Gaius Cassius Longinus

Lore & Background

Cassius came from the very old Roman family gens Cassia, prominent since the 6th century BC. Little is known of his early life, apart from a story that he showed his dislike of despots while still at school by quarreling with the son of the dictator Sulla. He studied philosophy at Rhodes under Archelaus of Rhodes and became fluent in Greek. He was married to Junia Tertia, daughter of Servilia and half-sister of his co-conspirator Brutus; they had one son born about 60 BC. In 54 BC, Cassius joined Marcus Licinius Crassus in his eastern campaign against the Parthian Empire as quaestor. At the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, considered the worst defeat since Cannae in 216 BC, Cassius led the remaining troops' retreat back into Syria and organized an effective defense. Plutarch's account suggests Crassus could have avoided defeat by listening to Cassius' advice not to invade Parthia. In 51 BC, Cassius ambushed and defeated an invading Parthian army under prince Pacorus and general Osaces. He first refused battle, keeping his army behind the walls of Antioch where he was besieged. When the Parthians gave up the siege and ravaged the countryside, he followed and harassed them. The decisive encounter came on October 7 as the Parthians turned away from Antigonea; Cassius's army faked a retreat and lured them into an ambush, where they were surrounded and defeated. General Osaces died from his wounds, and the rest retreated across the Euphrates.

In Their Own Story

Cassius returned to Rome in 50 BC as civil war was about to break out between Julius Caesar and Pompey. He was elected tribune of the plebs for 49 BC and threw in his lot with the Optimates, though his brother Lucius supported Caesar. Cassius left Italy shortly after Caesar crossed the Rubicon, met Pompey in Greece, and was appointed to command part of his fleet. In 48 BC, he sailed to Sicily, attacked and burned a large part of Caesar's navy, then harassed ships off the Italian coast. News of Pompey's defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus caused Cassius to head for the Hellespont, hoping to ally with the king of Pontus, Pharnaces II. He was overtaken by Caesar en route and forced to surrender unconditionally. Caesar made Cassius a legate, employing him in the Alexandrian War against the same Pharnaces, but Cassius refused to join the fight against Cato and Scipio in Africa, choosing instead to retire to Rome. In 44 BC, he became praetor peregrinus with the promise of the Syrian province for the ensuing year. The appointment of his junior and brother-in-law Marcus Brutus as praetor urbanus deeply offended him. Although Cassius was 'the moving spirit' in the plot against Caesar, winning over the chief assassins, Brutus became their leader. On the Ides of March, 44 BC, Cassius urged on his fellow liberators and struck Caesar in the chest. According to some accounts, Cassius had wanted to kill Antony at the same time as Caesar, but Brutus dissuaded him.

Reader's Guide

After Caesar's death, Cassius's reputation in the East made it easy to amass an army from other governors, and by 43 BC he was ready to take on Publius Cornelius Dolabella with 12 legions. The Senate confirmed him as governor of the province. Dolabella attacked but was betrayed by his allies, leading him to commit suicide. Cassius was secure enough to march on Egypt, but on the formation of the Second Triumvirate, Brutus requested his assistance. Cassius quickly joined Brutus in Smyrna with most of his army, leaving his nephew behind to govern Syria. The conspirators decided to attack the triumvirate's allies in Asia. Cassius sacked Rhodes in 43 BC, while Brutus did the same to Lycia. They regrouped the following year in Sardis, where their armies proclaimed them imperator. They crossed the Hellespont, marched through Thrace, and encamped near Philippi in Macedon. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian and Mark Antony soon arrived. Cassius planned to starve them out using their superior position, but they were forced into a pair of battles by Antony, collectively known as the Battle of Philippi. Brutus was successful against Octavian and took his camp. Cassius was defeated and overrun by Mark Antony. Unaware of Brutus's victory, he ordered his freeman Pindarus to help him kill himself. Pindarus fled afterwards and Cassius's head was found severed from his body. He was mourned by Brutus as 'the Last of the Romans' and buried in Thassos.

Did You Know?

• Cassius studied philosophy at Rhodes under Archelaus of Rhodes and became fluent in Greek.
• He was married to Junia Tertia, who was the daughter of Servilia and thus a half-sister of his co-conspirator Brutus.
• At the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, Cassius led the remaining troops' retreat back into Syria after the worst Roman defeat since Cannae.
• In 51 BC, Cassius ambushed and defeated a Parthian army under prince Pacorus and general Osaces; Osaces died from his wounds.
• Cassius followed the teachings of the philosopher Epicurus, though scholars debate whether these beliefs affected his political life.