Caius Cassius

, a celebrated Roman, who made himself known by being first questor to Cra us in his expedition against Parthia, from which he extricated himself with uncommon addre . He followed the interest of Pompey; and when Cæsar had obtained the victory in the plains of Pharsalia, Ca ius was one of those who owed their life to the mercy of the conqueror. He married Junia the sister of Brutus, and with him he resolved to murder the man to whom he was indebted for his life, on account of his oppre ive ambition; and before he stabbed Cæsar, he addre ed himself to the statue of Pompey, who had fallen by the avarice of him whom he was going to a a inate. When the provinces were divided among Cæsar’s murderers, Ca ius received Africa; and when his party had lost ground at Rome, by the superior influence of August us and Marcus Antony, he retired to Philippi, with his friend Brutus and their adherents. In the battle that was fought there, the wing which Ca ius commanded was defeated, and his camp was plundered. In this unsucce ful moment he suddenly gave up all hopes of recovering his lo es, and concluded that Brutus was conquered and ruined as well as himself. Fearful to fall into the enemy’s hands, he ordered one of his freedmen to run him through, and he perished by that very sword which had given wounds to Cæsar. His body was honoured with a magnificent funeral by his friend Brutus, who declared over him that he deserved to be called the last of the Romans. If he were brave, he was equally learned. Some of his letters are still extant among Cicero’s epistles. He was a strict follower of the doctrines of Epicurus. He was often too rash and too violent, and many of the wrong steps which Brutus took are to be ascribed to the prevailing advice of Ca ius. He is allowed by Paterculus to have been a better commander than Brutus, though a le sincere friend. The day after Cæsar’s murder he dined at the house of Antony, who asked him whether he had then a dagger concealed in his bosom. “Yes,” replied he, “if you aspire to tyranny.” Seutonius , Cæsar & August us .— Plutarch , Brutus & Cæsar .— Paterculus , bk. 2 , ch. 46 .— Dio Ca ius , bk. 40 .――A Roman citizen who condemned his son to death, on pretence of his raising commotions in the state. Valerius Maximus , bk. 5 , ch. 8 .――A tribune of the people, who made many laws tending to diminish the influence of the Roman nobility. He was competitor with Cicero for the consulship.――One of Pompey’s officers, who, during the civil wars, revolted to Cæsar with 10 ships.――A poet of Parma, of great genius. He was killed by Varus, by order of August us, whom he had offended by his satirical writings. His fragments of Orpheus were found and edited some time after by the poet Statius. Horace , bk. 1 , satire 10, li. 62 .――Spurius, a Roman, put to death on suspicion of his aspiring to tyranny, after he had been three times consul, B.C. 485. Diodorus , bk. 11 .— Valerius Maximus , bk. 6 , ch. 3 .――Brutus, a Roman who betrayed his country to the Latins, and fled to the temple of Pallas, where his father confined him, and he was starved to death.――Long in us, an officer of Cæsar in Spain, much disliked. Cæsar , Alexandrine War , ch. 48 .――A consul, to whom Tiberius married Drusilla daughter of Germanic us. Seutonius , Galba , ch. 57 .――A lawyer whom Nero put to death, because he bore the name of Julius Cæsar’s murderer. Suet on i us , Nero , ch. 37 .――Lucius Hemina, the most ancient writer of annals at Rome. He lived A.U.C. 608.――Lucius, a Roman lawyer, whose severity in the execution of the law has rendered the words Ca iani judices applicable to rigid judges. Cicero , For Sextus Roscius of Ameria , ch. 30 .――Long in us, a critic. See: Long in us .――Lucius, a consul with Caius Marius, slain with his army by the Gauls Senones. Appian , Gallic History .――Marcus Scæva, a soldier of uncommon valour in Cæsar’s army. Valerius Maximus , bk. 3 , ch. 2 .――An officer under Aurelius, made emperor by his soldiers, and murdered three months after.――Felix, a physician in the age of Tiberius, who wrote on animals.――Severus, an orator who wrote a severe treatise on illustrious men and women. He died in exile, in his 25th year. See: Severus . The family of Ca ii branched into the surname of Long in us, Vis cell in us, Brutus, .