Directory

44 BCE

Rome celebrates the festival of the Lupercal. Mark Antony twice presents Caesar with a royal diadem, urging him to take it and declare himself king. He refuses this offer and orders the crown to be placed in the Temple of Jupiter. (the Ides of March) – Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is assassinated by a group of senators, amongst them Gaius Cassius Longinus, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Caesar's Massilian naval commander, Decimus Brutus. Antony besieges Brutus Albinus in Mutina (Modena), with Octavian, an ally of Decimus, who is one of his uncle's assassins, close by.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • April – Octavian returns from Apollonia in Dalmatia to Rome to take up Caesar's inheritance, against advice from Atia (his mother and Caesar's niece) and consul Antony.source
  • June – Antony is granted a five-year governorship of northern and central Transalpine Gaul (France) and Cisalpine Gaul (Northern Italy).source
  • Comosicus succeeds Burebista as king of Dacia.source
  • Consuls: Gaius Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.source

Conflict & Security

  • March 15 (the Ides of March) – Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is assassinated by a group of senators, amongst them Gaius Cassius Longinus, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Caesar's Massilian naval commander, Decimus Brutus.source
  • December – Antony besieges Brutus Albinus in Mutina (Modena), with Octavian, an ally of Decimus, who is one of his uncle's assassins, close by.source

Religion & Belief

  • September 2 – Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion.source

Crime & Justice

  • March 20 – Caesar's funeral is held. Marcus Antony gives a eulogy and in his speech he makes accusations of murder and ensures a permanent breach with the conspirators against Caesar. He snatches Caesar's bloody tunic and purple toga to show the crowd the stab wounds; the citizens tear apart the forum and cremate their Caesar on a makeshift pyre. Antony becomes the highest ranking politician in Rome.source

Culture & Society

  • February – Rome celebrates the festival of the Lupercal. Mark Antony twice presents Caesar with a royal diadem, urging him to take it and declare himself king. He refuses this offer and orders the crown to be placed in the Temple of Jupiter.source
  • April 18–April 21 – Octavian engages in a charm offensive with consular Cicero who is fulminating against Mark Antony.source
  • September 2 – The first of Cicero's Philippicae (oratorical attacks) on Antony is published. He will make 14 of them over the next several months.source

Births

  • Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, Roman statesman, consul and governor (d. 20 AD)source

Deaths

  • March 15 – Julius Caesar, Roman politician and general (assassinated in the Theatre of Pompey) (b. 100 BC)source
  • Burebista, Thracian king of the Getae and Dacian tribessource
  • Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus, Roman consulsource
  • Lucius Caninius Gallus, Roman politician, tribunesource
  • Publius Sittius, Roman mercenary commandersource
  • c. August – Ptolemy XIV, king (pharaoh) of Egypt (presumed murdered) (b. c. 59 BC)source