Cassius
LONGINUS
VARUS, of uncertain
to oppose the Cimbri and their allies ; but in the descent, was consul B.
to oppose the Cimbri and their allies ; but in the descent, was consul B.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
S.
]
LONGI'NUS, AEMI’LIUS, a deserter from
the first legion, murdered Vocula, at the instigation
of Classicus, in the great revolt of the Treviri
against the Romans, A. D. 70; but was shortly Longinus was consul B. c. 127, with L. Corne-
afterwards put to death by the soldiers of the six- lius Cinna, and censor B. c. 125, with Cn. Servilius
teenth legion. (Tac. Hist. iv. 59, 62. )
Caepio. (Cic. Verr. i. 55. ) Their censorship was
LONGI'NOS, CA'SSIUS, a celebrated plebeian celebrated for its severity, of which an instance is
family:
related in the condemnation of M. Lepidus Porcina.
1. Q. Cassius LONGINUS, tribune of the soldiers (Lepidus, No. 10. ] Longinus had the character
in the second Punic war, B. c. 252, was sent by of great severity as a judex, whence his tribunal
the consul, C. Aurelius Cotta, to blockade Lipara, was called the scopulus reorum (Val. Max. iii. 7.
but with strict orders not to engage in battle. As S 9); but he was at the same time looked up to
Longinus, however, disobeyed these orders, and as a man of great integrity and justice. It is re-
suffered a severe defeat, he was deprived of his lated of him that in all criminal trials he was ac-
command by Cotta. (Zonar. viii. 14. )
customed to ask, before every thing else, with what
2. Q. Cassius, L. F. Q. N. LOXGinus, grandson object (cui bono) a crime had been committed. It
of No. 1, was praetor urbanus B. c. 167, in which was in consequence of this reputation for justice
year he conducied to Alba Perseus, the conquered and severity that he was appointed by the people
king of Macedonia. He was consul B. c. 164, with in B. c. 113 to investigate certain cases of incest,
A. Manlius Torquatus, and died in his year of because the pontiffs were thought to have impro-
office. (Liv. xlv. 16, 35, 42; Fasti Capitol. ) perly acquitted two of the restal virgins, Licinia
الملوك)
COIN OF L. CASSIUS LONGIXU'S.
## p. 799 (#815) ############################################
LONGINUS.
799
LONGINUS.
was
a
and Marcia, while they condemned one, Aemilia. of consular rank unheard, and while he was absent
Longinus condemned not only Licinia and Marcia, on the service of the state. In B. c. 154 Cassius
but also several other persons; but the extreme censor with M. Valerius Messalla. (Liv.
severity with which he acted on this occasion was xlii. 4, 28, 32, xliii. 1, 5; Oros. iv. 20; Plin. H.
generally reprobated by public opinion. (Licinia, N. vii. 3. 8. 4; Cic. pro Dom. 50, 53; Plin. H. N.
No. 2. 1 (Cic. pro S. Rosc. 30; Ascon. in Milon. xvii. 25. s. 38. ) A theatre, which these censors
12, p. 46, ed. Orelli; Dion Cas. Fr. 92 ; Oros. v. had contracted to have built, was pulled down by
15; Liv. Epit. 63; Obsequ. 97; Plut. Quuest. order of the senate, at the suggestion of P. Scipio
Rom. p. 284, b. )
Nasica, as useless and injurious to public morais,
Ernesti (Clavis Cic. ) and Orelli (Onom. Tull. ) | (Liv. Epit. 48 ; Vell. Pat. i. 15; Val. Max. ii. 4.
regard the tribune of 'B. c. 137, who proposed the $ 2; Oros. iv, 21 ; Augustin, de Cir. Dei, i. 31;
tabellaria lex, as the father of the consul of B. C. Appian, B. C. 1, 28, who erroneously calls Cassius
127, and of the censor of. B. c. 125. It is, however, Lucius, and places the event at too late a period. )
very improbable that a tribune of the plebs should Cassius accused M. Cato in his extreme old age:
be the father of a person who was consul ten years the speech of the latter, which he delivered in his
afterwards ; and their identity is strongly supported defence, was extant in the time of Gellius. (Gell.
