Prima della congiura: C. Cassio Longino tra politica e filosofia negli anni della guerra civile

Abstract

This paper aims at providing a reconstruction of the political-military events concerning C. Cassius Longinus occurred during the civil war, with a focus on the period after the battle of Pharsalus. The analysis of the different versions of the historiographical sources and the news from Cicero’s correspondence seem to reveal that Cassius decided to abandon Cato and the rest of Republicans only after learning of Pompey’s death, and that he gained Caesar’s forgiveness in Cilicia during the summer of 47. Caesar appointed him legatus, but never entrusted him with any task in the African and Spanish campaigns, during which Cassius always stayed in Italy. However, by examining some passages from the correspondence between Cicero and Cassius, in which the conversion of the latter to Epicureanism is discussed, Cassius’ relationships with Caesar still seem to be good until at least the beginning of 45.