Liberatores

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Liberatores ("Liberators") is the Latin name that the assassins of Julius Caesar gave themselves.

The men considered the ringleaders of the conspiracy were Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus (son of Caesar's lover Servilia).

Marcus Tullius Cicero was not a member of the conspiracy and was surprised by it, but later wrote to the conspirator Trebonius that he wished he had been "...invited to that superb banquet." He believed that the Liberatores should also have killed Mark Antony. The conspirators had decided, however, that the death of a single tyrant would be more symbolically effective, claiming that the intent was not a coup d'état, but tyrannicide.

[edit] List of Liberatores

In addition to Cassius and Brutus, known members of the conspiracy were:

• Lucius Minucius Basilus
• Servilius Casca
• Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
• Metellus Cimber
• Caius Trebonius

[edit] Plans

Although ultimately Caesar was assassinated in the Theatre of Pompey, the assassins had also considered other options to kill Caesar. These included pushing him from a bridge and assassinating him during a gladiatorial fight.