Backstabber Report

Gaius Cassius Longinus – Backstabbing With Brutus

Gaius Cassius Longinus was the brother-in-law of Brutus, a Roman senator, and a leading instigator in the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Caesar obviously had a serious flaw when choosing whom he could trust. Like Brutus, Caesar gave Gaius Cassius far too much leniency in the years before the backstabbing.

When Cassius returned to Rome following his governship in the province of Syria, he arrived to see the outbreak of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Cassius was elected tribune of the Plebs in 49 BC, and threw in his lot with Pompey, fleeing Italy as Caesar crossed the Rubicon. He met Pompey in Greece, and was made commander of his fleet.

In 48 BC, Cassius sailed his ships to Sicilia where he attacked and burned a large part of Caesar’s navy. He then proceeded to harass ships off the Italian coast. Pompey was defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus, which resulted in Cassius’ unconditional surrender.

Rather than executing Cassius, Caesar made Cassius a legate (general), employing him in the Alexandrian War against the very same Pharnaces whom Cassius had hoped to join after Pompey’s defeat at Pharsalus. However, Cassius refused to join in the fight against Cato and Scipio in Africa, choosing instead to retire to Rome.

Cassius spent the next two years without office. In 44 BC he became a magistrate with the promise of the Syrian province for the ensuing year. The appointment of his junior, Marcus Junius Brutus, as Praetor urbanus, a higher position, deeply offended him.

Although Cassius was instigator in the plot against Caesar, it was Brutus who became their leader. On March 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BC, Cassius urged on his fellow backstabbers and struck at Caesar.

Following the assassination of Caesar, Brutus and Cassius used joint armies to march on Macedon.  Each were forced into separate battles in the same vacinity, jointly referred to as the Battle of Philippi. Brutus was successful against Octavian, and took his camp. Cassius, however, was defeated and overrun by Marcus Antonius.

Cassius, unaware of Brutus’ victory, gave up all for lost, and ordered his freedman Pindarus to kill him.