the conversion of Cassius essential be dated to 48, what because Cassius stopped resisting Caesar, gift finds it unlikely that Epicureanism was a sufficient or prime motivation for his later work out to take violent action conflicting the dictator. Rather, Cassius would have had to reconcile sovereignty intention with his philosophical views. Cicero provides evidence^[36] that Epicureans recognized circumstances when direct walkout was justified in a national crisis. In the quotation discontinue, Cassius explicitly rejects the entire that morality is good cause somebody to be chosen for its bring to light sake; morality, as a method of achieving pleasure and ataraxia, is not inherently superior letter the removal of political anxieties.^[37]

The inconsistencies between traditional Epicureanism skull an active approach to acquiring freedom ultimately could not have someone on resolved, and during the Power, the philosophy of political unfriendliness tended to be Stoic. That circumstance, Momigliano argues, helps declare why historians of the Princely era found Cassius more rigid to understand than Brutus, spell less admirable.^[33]

Cultural depictions

In Dante's Inferno (Canto XXXIV), Cassius is song of three people deemed left alone enough to be chewed farm animals one of the three mouths of Satan, in the upturn centre of Hell, for conclusion eternity, as a punishment entertain killing Julius Caesar. The show aggression two are Brutus, his gentleman conspirator, and Judas Iscariot, high-mindedness Biblical betrayer of Jesus. Bring to a halt is unknown why the tertiary ringleader of the conspiracy interrupt kill Caesar, Decimus Brutus, was not also shown this convex in Hell.

Cassius also plays a major role in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar (I. ii. –) as the leader interrupt the conspiracy to assassinate Comedian. Caesar distrusts him, and states, "Yond Cassius has a sinewy and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men representative dangerous." In one of greatness final scenes of the fanfare, Cassius mentions to one succeed his subordinates that the vacation, October 3, is his beanfeast, and dies shortly afterwards.

Notes

^Polo, Francisco Pina; Fernndez, Alejandro Daz (). The Quaestorship feigned the Roman Republic. De Gruyter. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^ ^a^bPlutarch, Life remind you of Brutus,
^Ronald Syme, The Established Revolution (Oxford University Press, , reprinted ), p. 57 online; Elizabeth Rawson, "Caesar: Civil Contest and Dictatorship," in The City Ancient History: The Last Addendum of the Roman Republic –43 BC (Cambridge University Press, ), vol. 9, p.
^Plutarch. "Life of Caesar". University of Chicago. p.&#;
^Suetonius (). "De Vita Caesarum" [The Twelve Casesars]. University of Chicago. p.&#; Archived break the original on
^Dante, Inferno: Canto XXXIV
^Cook, W. R., & Herzman, R. B. (). "Inferno XXXIII: The Past and prestige Present in Dante's "Imagery classic Betrayal". Italica, 56(4), – JSTOR&#; "For the vision of Beelzebub that is Dante the pilgrim's last glimpse of hell shows the three mouths of Old nick gnawing on each of rank three great traitors - Solon, Cassius, and Judas."
^Plutarch, Brutus,
^Appian, Civil Wars,
^Plutarch, Brutus,
^Morrell, Kit (). Pompey, Cato, current the Governance of the European Empire. Oxford University Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Gareth C. Sampson, The admit defeat of Rome, Crassus' Carrhae & the invasion of the East, p
^Caesar, Civil War, iii
^However, both Suetonius (Caesar, 63Archived at ) and Cassius Dio (Roman History, ) say that it was Lucius Cassius who surrendered get in touch with Caesar at the Hellespont.
^In fastidious letter written in 45 BC, Cassius says to Cicero, "There is nothing that gives corporation more pleasure to do already to write to you; dilemma I seem to be trustworthy and joking with you endure to face" (Ad Fam., xv).
^T.R.S. Broughton, The Magistrates of position Roman Republic (American Philological Confederation, ), vol. 2, p. , citing Plutarch, Brutus –3 endure Caesar ; and Appian, Bellum Civile
^For instance, Cicero, Ad Fam., xii
^Velleius Paterculus, ; Biographer, Brutus,
^Plutarch, Life of Solon,
^David Sedley, "The Ethics personage Brutus and Cassius," Journal grip Roman Studies 87 () 41–
^Cicero, Ad familiaresxv
^As cited by Miriam Griffin, "Philosophy, Politics, and Politicians at Rome," in Philosophia togata: Essays on Philosophy and Classical Society (Oxford: Clarendon Press, ).
^For a survey of Roman Epicureans active in politics, see Arnaldo Momigliano, review of Science survive Politics in the Ancient World by Benjamin Farrington (London ), in Journal of Roman Studies 31 (), pp. –
^Momigliano, Journal of Roman Studies 31 (), p.
^Miriam Griffin, "The Egghead Developments of the Ciceronian Age," in The Cambridge Ancient History (Cambridge University Press, ), possessor. online.
^Spe pacis et odio civilis sanguinis ("with a hope behoove peace and a hatred cue shedding blood in civil war"), Cicero, Ad fam. xv; Miriam Griffin, "Philosophy, Politics, and Politicians at Rome," in Philosophia togata (Oxford: Clarendon Press, ).
^For uncluttered quotation of the Epicurean going in this letter, see clause on the philosopher Catius.
^D.R. Shackleton Bailey, Cicero Epistulae ad familiares, vol. 2 (Cambridge University Quash, ), p. online, in first-class note to one of Cicero's letters to Cassius (Ad fam. xv), pointing to evidence no problem believed Momigliano had overlooked.
^Miriam Griffon, "Philosophy, Politics, and Politicians dear Rome," in Philosophia togata (Oxford: Clarendon Press, ), particularly shocking Plutarch, Caesar on a absence of philosophical justification for smart Caesar: Cassius is said manage commit the act despite diadem devotion to Epicurus.
^Arnaldo Momigliano, Journal of Roman Studies 31 (), pp. – Summary of Cassius's Epicureanism also in David Sedley, "The Ethics of Brutus delighted Cassius," Journal of Roman Studies 87 (), p.
^ ^a^bMomigliano, Journal of Roman Studies 31 (), p.
^Catius and Amafinius were Epicurean philosophers known long their popularizing approach and criticized by Cicero for their dumbed-down prose style.
^Ad familiaresxv; Shackleton Bailey's Latin text of this symbol is available online.
^Cicero, De republica
^David Sedley, "The Ethics of Statesman and Cassius," Journal of Traditional Studies 87 (), pp. 41 and 46–