by the character which Cicero (Brut. 25) gives of x. 14 ; comp. Liv. xxxix. 40 ; Val. Max. viii. 7.
the tribune, which is quite in accordance with the Sl; Plut. Cat. 15; Meyer, Orat. Rom. Frag.
well-known severity of the judex and the censor. p. 1
111, 2d. ed. )
5. L. Cassius Q. F. Q. N. LONGINUS, son of 9. C. Cassius, C. F. C. N. LONGINUS, son of
No. 3, was praetor B. c. lll, and was sent to Nu- No. 8, was consul B. c. 124, with C. Sextius Cal-
midia to bring Jugurtha to Rome, under promise vinus. (Fast. Sic. ; Cassiod. ; Vell. Pat. i. 15. )
of a safe conduct. Cassius also pledged his own Eutropius (iv. 2:2) says that the colleague of Lon.
word to Jugurtha for his security ; and so high ginus was C. Domitius Calvinus, and that he car-
was the reputation of Cassius, that the Numidian ried on war with him against Bituitus; but both
king valued this as much as the public promise. statements are erroneous. [Bituitus. ) Obse-
In B. c. 107 he was consul with C. Marius, and quens (c. 91) calls the other consul Sextilius.
received as his province Narbonese Gaul, in order 10. C.
Cassius LONGINUS VARUS, of uncertain
to oppose the Cimbri and their allies ; but in the descent, was consul B. C. 73, with M. Terentius
course of the same year he was defeated and killed Varro Lucullus. In order to quiet the people, the
by the Tigurini in the territory of the Allobroges. consuls of this year brought forward à law (les
(Sall
. Jug. 32 ; Liv. Epit. 65; Oros. v. 15; Caes. Terentia Cassia) by which corn was to be pur-
B. G. i. 7 ; Tac. Germ. 37. )
chased and then sold in Rome at a small price.
6. L. Cassius LONGINUS, described as L. F. by (Cic. Verr. i. 23, iii. 41. ) In the following year
Asconius (in Cornel. p. 78, ed. Orelli), son of No. 4, Longinus commanded as proconsul in Cisalpine
was tribune of the plebs B. c. 104; and being a Gaul, and was defeated by Spartacus near Mutina,
warm opponent of the aristocratical party, he but was not killed in the battle, as Orosius states.
hrought forward many laws to diminish their (Liv. Epit. 96; Flor. iii. 20; Plut. Crass. 9 ;
power. Among them was one which enacted that Oros. v. 24. ) In B. c. 66 he supported the Mani-
no one should be a senator whom the people had lian law for giving the command of the Mithridatic
condemned, or who had been deprived of their war to Pompey. (Cic. pro Leg. Man. 23. ) He must
imperium: this law was levelled against his per have lived to a very advanced age: the consular
sonal enemy, Q. Servilius Caepio, who had been de- Varus, who was proscribed and killed at Min-
prived of his imperium on account of his defeat by turnae in B. c. 43, can have been no other than the
the Cimbri. (Ascon. I. c. )
