Friday

Romans approved of Caesar but there remained the core resistance which was the Senate
Their concern deepened in 44 B.C when he secured a vote from the Senate to become dictator for life
Caesar never ruled by terror like Sulla but he showed no sign of giving up his position like he did. On the contrary he raised himself even higher permitting a religious cult to be established in his honour and wearing the ancient purple robes of Roman Kings. In the view of the Senate, Caesar had become a greek style tyrant, and there was a traditional and honorable way of getting rid of tyrants. On the ides of march  Caesar appeared in the Senate house unarmed and unguarded according to his custom, and a crowd of senators struck him down with their daggers. Caesar's murder did not restore the Republic, rather, it started a series of Civil war and War Lords. The main contenders were Mark Antony, Brutus and Cassius, and Octavian Caesar. Mark Antony and Octavian were rival loyalist of Caesar and managed to attract some of Caesar's legions, which they used to fight a brutal war against each other in Italy. Then however, they joined forces and defeated Cassius and Brutus in battle in Greece. They restored the Republic but had the Senate declare Caesar a divine being. Soon after Octavians triumph at Actium the senateawarded him with the title Augustus (Revered one). Now that he was a supreme ruler Augustus intended to stay in power, reconstruct the failed goverment of the Roman city-state and keep its empire together.Unlike Sulla and Caesar Augustus refused to take the title of dictator and rather referred to himself simply as "princeps" (first citizen). By arrangment in 27 bc the senate named Augustus commander in chief, or Imperator. Augustus of course also allowed religious cults to be established in his name. This led to a string of "god" emperors, and one ruler named Vespasian, who was know for his cynical sense of humor, is supposed to have said on his death bed, "Oh no, I think I'm turning into a god!. Augstus also expanded Roman territory quite considerably. In the end, Augustus brought two hundred years of Peace with his goverment and some military reforms known as "Pax Romana" the era of Roman Peace.