Editing Gaius Cassius Longinus (section)

===Civil war===
[[File:Gaius Cassius Longinus.jpg|thumb|Cassius depicted in ''[[The Death of Julius Caesar (Camuccini)|The Death of Julius Caesar]]'' (1806) by [[Vincenzo Camuccini]]]]
Cassius returned to Rome in 50 BC, when [[Caesar's civil war|civil war]] was about to break out between [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Pompey]].<ref>Plutarch, ''Brutus,'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Brutus*.html#7 7]</ref> Cassius was elected [[tribune of the plebs]] for 49&nbsp;BC, and threw in his lot with the [[Optimates]], although his brother [[Lucius Cassius Longinus (proconsul)|Lucius Cassius]] supported Caesar.<ref>Appian, ''Civil Wars.,'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/2*.html#33 2.33]</ref> Cassius left Italy shortly after Caesar crossed the [[Rubicon]]. He met Pompey in [[Greece]], and was appointed to command part of his fleet.

In 48 BC, Cassius sailed his ships to [[Sicily]], where he attacked and burned a large part of Caesar's navy.<ref>[[Julius Caesar|Caesar]], ''Civil War'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0076%3Abook%3D3%3Achapter%3D101 iii.101].</ref> He then proceeded to harass ships off the [[Italy|Italian]] coast. News of Pompey's defeat at the [[Battle of Pharsalus]] caused Cassius to head for the [[Hellespont]], with hopes of allying with the king of [[Kingdom of Pontus|Pontus]], [[Pharnaces II of Pontus|Pharnaces&nbsp;II]]. Cassius was overtaken by Caesar en route, and was forced to surrender unconditionally.<ref>However, both [[Suetonius]] (''Caesar'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#63 63] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120530163202/http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#63 |date=2012-05-30 }}) and [[Cassius Dio]] (''Roman History'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/42*.html#6 42.6]) say that it was Lucius Cassius who surrendered to Caesar at the Hellespont.</ref>

Caesar made Cassius a [[legatus|legate]], employing him in the [[Alexandrian War]] against the very same Pharnaces whom Cassius had hoped to join after Pompey's defeat at Pharsalus. However, Cassius refused to join in the fight against [[Cato the Younger|Cato]] and [[Metellus Scipio|Scipio]] in [[Africa]], choosing instead to retire to Rome.

Cassius spent the next two years in office, and apparently tightened his friendship with [[Cicero]].<ref>In a letter written in 45 BC, Cassius says to Cicero, "There is nothing that gives me more pleasure to do than to write to you; for I seem to be talking and joking with you face to face" ([http://www.attalus.org/translate/cassius.html#15.19 ''Ad Fam.'', xv.19]).</ref> In 44 BC, he became ''[[praetor peregrinus]]'' with the promise of the [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]]n province for the ensuing year. The appointment of his junior and brother-in-law, [[Marcus Junius Brutus|Marcus Brutus]], as ''[[praetor]] urbanus'' deeply offended him.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Although Cassius was "the moving spirit" in the plot against Caesar, winning over the chief assassins to the cause of [[tyrannicide]], Brutus became their leader.<ref>[[T.R.S. Broughton]], ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'' (American Philological Association, 1952), vol. 2, p. 320, citing Plutarch, ''Brutus'' 7.1–3 and ''Caesar'' 62.2; and Appian, ''Bellum Civile'' 4.57.</ref> On the [[Ides of March]], 44 BC, Cassius urged on his fellow liberators and struck Caesar in the chest. Though they succeeded in [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|assassinating Caesar]], the celebration was short-lived, as [[Mark Antony]] seized power and turned the public against them. In letters written during 44 BC, Cicero frequently complains that Rome was still subjected to tyranny, because the "Liberators" had failed to kill Antony.<ref>For instance, [[Cicero]], ''Ad Fam.'', [http://www.attalus.org/translate/cassius.html#12.3 xii.3.1].</ref> According to some accounts, Cassius had wanted to kill Antony at the same time as Caesar, but Brutus dissuaded him.<ref>[[Velleius Paterculus]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Velleius_Paterculus/2B*.html#58 2.58.5]; [[Plutarch]], ''Brutus'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Brutus*.html#18 18.2-6].</ref>
[[File:Roman coins obverse replicas.png|thumb|180px|A set of seven replica coins from the [[Roman Empire]], including a ''[[denarius]]'' of Gaius Cassius Longinus (A), which was minted on campaign in Europe in 43 or 42 BC]]