Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March, March 15, 44 BC, marking a significant turning point in Roman history and the end of the Roman Republic. A group of senators, fearing that Caesar was accumulating too much power and aiming to become a dictator, conspired against him. His assassination led to a power struggle and ultimately resulted in civil war, paving the way for the rise of his adopted heir, Octavian (later Augustus), and the establishment of the Roman Empire. Caesar's death highlighted the tension between autocracy and republicanism in Roman governance.