subject of this article, as we find no other consul
7. C. Cassius L. F. Q. x. LONGINUS, brother of with this surname from B. c. 73. (Appian, B. C.
No. 6, was consul B. C. 96, with Cn. Domitius iv. 28. )
Ahenobarbus. He is mentioned by Cicero as one ll. C. Cassius LONGINUS, the murderer of
of those persons who were elected consuls notwith- Julius Caesar, is sometimes represented as the son
standing their having failed to obtain the aedile- of the preceding (No. 10), but this is quite uncer-
ship. (Cic. pro Planc. 21. )
tain. He first appears in history as the quaestor
8. C. Cassius, C. F. C. N. LONGINUs, of un- of Crassus in his unfortunate campaign against the
certain descent. He was chosen in B. c. 173 as Parthians in B. C. 53, in which he greatly distin-
one of the decemviri for distributing a portion of the guished himself by his prudence and military skill ;
Ligurian land ; and two years afterwards, B. c. 171, and if his advice had been followed by Crassus,
was consul with P. Licinius Crassus. He obtained the result of the campaign would probably have
as his province Italy and Cisalpine Gaul ; but anx- been very different. Indeed at first he attempted
ious to distinguish himself in the war which had to dissuade Crassus from invading the country of
now commenced against Macedonia, he attempted the Parthians at all, and recommended him to take
to reach Macedonia by marching through Illyricum; up a strong position on the Euphrates. In the
he was obliged, however, to relinquish his design, fatal battle of Carrhae Cassius commanded one of
and return to Italy. In the following year, while the wings of the Roman army, and recommended the
he was serving as legate in Macedonia under the Roman general to extend his line, in order to pre-
consul A. Hostilius Mancinus, he was accused be-vent the enemy from attacking them on their flank,
fore the senate by ambassadors of the Gallic king, and likewise to distribute cavalry on the wings ; but
Cincibilus, as well as by ambassadors of the Carni, here again his advice was not followed. After the
Istri and lapydes, who complained that Cassius had defeat of the Roman army, Cassius and the legate,
treated them as enemies in his attempt to penetrate Octavius, conducted the remnants of it back to
into Macedonia in the previous year. The senate Carrhae, as Crassus hiad entirely lost all presence
intimated their disapproval of the conduct of Cas- of mind, and was incapable of giving any orders.
sius, but stated that they could not condemn a man So highly was Cassius thought of by the Roman
## p. 800 (#816) ############################################
SOO
LONGINUS.
LONGINCS.
soldiers, that they offered him in Carrhae the made him soon afterwards one of his legates.
supreme command of the army; but this he de- Whether Cassius took part in the Alexandrian war,
clined, although Crassus, in his despondency, was is unknown ; but he appears to have been engaged
quite willing to resign it. In the retreat from in that against Pharnaces. In B. C. 46 he re-
Carrhae, which they were soon afterwards obliged mained in Rome, as he did not wish to accompany
to make, Crassus was misled by the guides, and Caesar to Africa in order to fight against his former
killed (CRASSUS, p. 878); but Cassius, suspect-friends, and he was busily engaged during this time
ing treachery, returned to Carrhne, and thence in studying along with Cicero. In the following
made his escape to Syria with 500 horsemen by year, B. C. 45, he retired from Rome to Brundisiuin,
another way. After crossing the Euphrates, he waiting to hear the result of the struggle in Spain,
collected the remains of the Roman army, and and intending to return to Rome on the first news
made preparations to defend the province against of the victory of the dictator. During this time
the Parthians. The enemy did not cross the river lie and Cicero kept up a diligent correspondence
till the following year, B. c. 52, and then only with with one another. (Cic. ad Fam. 17–19; comp.
a small force, which was easily driven back by ad Att. xiii. 22. )
Cassius, upon whom the government of the pro- In B. C. 44 Cassius was praetor peregrinus, and
vince had devolved as proquacstor, as no successor was to receive the province of Syria next year.
to Crassus had yet been appointed. Next year, | But although his life had been spared, and he was
B. C. 51, the Parthians again crossed the river, with thus raised to honours by Caesar, yet he was the
a much larger army, under the command of Osaces author of the conspiracy against the dictator's life.
and Pacorus, the son of Orodes, the Parthian king. He was said to have been deeply aggrieved, because
As M. Bibulus, who had been appointed proconsul | M. Brutus, although his junior, had been appointed
of Syria, had not yet arrived, the conduct of the by Caesar as city praetor, in preference to himself ;
war again devolved upon Cassius. He thought it but this slight only exasperated the feelings he had
more prudent to retire at first before the Parthians, previously entertained. He had never ceased to
and threw himself into the strongly fortified city be Caesar's enemy, and Caesar seems to have looked
of Antioch ; and when the barbarians withdrew upon him with more mistrust than upon most of his
finding it impossible to take the place, he followed former foes (comp. Plut. Caes. 62 ; Vell. Pat. ii.
them, and gained, in September, a brilliant victory 56). One thing, however, is clear, that it was
over them. Osaces died a few days after of the mere personal hatred and ambition which urged on
wounds which he had received in the battle, and Cassius to take away the dictator's life ; and that
the remains of the army fed in confusion across a love of country and of liberty was a sheer pretext.
