Cassius

Cassius, the name of a famous Roman gens, which, originally of patrician rank, afterwards became plebeian. Its most famous members were (1) SPURIUS CASSIUS VISCELLINUS, who was thrice consul, first in 502 B.C., and the promoter of the first agrarian law at Rome (486). By this he made himself so hateful to his own order that they found means to condemn him to death on a trumped-up charge of aiming at regal power.—(2) CAIUS CASSIUS LONGINUS, the most active of the conspirators against Cæsar. He distinguished himself by his conduct as quæstor to Crassus in the Parthian war, and still more greatly by his energy and resource in the disasters that followed his general's death. He was tribune of the people at the breaking out of the civil war, and at once attached himself to Pompey. After the disaster of Pharsalia he was taken prisoner in the Hellespont by Cæsar, and pardoned with that conqueror's usual magnanimity. In 44 B.C., through the influence of Cæsar, he was made prætor, and was promised the governorship of Syria in the following year. But his mean and jealous spirit could not endure the burden of gratitude imposed upon him by the generosity of the dictator, and he resolved to be released by the murder of his benefactor. He first attached to himself the mutinous spirits among the subjugated aristocracy, and next won over M. Brutus. The pseudo-patriotic conspiracy was soon matured, and on the 15th of March 44 B.C. Cæsar fell by the daggers of his assassins. But popular feeling blazed out against the murderers, and Mark Antony had the wit to seize his opportunity. Cassius fled to the east, made himself master of Syria, then united his forces with those of Brutus, and after cruelly plundering Asia Minor, crossed the Hellespont into Thrace. At Philippi the division commanded by Cassius was totally routed, and Cassius, supposing that all was lost, compelled his freedman to kill him.