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The Roman Revolution

The Tyrant is Dead

It turned out that they had no real plans. They thought the Republic would revive of itself when the tyrant was removed; that the Senate would pick up the reigns and lead once again. Instead, they found that they had created a vacuum at the very center of power and they themselves had no idea how to fill it.

Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators were as guilty as the rest of the Senate of a lack of leadership and vision. They were adventurers in their own right, but without real talent.

Senators hid in their homes, timid and uncertain. Caesar was dead -- who would be next? All feared that Caesar's partisans, even his veterans, would exact a terrible vengeance, and all wished to distance themselves from the assassination.

Many of them, moreover, were Caesar's creatures. If Caesar's men did not take vengeance, then surely the conspirators would come after them, seeking to root out his supporters. The streets of Rome emptied.

The conspirators were baffled by the response, and they began to worry. Perhaps things might not turn out well after all. Fearful, they withdrew to the Capitol under the guard of their gladiators.