the Euphrates. Cicero, who commanded in the His grant object was to gain over M. Brutus, the
neighbouring province of Cilicia, was now delivered dictator's favourite, and when this was done, every-
from the great fear he had entertained of being thing else was easily arranged. In the bloody
obliged to meet the Parthians himself, and accord-tragedy of the 15th of March, Cassius took a dis-
ingly wrote to Cassius to congratulate him on his tinguished part. When the conspirators pressed
success (ad Fum. xv. 14. 3), but notwithstand-round Caesar, and one of them hesitated to strike,
ing this attempted, in every possible way, to rob | Cassius called out “Strike, though it be through
him of the honour of the victory. (Ad Fam. iii. 8, me," and he himself is said to have wounded
viii. 10, ad Att. v. 21. ) On the arrival of Bibulus, Caesar in the face.
Cassius returned to Italy. He expected to be ac- After the murder the conspirators fled to the
cused of extortion ; and he was generally sup- Capitol ; but they were bitterly disappointed in
posed, and apparently with justice, to have fleeced finding that the supreme power fell into the hands
the provincials unmercifully. But the breaking of Antony, who was supported by the army of
out of the civil war, almost immediately after- Lepidus, which was in the neighbourhood of the
wards, saved him from the accusation which he city. (LEPIDUS, p. 767. ] A hollow agreement
dreaded.
was patched up between Antony and the conspi-
In B. C. 49 Cassius was tribune of the plebs. rators, in consequence of which the latter left the
He was a supporter of the aristocratical party, and, Capitol ; but the riots which broke out at Caesar's
with the rest of the leaders of that party, left funeral showed the conspirators that even their
Rome in the month of January. He crossed over lives were not safe in Rome. Many of them im-
to Greece with Pompey in the month of March, mediately quitted the city, but Cassius and Brutus
and subsequently received the command of the remained behind, till the attempts of the Pseudo-
Syrian, Phoenician, and Cilician ships. With Marius, who was executed by Marius, hastened
these he went to Sicily in the following year, B. C. their departure in the middle of April. They did
48, where he burnt off Messana thirty-five ships, not, however, go far, but flattering themselves with
commanded by the Caesarian, M. Pomponius, and the hope that there might be some change in their
subsequently five ships belonging to the squadron favour, they remained for the next four months in
of Sulpicius and Libo. After that he made many Latium and Campania. As praetors, they ought of
descents upon the coasts of Sicily and Italy, till course to have continued in Rome ; and the senate,
the news of the battle of Pharsalia obliged him to anxious to make it appear that they had not fied
put a stop to his devastations.
from the city, passed a decree on the 5th of June,
Cassius sailed to the Hellespont, with the hope by which they were commissioned to purchase
• of inducing Pharnaces to join him against Caesar ; corn in Sicily and Asia. But Cassius looked upon
but in that sea he accidentally fell in with Caesar, this as an insult in the guise of a favour. About
and although he had a much larger force, he was so the same time he and Brutus received Cyrene and
much astonished and alarmed at meeting with the Crete as praetorian provinces, but this was a poor
conqueror, that he did not attempt to make any re- compensation for the provinces of Syria and Mace-
sistance, but surrendered himself unconditionally donia, the former of which Caesar had promised to
into his power. Ciresar not only forgave him, but | Cassius and the latter to Brutus, but which had
## p. 801 (#817) ############################################
LONGINUS.
801
LONGINUS.
ܪ
now been assigned to Dolabella and Antony re | accordingly, on his return to Asia, he imposed upon
spectively. Resolving to make a final effort to the province a ten years' tribute, which was to be
segain the popular favour, Brutus celebrated the raised immediately. Meanwhile, the colleague of
Ludi Apollinares with extraordinary splendour in Cassius, M. Brutus, was employed in the same wny
the month of July ; but as this was not followed in robbing the towns of Lycia; and the liberator's
by the expected results, they resolved to leave luals of the Roman world made it pay very dearly for
They accordingly published a decree, in which they its freedom.
resigned their office as praetors, and declared that At the beginning of the following year, B. C. 42,
they would for the future live in banishment, in Brutus and Cissilis met again at Sirdis, where
order to preserve the harmony of the stute. This, their armies greeted them with the title of impe-
however, was only done to excite odium against rators. Here they had some serious differences,
Antony.
