On March 15, 44 BC, Roman dictator Julius Caesar is assassinated by Roman senators Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus, and Marcus Junius Brutus. Caesar was a prominent general of the Roman Republic whose military conquests had greatly expanded the territory of Rome, including the invasion of Britain. As Caesar's might grew, a civil war broke out in Rome which ended with Caesar emerging victorious over his rivals and solidifying his power in Rome. He soon began enacting various reforms to the Roman government and was declared dictator for life. While Rome had dictators before, the position had always been a temporary one with a set time limit and for a specific purpose of dealing with an emergency situation. Several Roman senators feared that Julius Caesar and his new power threatened the power of the Senate as well as their own finances and began plotting to overthrow the dictator. On March 15, known as the Ides of March and a day of religious observances and settling of debts in ancient Rome, the senators cornered Caesar in the Theatre of Pompey and stabbed him 23 times. While the assassins celebrated the death of the man they feared as a tyrant, the events leading to another civil war and the end of the Roman Republic had been set in motion. Octavian, Julius Caesar's adoptive son, joined forces with Mark Antony against Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, senators who were involved in the assassination. After the senators had been defeated, another war broke out between Octavian and Mark Antony. Octavian's victory over Mark Antony placed him in control of the Roman Empire and, under the name Caesar Agustus, became the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.