Gaius Cassius Longinus

1 9.9

Roman senator and general who helped lead the plot to kill Julius Caesar

proper noun

: Cayo Casio Longino

Gaius Cassius Longinus played a central role in orchestrating the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar.

Examples

The downfall of Gaius Cassius Longinus came at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC.
Historians often debate whether Gaius Cassius Longinus was driven by personal motives or political ideals.
Did Gaius Cassius Longinus really conspire against Julius Caesar?
What impact did Gaius Cassius Longinus have on Roman politics?
Gaius Cassius Longinus was one of the key figures in the assassination of Julius Caesar, which changed the course of Roman history.
Gaius Cassius Longinus led the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, motivated by his belief in freedom from tyranny.
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a prominent Roman senator who faced defeat at the hands of Mark Antony and Octavian.

Synonyms

Cassius Longinus

vsGaius Cassius Longinus

1 9.7

A Roman senator and army leader who helped plan the killing of Julius Caesar

is the full formal version including the original Roman first name

Surface Forms

Gaius Cassius Longinus main

Morphology

Gaius + Cassius + Longinus

This is a full proper name made of three personal names; knowing the individual name components ('Gaius', 'Cassius', 'Longinus') does not allow a B1 learner to infer the historical referent or the meaning 'Roman senator and conspirator'. Proper names are arbitrary labels without compositional semantics linking them to the role or event, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Gaius Cassius Longinus comes from old Roman naming: Gaius is a common first name, Cassius is the family name, and Longinus likely began as a nickname meaning 'the tall one'. He is remembered as a leading planner of the plot 'to assassinate' Julius Caesar, so the picture of a tall Roman senator who helped plan Caesar's death can help you remember him.