LONGI'NUS, AEMI’LIUS, a deserter from
the first legion, murdered Vocula, at the instigation
of Classicus, in the great revolt of the Treviri
against the Romans, A. D. 70; but was shortly Longinus was consul B. c. 127, with L. Corne-
afterwards put to death by the soldiers of the six- lius Cinna, and censor B. c. 125, with Cn. Servilius
teenth legion. (Tac. Hist. iv. 59, 62. )
Caepio. (Cic. Verr. i. 55. ) Their censorship was
LONGI'NOS, CA'SSIUS, a celebrated plebeian celebrated for its severity, of which an instance is
family:
related in the condemnation of M. Lepidus Porcina.
1. Q. Cassius LONGINUS, tribune of the soldiers (Lepidus, No. 10. ] Longinus had the character
in the second Punic war, B. c. 252, was sent by of great severity as a judex, whence his tribunal
the consul, C. Aurelius Cotta, to blockade Lipara, was called the scopulus reorum (Val. Max. iii. 7.
but with strict orders not to engage in battle. As S 9); but he was at the same time looked up to
Longinus, however, disobeyed these orders, and as a man of great integrity and justice. It is re-
suffered a severe defeat, he was deprived of his lated of him that in all criminal trials he was ac-
command by Cotta. (Zonar. viii. 14. )
customed to ask, before every thing else, with what
2. Q. Cassius, L. F. Q. N. LOXGinus, grandson object (cui bono) a crime had been committed. It
of No. 1, was praetor urbanus B. c. 167, in which was in consequence of this reputation for justice
year he conducied to Alba Perseus, the conquered and severity that he was appointed by the people
king of Macedonia. He was consul B. c. 164, with in B. c. 113 to investigate certain cases of incest,
A. Manlius Torquatus, and died in his year of because the pontiffs were thought to have impro-
office. (Liv. xlv. 16, 35, 42; Fasti Capitol. ) perly acquitted two of the restal virgins, Licinia
الملوك)
COIN OF L. CASSIUS LONGIXU'S.
## p. 799 (#815) ############################################
LONGINUS.
799
LONGINUS.
was
a
and Marcia, while they condemned one, Aemilia. of consular rank unheard, and while he was absent
Longinus condemned not only Licinia and Marcia, on the service of the state. In B. c. 154 Cassius
but also several other persons; but the extreme censor with M. Valerius Messalla. (Liv.
severity with which he acted on this occasion was xlii. 4, 28, 32, xliii. 1, 5; Oros. iv. 20; Plin. H.
generally reprobated by public opinion. (Licinia, N. vii. 3. 8. 4; Cic. pro Dom. 50, 53; Plin. H. N.
No. 2. 1 (Cic. pro S. Rosc. 30; Ascon. in Milon. xvii. 25. s. 38. ) A theatre, which these censors
12, p. 46, ed. Orelli; Dion Cas. Fr. 92 ; Oros. v. had contracted to have built, was pulled down by
15; Liv. Epit. 63; Obsequ. 97; Plut. Quuest. order of the senate, at the suggestion of P. Scipio
Rom. p. 284, b. )
Nasica, as useless and injurious to public morais,
Ernesti (Clavis Cic. ) and Orelli (Onom. Tull. ) | (Liv. Epit. 48 ; Vell. Pat. i. 15; Val. Max. ii. 4.
regard the tribune of 'B. c. 137, who proposed the $ 2; Oros. iv, 21 ; Augustin, de Cir. Dei, i. 31;
tabellaria lex, as the father of the consul of B. C. Appian, B. C. 1, 28, who erroneously calls Cassius
127, and of the censor of. B. c. 125. It is, however, Lucius, and places the event at too late a period. )
very improbable that a tribune of the plebs should Cassius accused M. Cato in his extreme old age:
be the father of a person who was consul ten years the speech of the latter, which he delivered in his
afterwards ; and their identity is strongly supported defence, was extant in the time of Gellius. (Gell.
