Julius Caesar was one of the last great generals at the end of the Republic. He was part of a triumvirate with three other generals including Pompey the Great, until he killed them just before his own assaasination on March 15, 44 BC.

Julius had been assassinated because he attempted to become the sole dictator of Rome. The public liked him because he brought peace and prosperity, but many of the upper classes did not. In 44 BC, Julius was assassinated by Brutus, Cassius, and several other conspirators. These are the same conspirators from Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar.

After the assassination of Julius, Brutus and Cassius became involved in a civil war with Octavian (Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus. The assassins lost and the latter three formed a triumvirate that would rule the empire for the next decade.