Servilius Casca
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Publius Servilius Casca was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. He was a member of a family loyal to Caesar; his brother Gaius was a friend of Caesar's but later joined the assassins.
According to Appian and Plutarch, he was the first to strike Caesar. When the signal was given, he rushed upon him and plunged a dagger into his breast (Appian) or the back of his neck (Plutarch), but was so nervous that he did not badly wound Caesar. Caesar turned around quickly, writes Plutarch, and caught Casca by the arm, crying in Latin, "Villain Casca, what do you do?" Casca, frightened, called to his brother in Greek: "Help, brother!" The other conspirators closed in on Caesar.
Appian also reports that Casca was nearly startled into betraying the assassination plan the day before.
He committed suicide after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC.
[edit] External links
- Appian, The Civil Wars, Book 2 Chapter 16 from the Perseus Project
- Plutarch, Lives, Caesar, Chapter 66 from the Perseus Project
