Publius Servilius Casca Longus (died ca. 42 BC) was one of the assassin

Assassination

To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...

s of Gaius Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....

, who was murdered on 15 March, 44 BC.

Although his family was loyal to Caesar, Casca's brother Gaius Servilius Casca even being a close friend of Caesar, both siblings joined in the assassination. Casca struck the first blow, attacking Caesar from behind and hitting his neck, after Tillius Cimber

Tillius Cimber

Lucius Tillius Cimber was a Roman senator, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar and the one to give the signal for the attack on him.-Assassin:...

 had distracted the dictator by grabbing his toga. The other assassins then joined in.

At the time Casca held the office of Tribune of the People

Tribune

Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...

. After the assassination he fled Rome, and his colleague in the tribunate, P. Titius, had him deprived of his office. Casca joined Marcus Junius Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...

 and Gaius Cassius Longinus

Gaius Cassius Longinus

Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...

, the leaders of the assassins. He seems to have died, probably by suicide, in the aftermath of their defeat at the Battle of Philippi

Battle of Philippi

The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...

, in 42 B.C.

Casca is commemorated on a coin along with Brutus, in which a bearded figure is depicted next to his name. However this appears to be the god Neptune

Neptune (mythology)

Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...

 rather than a portrait of Casca.

Dramatic depictions

• He is called "envious Casca" by Mark Antony
  Mark Antony
  Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
  
   in William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
  
  's play Julius Caesar
  Julius Caesar (play)
  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
  
  (1599):
  • "See what a rent the envious Casca made". This quote, in turn, became the title of a mystery novel by Georgette Heyer
    Georgette Heyer
    Georgette Heyer was a British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer...
    
    .
• In the 1953 film of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
  Julius Caesar (1953 film)
  Julius Caesar is an 1953 MGM film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the uncredited screenplay, and produced by John Houseman. The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa...
  
  , Casca is portrayed by Edmond O'Brien
  Edmond O'Brien
  Edmond O'Brien was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for his role in D.O.A. and his Oscar winning role in The Barefoot Contessa...
  
  .
• In the 1970 film of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
  Julius Caesar (1970 film)
  Julius Caesar is a 1970 independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Stuart Burge from a screenplay by Robert Furnival. The film stars Charlton Heston , Jason Robards and John Gielgud . It is the first film version of the play made in color...
  
  , Casca is portrayed by Robert Vaughn
  Robert Vaughn
  Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...
  
  .
• In the TV series Rome
  Rome (TV series)
  Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
  
  (2005–07), Servilius Casca is portrayed by Peter Gevisser.

External links

• Appian, The Civil Wars, Book 2 Chapter 16 from the Perseus Project
  Perseus Project
  The Perseus Project is a digital library project of Tufts University that assembles digital collections of humanities resources. It is hosted by the Department of Classics. It has suffered at times from computer hardware problems, and its resources are occasionally unavailable...
  
  
• Plutarch, Lives, Caesar, Chapter 66 from the Perseus Project
• Brutus - Casca coin