by the character which Cicero (Brut. 25) gives of x. 14 ; comp. Liv. xxxix. 40 ; Val. Max. viii. 7.
the tribune, which is quite in accordance with the Sl; Plut. Cat. 15; Meyer, Orat. Rom. Frag.
well-known severity of the judex and the censor. p. 1
111, 2d. ed. )
5. L. Cassius Q. F. Q. N. LONGINUS, son of 9. C. Cassius, C. F. C. N. LONGINUS, son of
No. 3, was praetor B. c. lll, and was sent to Nu- No. 8, was consul B. c. 124, with C. Sextius Cal-
midia to bring Jugurtha to Rome, under promise vinus. (Fast. Sic. ; Cassiod. ; Vell. Pat. i. 15. )
of a safe conduct. Cassius also pledged his own Eutropius (iv. 2:2) says that the colleague of Lon.
word to Jugurtha for his security ; and so high ginus was C. Domitius Calvinus, and that he car-
was the reputation of Cassius, that the Numidian ried on war with him against Bituitus; but both
king valued this as much as the public promise. statements are erroneous. [Bituitus. ) Obse-
In B. c. 107 he was consul with C. Marius, and quens (c. 91) calls the other consul Sextilius.
received as his province Narbonese Gaul, in order 10. C.
Cassius LONGINUS VARUS, of uncertain
to oppose the Cimbri and their allies ; but in the descent, was consul B. C. 73, with M. Terentius
course of the same year he was defeated and killed Varro Lucullus. In order to quiet the people, the
by the Tigurini in the territory of the Allobroges. consuls of this year brought forward à law (les
(Sall
. Jug. 32 ; Liv. Epit. 65; Oros. v. 15; Caes. Terentia Cassia) by which corn was to be pur-
B. G. i. 7 ; Tac. Germ. 37. )
chased and then sold in Rome at a small price.
6. L. Cassius LONGINUS, described as L. F. by (Cic. Verr. i. 23, iii. 41. ) In the following year
Asconius (in Cornel. p. 78, ed. Orelli), son of No. 4, Longinus commanded as proconsul in Cisalpine
was tribune of the plebs B. c. 104; and being a Gaul, and was defeated by Spartacus near Mutina,
warm opponent of the aristocratical party, he but was not killed in the battle, as Orosius states.
hrought forward many laws to diminish their (Liv. Epit. 96; Flor. iii. 20; Plut. Crass. 9 ;
power. Among them was one which enacted that Oros. v. 24. ) In B. c. 66 he supported the Mani-
no one should be a senator whom the people had lian law for giving the command of the Mithridatic
condemned, or who had been deprived of their war to Pompey. (Cic. pro Leg. Man. 23. ) He must
imperium: this law was levelled against his per have lived to a very advanced age: the consular
sonal enemy, Q. Servilius Caepio, who had been de- Varus, who was proscribed and killed at Min-
prived of his imperium on account of his defeat by turnae in B. c. 43, can have been no other than the
the Cimbri. (Ascon. I. c. )
