ughout the winter he sought in vain to force the enemy to
battle, but in March 45 the two armies met at Munda, where Caesar's eight
defeated the thirteen Pompeian legions. The Caesarians gave no quarter and
the Pompeian forces were annihilated; Labienus and Varus fell on the
field, Gnaeus Pompey was later taken and put to death, but his brother
Sextus escaped. Caesar returned to Italy in September, 45 B. C., and
celebrated a triumph for his success.

*The **assassination** of Julius Caesar, 15 March, 44 B. C.* His victory
at Munda had strengthened Caesar's autocratic position, and was
responsible for the granting of most of the exceptional honors which we
have noted above. It was now clear at Rome that Caesar did not intend to
restore the republic. In the conduct of the government he allowed no
freedom of action to either Senate or Assembly, and although in general
mild and forgiving he was quick to resent any attempt to slight him or
question his authority. The realization that Caesar contemplated the
establishment of a monarchy aroused bitter animosity among certain
representatives of the old governing oligarchy, who chafed under the
restraints imposed upon them by his autocratic power and resented the
degradation of the Senate to the position of a mere advisory council. It
could hardly be expected that members of the Roman aristocracy with all
their traditions of imperial government would tamely submit to being
excluded from political life except as ministers of an autocrat who was
until lately one of themselves. This attitude was shared by many who had
hitherto been active in Caesar's cause, as well as by republicans who had
made their peace with him. And so among these disgruntled elements a
conspiracy was formed against the dictator's life. The originator of the
plot was the ex-Pompeian Caius Cassius, whom Caesar had made praetor for
44, and who won over to his design Marcus Junius Brutus, a member of the
house descended from the Brutus who was reputed to have delivered Rome
from the tyranny of the Tarquins. Brutus had gone over to Caesar after the
battle of Pharsalus and was highly esteemed by him, but allowed himself to
be persuaded that it was his duty to imitate his ancestor's conduct. Other
conspirators of note were the Caesarians Gaius Trebonius and Decimus
Junius Brutus. In all some sixty senators shared in the conspiracy. They
set the Ides of March, 44, as the date for the execution of the plot.
Caesar was