Julius Caesar
Why was Caesar murdered?
Who was Julius
Caesar?
• Roman army general
• Had led his army to conquer
the whole of Gaul
• Had sent an expedition over to
Britain
• Was a popular hero with his
troops and with the ordinary
people of Rome
Caesar and Pompey
• One of Caesar’s biggest rivals was
another general called Pompey
• The Senate disliked Caesar and
supported Pompey – they ordered
Caesar to get rid of his army
• Caesar ignored them and defeated
Pompey in battle
• Caesar then took over Rome as
‘Dictator for Life’
Caesar’s murder – the build up
• A few weeks before his
murder Caesar is told by
a soothsayer ‘Beware the
Ides of march!’
• The night before his
murder his wife
Calpurnia has a
nightmare and begs him
not to go to the Senate
• Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife, begged him not
to go to the Senate. She had had a
nightmare that he would be murdered.
• A violent storm happened. This was to
bring bad luck to Caesar.
• Caesar ignored a soothsayer outside the
Senate. He told him to “beware the ides
of March”.
• Inside the Senate, a group of senators
stabbed him to death, one by one. Casca
stabbed him first. There were 23 blows.
The Murder
• 15th March 44BC Caesar gets ready
to go to the senate
• More than 60 conspirators wait for
Caesar in the Senate
• The conspirators, all senators, are
led by Brutus and Cassius
• With daggers concealed under their
togas they murder Caesar, stabbing
him at least 23 times
• Caesar says to his friend Brutus
‘You, too, my child.’
Why was Caesar murdered?
• Turn to pages 322 – 323 of your
textbook
• Copy the bullet points
• Read sources 6 – 12 and write
down any other reasons
Year 7
Assessment
Your Task – write a newspaper
front page article reporting on
the murder of Julius Caesar
• Include what happened and
why it happened
Roman Times
16 March 44BC
JULIUS CAESAR DEAD GEEZER!
Levels
• Level 1 - Beginning to give a few
reasons for the murder of Caesar
• Level 2 - Give some reasons for the
murder of Caesar
• Level 3 - Describe and make links
between different reasons for the
murder of Caesar
• Level 4 - Examine and explain
reasons for the murder of Caesar