subject of this article, as we find no other consul
7. C. Cassius L. F. Q. x. LONGINUS, brother of with this surname from B. c. 73. (Appian, B. C.
No. 6, was consul B. C. 96, with Cn. Domitius iv. 28. )
Ahenobarbus. He is mentioned by Cicero as one ll. C. Cassius LONGINUS, the murderer of
of those persons who were elected consuls notwith- Julius Caesar, is sometimes represented as the son
standing their having failed to obtain the aedile- of the preceding (No. 10), but this is quite uncer-
ship. (Cic. pro Planc. 21. )
tain. He first appears in history as the quaestor
8. C. Cassius, C. F. C. N. LONGINUs, of un- of Crassus in his unfortunate campaign against the
certain descent. He was chosen in B. c. 173 as Parthians in B. C. 53, in which he greatly distin-
one of the decemviri for distributing a portion of the guished himself by his prudence and military skill ;
Ligurian land ; and two years afterwards, B. c. 171, and if his advice had been followed by Crassus,
was consul with P. Licinius Crassus. He obtained the result of the campaign would probably have
as his province Italy and Cisalpine Gaul ; but anx- been very different. Indeed at first he attempted
ious to distinguish himself in the war which had to dissuade Crassus from invading the country of
now commenced against Macedonia, he attempted the Parthians at all, and recommended him to take
to reach Macedonia by marching through Illyricum; up a strong position on the Euphrates. In the
he was obliged, however, to relinquish his design, fatal battle of Carrhae Cassius commanded one of
and return to Italy. In the following year, while the wings of the Roman army, and recommended the
he was serving as legate in Macedonia under the Roman general to extend his line, in order to pre-
consul A. Hostilius Mancinus, he was accused be-vent the enemy from attacking them on their flank,
fore the senate by ambassadors of the Gallic king, and likewise to distribute cavalry on the wings ; but
Cincibilus, as well as by ambassadors of the Carni, here again his advice was not followed. After the
Istri and lapydes, who complained that Cassius had defeat of the Roman army, Cassius and the legate,
treated them as enemies in his attempt to penetrate Octavius, conducted the remnants of it back to
into Macedonia in the previous year. The senate Carrhae, as Crassus hiad entirely lost all presence
intimated their disapproval of the conduct of Cas- of mind, and was incapable of giving any orders.
sius, but stated that they could not condemn a man So highly was Cassius thought of by the Roman
## p. 800 (#816) ############################################
SOO
LONGINUS.
LONGINCS.
soldiers, that they offered him in Carrhae the made him soon afterwards one of his legates.
supreme command of the army; but this he de- Whether Cassius took part in the Alexandrian war,
clined, although Crassus, in his despondency, was is unknown ; but he appears to have been engaged
quite willing to resign it. In the retreat from in that against Pharnaces. In B. C. 46 he re-
Carrhae, which they were soon afterwards obliged mained in Rome, as he did not wish to accompany
to make, Crassus was misled by the guides, and Caesar to Africa in order to fight against his former
killed (CRASSUS, p. 878); but Cassius, suspect-friends, and he was busily engaged during this time
ing treachery, returned to Carrhne, and thence in studying along with Cicero. In the following
made his escape to Syria with 500 horsemen by year, B. C. 45, he retired from Rome to Brundisiuin,
another way. After crossing the Euphrates, he waiting to hear the result of the struggle in Spain,
collected the remains of the Roman army, and and intending to return to Rome on the first news
made preparations to defend the province against of the victory of the dictator. During this time
the Parthians. The enemy did not cross the river lie and Cicero kept up a diligent correspondence
till the following year, B. c. 52, and then only with with one another. (Cic. ad Fam. 17–19; comp.
a small force, which was easily driven back by ad Att. xiii. 22. )
Cassius, upon whom the government of the pro- In B. C. 44 Cassius was praetor peregrinus, and
vince had devolved as proquacstor, as no successor was to receive the province of Syria next year.
to Crassus had yet been appointed. Next year, | But although his life had been spared, and he was
B. C. 51, the Parthians again crossed the river, with thus raised to honours by Caesar, yet he was the
a much larger army, under the command of Osaces author of the conspiracy against the dictator's life.
and Pacorus, the son of Orodes, the Parthian king. He was said to have been deeply aggrieved, because
As M. Bibulus, who had been appointed proconsul | M. Brutus, although his junior, had been appointed
of Syria, had not yet arrived, the conduct of the by Caesar as city praetor, in preference to himself ;
war again devolved upon Cassius. He thought it but this slight only exasperated the feelings he had
more prudent to retire at first before the Parthians, previously entertained. He had never ceased to
and threw himself into the strongly fortified city be Caesar's enemy, and Caesar seems to have looked
of Antioch ; and when the barbarians withdrew upon him with more mistrust than upon most of his
finding it impossible to take the place, he followed former foes (comp. Plut. Caes. 62 ; Vell. Pat. ii.
them, and gained, in September, a brilliant victory 56). One thing, however, is clear, that it was
over them. Osaces died a few days after of the mere personal hatred and ambition which urged on
wounds which he had received in the battle, and Cassius to take away the dictator's life ; and that
the remains of the army fed in confusion across a love of country and of liberty was a sheer pretext.
