In 44BCE, Julius Caesar ruled as dictator of Rome. Although the term dictator has a negative connotation in modern usage, it did not have that connotation to the Romans. It was used simply to refer to someone who ruled with extensive powers through times of crisis. The only thing that was unusual about Caesar was that he ruled long past any period of crisis because the Senate had renewed his term of service again and again until they had declared him "Dictator for Life."
Some of the sources disagree on the details, but most of the early Roman historians agree that the plot to kill Caesar began when a delegation of senators went to inform Caesar that they had decided to grant him new honors. He was sitting in the temple of Venus Genetrix and failed to rise when receiving the delegates. His supporters later offered various excuses for why he did not stand to receive the senators, but the senators themselves saw it as an insult to their authority and immediately plotted to kill him.
The conspirators, chief among them Brutus and his brother-in-law Cassius, believed that Caesar wanted to be king. He had punished some officials who had ordered that a laurel be removed from a statue of Caesar. This laurel symbolized royalty and had been placed there by a commoner who obviously thought that Caesar should be king. Crowds of supporters sometimes went so far as to cry out for Caesar to be their king. He always denied that he had any desire to be king, but the Roman Senate did not believe him.
After discussing the matter for several days and rejecting several ideas about how they might assassinate Caesar, the conspirators decided to attempt an assassination in the Senate. There, they would be alone with him. Also, they would be able to hide their weapons under their togas if they attempted the assassination in the Senate. The attempt was made on March 15, 44BCE - the Ides of March.
At least 60 senators were in on the plot. They called him to the Senate to read a proclamation. They did not actually have a proclamation, but that is how they lured him there. While he was reading the proclamation, one of the conspirators pulled Caesar's tunic down while another, Casca, stabbed at Caesar's neck. The blow did not do much damage, however, so Caesar turned and grabbed his assailant.
The rest of the group came to Casca's aid and finished Caesar off. He tried to get away, but he was blind with the blood eyes. Legend says that he did manage to see Brutus there and that he disappeared when he say him. Shakespeare records his words as "Et tu, Brute" which means "you too, Brutus." Eventually, he tripped and fell on the spot where he died after being stabbed a total of twenty-three times.
Although Antony did not begin his eulogy of Caesar with "friends, Romans, countrymen," he did deliver a powerful speech that stirred the masses against the conspirators. This sparked a series of five civil wars in which the Roman Republic was destroyed. In its place, Caesar's successor, his nephew Octavian, established the Roman Empire and made himself the Caesar Augustus, its first emperor.
TWI-FRICKEN-LIGHT!