CASSIUS LONGI'NUS. Galus. One of Crsar's assassins. At the breaking out of the Civil War, though a tribune of the plebs, he sided with Pompcius and the aristocratic fac tion against Cesar. He was taken prisoner by the latter, who pardoned him. and even made him one of his legal L In B.C. 44. through the influence of Cesar, he was made prwt or pere grim's, 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 lie resolved to be released by the murder of his benefactor. Having at tached to himself the mutinons spirits among the subjugated aristocracy, and also won over M. Brutus, the pseudo-patriotic conspiracy was soon matured. and on March 15. B.C. 44, Cwsar fell by the daggers of assassins. The result of this bloody deed was not what Cassius Longinus had expected. The popular feeling—as dis played by the riots that broke out at Caesar's funeral--was strongly against the murderers, end the military power fell into the hands of Marcus Antonius. Cassius Longinus therefore
lied to the East, and made himself master of Afterwards he united his forces with those of Brutus. flaying greedily plundered Asia Minor, they crossed the Hellespont in the beginning of B.C. 42, marched through Thrace. and took up a superior position near Philippi, in Macedonia. 'Here they were attacked by Antonius and Oetavianus. The division com manded by Cassius Longinus was totally rout ed: no the other hand, Brutus succeeded in re pulsing the troops of Octavianus. Cassius Longi nus, supposing that all was lost, compelled his freedman, Pinflarns. to put him to death. His Wife, a half-sister of Brutus, survived him up ward of sixty years. She died in the reign of Tiberius. a.o. 22.