[Sidenote:  Resolution of the Conspirators.]

It requires a very considerable degree of physical courage and hardihood for men to come to a calm and deliberate decision that they will kill one whom they hate, and, still more, actually to strike the blow, even when under the immediate impulse of passion.  But men who are perfectly capable of either of these often find their resolution fail them as the time comes for striking a dagger into the living flesh of their victim, when he sits at ease and unconcerned before them, unarmed and defenseless, and doing nothing to excite those feelings of irritation and anger which are generally found so necessary to nerve the human arm to such deeds.  Utter defenselessness is accordingly, sometimes, a greater protection than an armor of steel.

[Sidenote:  Caesar and Pompey’s statue.]

Even Cassius himself, the originator and the soul of the whole enterprise, found his courage hardly adequate to the work now that the moment had arrived; and, in order to arouse the necessary excitement in his soul, he looked up to the statue of Pompey, Caesar’s ancient and most formidable enemy, and invoked its aid.  It gave him its aid.  It inspired him with some portion of the enmity with which the soul of its great original had burned; and thus the soul of the living assassin was nerved to its work by a sort of sympathy with a block of stone.

[Sidenote:  Plan of the conspirators.]

Foreseeing the necessity of something like a stimulus to action when the immediate moment for action should arrive, the conspirators had agreed that, as soon as Caesar was seated, they would approach him with a petition, which he would probably refuse, and then, gathering around him, they would urge him with their importunities, so as to produce, in the confusion, a sort of excitement that would make it easier for them to strike the blow.

[Sidenote:  Marc Antony.]

There was one person, a relative and friend of Caesar’s, named Marcus Antonius, called commonly, however, in English narratives, Marc Antony, the same who has been already mentioned as having been subsequently connected with Cleopatra.  He was a very energetic and determined man, who, they thought, might possibly attempt to defend him.  To prevent this, one of the conspirators had been designated to take him aside, and occupy his attention with some pretended subject of discourse, ready, at the same time, to resist and prevent his interference if he should show himself inclined to offer any.

[Sidenote:  The petition.] [Sidenote:  Caesar assaulted.]

Things being thus arranged, the petitioner, as had been agreed, advanced to Caesar with his petition, others coming up at the same time as if to second the request.  The object of the petition was to ask for the pardon of the brother of one of the conspirators.  Caesar declined granting it.  The others then crowded around him, urging him to grant the request with pressing importunities, all apparently reluctant to strike the first blow.  Caesar began to be alarmed, and attempted to repel them.  One of them then pulled down his robe from his neck to lay it bare.  Caesar arose, exclaiming, “But this is violence.”  At the same instant, one of the conspirators struck at him with his sword, and wounded him slightly in the neck.