the Euphrates. Cicero, who commanded in the His grant object was to gain over M. Brutus, the
neighbouring province of Cilicia, was now delivered dictator's favourite, and when this was done, every-
from the great fear he had entertained of being thing else was easily arranged. In the bloody
obliged to meet the Parthians himself, and accord-tragedy of the 15th of March, Cassius took a dis-
ingly wrote to Cassius to congratulate him on his tinguished part. When the conspirators pressed
success (ad Fum. xv. 14. 3), but notwithstand-round Caesar, and one of them hesitated to strike,
ing this attempted, in every possible way, to rob | Cassius called out “Strike, though it be through
him of the honour of the victory. (Ad Fam. iii. 8, me," and he himself is said to have wounded
viii. 10, ad Att. v. 21. ) On the arrival of Bibulus, Caesar in the face.
Cassius returned to Italy. He expected to be ac- After the murder the conspirators fled to the
cused of extortion ; and he was generally sup- Capitol ; but they were bitterly disappointed in
posed, and apparently with justice, to have fleeced finding that the supreme power fell into the hands
the provincials unmercifully. But the breaking of Antony, who was supported by the army of
out of the civil war, almost immediately after- Lepidus, which was in the neighbourhood of the
wards, saved him from the accusation which he city. (LEPIDUS, p. 767. ] A hollow agreement
dreaded.
was patched up between Antony and the conspi-
In B. C. 49 Cassius was tribune of the plebs. rators, in consequence of which the latter left the
He was a supporter of the aristocratical party, and, Capitol ; but the riots which broke out at Caesar's
with the rest of the leaders of that party, left funeral showed the conspirators that even their
Rome in the month of January. He crossed over lives were not safe in Rome. Many of them im-
to Greece with Pompey in the month of March, mediately quitted the city, but Cassius and Brutus
and subsequently received the command of the remained behind, till the attempts of the Pseudo-
Syrian, Phoenician, and Cilician ships. With Marius, who was executed by Marius, hastened
these he went to Sicily in the following year, B. C. their departure in the middle of April. They did
48, where he burnt off Messana thirty-five ships, not, however, go far, but flattering themselves with
commanded by the Caesarian, M. Pomponius, and the hope that there might be some change in their
subsequently five ships belonging to the squadron favour, they remained for the next four months in
of Sulpicius and Libo. After that he made many Latium and Campania. As praetors, they ought of
descents upon the coasts of Sicily and Italy, till course to have continued in Rome ; and the senate,
the news of the battle of Pharsalia obliged him to anxious to make it appear that they had not fied
put a stop to his devastations.
from the city, passed a decree on the 5th of June,
Cassius sailed to the Hellespont, with the hope by which they were commissioned to purchase
• of inducing Pharnaces to join him against Caesar ; corn in Sicily and Asia. But Cassius looked upon
but in that sea he accidentally fell in with Caesar, this as an insult in the guise of a favour. About
and although he had a much larger force, he was so the same time he and Brutus received Cyrene and
much astonished and alarmed at meeting with the Crete as praetorian provinces, but this was a poor
conqueror, that he did not attempt to make any re- compensation for the provinces of Syria and Mace-
sistance, but surrendered himself unconditionally donia, the former of which Caesar had promised to
into his power. Ciresar not only forgave him, but | Cassius and the latter to Brutus, but which had
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801
LONGINUS.
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now been assigned to Dolabella and Antony re | accordingly, on his return to Asia, he imposed upon
spectively. Resolving to make a final effort to the province a ten years' tribute, which was to be
segain the popular favour, Brutus celebrated the raised immediately. Meanwhile, the colleague of
Ludi Apollinares with extraordinary splendour in Cassius, M. Brutus, was employed in the same wny
the month of July ; but as this was not followed in robbing the towns of Lycia; and the liberator's
by the expected results, they resolved to leave luals of the Roman world made it pay very dearly for
They accordingly published a decree, in which they its freedom.
resigned their office as praetors, and declared that At the beginning of the following year, B. C. 42,
they would for the future live in banishment, in Brutus and Cissilis met again at Sirdis, where
order to preserve the harmony of the stute. This, their armies greeted them with the title of impe-
however, was only done to excite odium against rators. Here they had some serious differences,
Antony.