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Historical person

Gaius Cassius Longinus

83 BCE–43 BCE

Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator and general who became one of the principal organisers of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. After the assassination in 44 BC, he raised forces in the eastern provinces and joined Marcus Brutus against the triumvirs. Cassius commanded one wing at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC but, mistakenly believing that Brutus’s forces had also been defeated, ordered a freedman to kill him.

Cassius appears in Colleen McCullough’s The October Horse and in Conn Iggulden’s Emperor series, as well as in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which strongly influenced later fictional portrayals. He is commonly shown as the harder, more practical conspirator beside the idealistic Brutus. Historical novels use that contrast to explore whether Caesar’s murder was a defence of republican liberty, an act of personal resentment or a failed seizure of power.

Peter Tonkin’s The Ides places Gaius Cassius Longinus within a narrative shaped by political ambition and government, crime, espionage and covert power, and family, marriage and personal loyalty. Conn Iggulden’s The Blood of Gods places Gaius Cassius Longinus within a narrative shaped by political ambition and government, crime, espionage and covert power, and military command and battlefield decision-making. Other novels featuring Gaius Cassius Longinus include Peter Tonkin’s After the Ides, Peter Tonkin’s The Road to War, Peter Tonkin’s Death at Philippi, Fiona Forsyth’s Blood and Shadows, and Valerio Massimo Manfredi’s The Ides of March.

Historical context

Historical periods linked to Gaius Cassius Longinus

Battle of Philippi 42 BCE

Series

Series featuring Gaius Cassius Longinus (7 series)

Marius’ Mules in Order

by Simon Turney 17 books 4.6

The Marius’ Mules series follows Marcus Falerius Fronto and Caesar’s legions from the invasion of Gaul to the destruction of the Roman Republic. Battles recorded in Caesar’s commentaries are viewed through officers and soldiers who must endure the practical cost of his ambition, while conspiracies in Rome steadily…

All books in this series

Marius’ Mules -V: Sertorius’ Ghost

4.7

Marius’ Mules I

4.4

Marius’ Mules II

4.5

Marius’ Mules III

4.5

Marius’ Mules IV

4.6

Marius’ Mules V: Hades’ Gate

4.5

Marius’ Mules VI

4.5

Marius’ Mules: Prelude to War

Marius’ Mules VII

4.6

Marius’ Mules VIII

4.5

Marius’ Mules IX

4.5

Marius’ Mules X

4.6

Marius’ Mules XI

4.6

Marius’ Mules XII

4.6

Marius’ Mules XIII

4.6

Marius’ Mules XIV

4.6

Marius’ Mules XV

4.6

Masters of Rome in Order

by Colleen McCullough 7 books 4.5

The Masters of Rome series reconstructs the final century of the Roman Republic from the rise of Gaius Marius in 110 BCE to the settlement that made Octavian Augustus in 27 BCE. Across seven novels, military commands, elections, family alliances, provincial wealth and personal patronage become instruments in…

All books in this series

The First Man in Rome

4.3

The Grass Crown

4.5

Fortune’s Favourites

4.6

Caesar’s Women

4.6

Caesar

4.6

The October Horse

4.6

Antony and Cleopatra

4.6

Emperor in Order

by Conn Iggulden 5 books 4.6

The Emperor series is a highly fictionalised retelling of Julius Caesar’s life and the violent end of the Roman Republic. It follows Caesar from youth through war, political ascent and conquest, then continues beyond his assassination into the struggle between Octavian, Antony and Caesar’s killers.

All books in this series

The Gates of Rome

4.5

The Death of Kings

4.6

The Field of Swords

4.6

Gods of War

4.6

The Blood of Gods

4.5

Lucius Sestius Mysteries in Order

by Fiona Forsyth 3 books 4.3

The Lucius Sestius Mysteries follow the historical Roman senator Lucius Sestius Quirinalis through the destruction of the Republic and the consolidation of Augustus’s principate. Beginning as a young lawyer under Julius Caesar, Forsyth’s Lucius is repeatedly drawn into murder inquiries whose evidence threatens the political settlement of the…

All books in this series

Rome’s End

4.1

The Emperor’s Servant

4.4

Blood and Shadows

4.4

The Mark Antony Series in Order

by Alex Gough 4 books 4.5

The Mark Antony series presents a biographical saga of the Roman commander from the Catilinarian crisis to his defeat by Octavian. Antony’s youth is shaped by the execution of his stepfather, service under Aulus Gabinius in Judaea and Egypt, and the campaigns in Gaul that bind him to…

All books in this series

Caesar’s Soldier

4.5

Caesar’s General

4.5

Caesar’s Avenger

4.4

Caesar’s Nemesis

4.7

Roma Sub Rosa in Order

by Steven Saylor 13 books 4.1

The Roma Sub Rosa series follows Gordianus the Finder through the last generation of the Roman Republic. His investigations begin in the aftermath of Sulla’s dictatorship and continue through slave revolt, aristocratic trials, Catiline’s conspiracy, Caesar’s civil war and the assassination of Julius Caesar. The series uses murder…

All books in this series

Roman Blood

4.0

Arms of Nemesis

4.1

Catilina’s Riddle

4.2

The Venus Throw

4.1

A Murder on the Appian Way

4.2

The House of the Vestals

4.1

Rubicon

4.1

Last Seen in Massilia

4.2

A Mist of Prophecies

4.1

The Judgment of Caesar

4.0

A Gladiator Dies Only Once

4.1

The Triumph of Caesar

4.0

The Throne of Caesar (Roma Sub Rosa Book 16)

4.4

Caesar’s Spies in Order

by Peter Tonkin 5 books 4.2

The Caesar’s Spies series follows Iacomus Artemidorus, code-named Septem, and the intelligence unit operating for Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony. The sequence begins with the attempt to prevent Caesar’s assassination in March 44 BC and continues through the pursuit of the conspirators, the struggle among Antony, Cicero…

All books in this series

Standalone books featuring Gaius Cassius Longinus (1 book)

The Ides of March

by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

4.2

Amazon World of Books

Gaius Cassius Longinus

Historical periods linked to Gaius Cassius Longinus

Series featuring Gaius Cassius Longinus (7 series)

Marius’ Mules -V: Sertorius’ Ghost

Marius’ Mules I

Marius’ Mules II

Marius’ Mules III

Marius’ Mules IV

Marius’ Mules V: Hades’ Gate

Marius’ Mules VI

Marius’ Mules: Prelude to War

Marius’ Mules VII

Marius’ Mules VIII

Marius’ Mules IX

Marius’ Mules X

Marius’ Mules XI

Marius’ Mules XII

Marius’ Mules XIII

Marius’ Mules XIV

Marius’ Mules XV

The First Man in Rome

The Grass Crown

Fortune’s Favourites

Caesar’s Women

Caesar

The October Horse

Antony and Cleopatra

The Gates of Rome

The Death of Kings

The Field of Swords

Gods of War

The Blood of Gods

Rome’s End

The Emperor’s Servant

Blood and Shadows

Caesar’s Soldier

Caesar’s General

Caesar’s Avenger

Caesar’s Nemesis

Roman Blood

Arms of Nemesis

Catilina’s Riddle

The Venus Throw

A Murder on the Appian Way

The House of the Vestals

Rubicon

Last Seen in Massilia

A Mist of Prophecies

The Judgment of Caesar

A Gladiator Dies Only Once

The Triumph of Caesar

The Throne of Caesar (Roma Sub Rosa Book 16)

The Ides

After the Ides

Cicero Dies!

The Road to War

Death at Philippi

Standalone books featuring Gaius Cassius Longinus (1 book)

The Ides of March