The assassination of Julius Caesar in March of 44 B.C.E. was meant to safeguard the Roman Republic from perceived tyranny. Instead, this grisly murder inadvertently set off a chain of events leading to the establishment of the autocratic Roman Empire.
Historian Colin Elliott explores the conspiracy that led to Caesar's murder, examines the ensuing chaos, and traces how one man’s death sparked a civil war, ultimately extinguishing Rome's nearly 500-year-old republic. He discusses the unintended consequences of political violence and the profound transformation from republic to empire and ponders timeless lessons on power, ambition, and the fragility of political systems.
Elliott is a professor of history at Indiana University and host of the weekly Pax Romana Podcast, which shares engaging stories and sources from the Roman Empire with a popular audience.
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