Gaius Cassius Parmensis (born c. 74 BC; died 31 or 30 BC in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

) was a Roman politician and a Latin writer of the late

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

, who belonged to the circle of conspirators against

Gaius Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

Family origins and philosophy

Cassius Parmensis came from that branch of the Roman ''gens'' Cassia, that played an important role in the founding of the city of Parma on the Via Aemilia in the second century BC. The ancient commentaries of Horace note that he was a follower of the teachings of Epicurus.

Murder of Julius Caesar and aftermath

In the spring of 44 BC Cassius Parmensis participated in the assassination of Caesar by members of the Senate. In 43 BC, following the murder, he became a ''quaestor'' and built a fleet which supported

Gaius Cassius Longinus Gaius Cassius Longinus (c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the co ...

against Publius Cornelius Dolabella off the coast of the province of Asia. At the same time he wrote a report to

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

from Cyprus on the situation, which has been handed down in the latter's correspondence. In November of 43 Cassius Parmensis, like many other enemies of Caesar, was declared an outlaw (proscribed) by the triumvirate of

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...

Octavian Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

, and Lepidus. After the defeat of the party of the murderers of Caesar in the

Battle of Philippi The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, at ...

(autumn of 42 BC), he gathered the remaining military units and was able to bring himself and the undamaged fleet to safety for a while with

Sextus Pompeius Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius ( 67 – 35 BC), also known in English as Sextus Pompey, was a Roman military leader who, throughout his life, upheld the cause of his father, Pompey the Great, against Julius Caesar and his supporters during the las ...

in Sicily. After the latter's defeat in the year 36 BC, he accompanied the fallen "naval king" to Asia Minor, in order to join Anthony during the final battles in Bithynia. Anthony and Octavian waged a propaganda attack with in part low blows and slanders which preceded the decisive military confrontation for autocratic rule in the Roman Empire. Cassius also took part with intense violent attacks against Caesar's heirs. He asserted that Octavian was of low descent, and was only named his heir due to a homosexual relationship with Caesar. Furthermore, he said that Octavian had wanted to make his only daughter Julia the consort of the rich but "barbarous" nobleman Koson of Dacia. In 31 BC, Cassius Parmensis fought under Anthony's command at the

Battle of Actium The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between a maritime fleet of Octavian led by Marcus Agrippa and the combined fleets of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII Philopator. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC in the Ionian Sea, ...

. His flight from Octavian's revenge lasted a total of twelve years (which was longer than that of all the other conspirators) but after the fall of Anthony he finally lost every possibility of fleeing, since the adopted son of Caesar now ruled the entire Roman Empire. After the defeat at Actium, he fled to Athens, where, in 30 B.C. at the very latest, he was recognized as the last murderer of Caesar still living and was killed by Lucius Varus under Octavian's orders.

Writings

Cassius Parmensis wrote tragedies, satires, elegies and epigrams, which, in Horace's opinion, were not insignificant; none of his work has survived. Only know the titles of two tragedies are known, ''Thyestes'' and ''Brutus,'' the first of which was allegedly stolen by his murderer Varus. ''Thyestes'' was subsequently published as Varus's own work. The style of his letter to Cicero seems above all complicated and pedantic in its flatteries, but also demonstrates a good talent for military observation. As for the common assertion often referring to another location in Horace, that Cassius had been burned to death together with his works, it is probably a mix-up.

Marcus Terentius Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

quotes a verse of Cassius; however, the same verse is also attributed in another place to the poet Lucius Accius:Marcus Terentius Varro, ''On the Latin Language'' 6.7 :Nocte intempesta nostram devenit domum : ate at night he came into our home

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassius Parmensis, Gaius 70s BC births 30s BC deaths 1st-century BC Roman poets 1st-century BC Latin writers Ancient Roman generals Ancient Roman politicians Assassinated Roman politicians Assassins of Julius Caesar Parmensis, Gaius Correspondents of Cicero Executed ancient Roman people Golden Age Latin writers Roman quaestors Roman Republican praetors Senators of the Roman Republic Ancient Roman tragic dramatists