The site of history's most famous assassination

Most people assume Julius Caesar was killed in the Senate, at the Roman Forum. In fact, the famous assassination took place in the Curia of Pompey, a hall that was part of the vast Theatre of Pompey complex, whose ruins now stand in the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina. It was here, not at the Forum, that on 15 March 44 BC — the famous Ides of March — Caesar fell beneath the daggers of the conspirators.

To stand before this spot is to stand at the exact point where the history of Rome, and of the world, changed.

Why there?

In those days the usual Senate Curia, at the Roman Forum, was being rebuilt. Sessions were therefore held temporarily in the Curia of Pompey, the hall attached to the theatre Pompey had commissioned. In one of history's great ironies, Caesar was killed right beneath the statue of his great rival, Pompey.

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The Ides of March and the conspiracy

Caesar, who was concentrating ever more power in his hands, had been warned by a soothsayer to "beware the Ides of March." That day, as he entered the Curia, he was surrounded by a group of conspiring senators — among them Brutus and Cassius — who struck him with numerous stab wounds. Tradition has it that Caesar, seeing Brutus among his attackers, uttered the famous line (in Greek, according to the sources) later rendered as "Tu quoque, Brute?" ("You too, Brutus?"). His death opened the way to the civil wars that would eventually give rise to the empire under Augustus.

What you can see today

In the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina you can make out the ruins of the Theatre of Pompey complex and of the Curia hall, alongside the four Republican temples. Thanks to the walkway that opened in 2023, you can get close and read, on the panels, the reconstruction of the events. Don't expect a "monument to the assassination": the appeal lies precisely in standing on the actual site, among genuine ruins (and the famous cats). For practical visiting tips, see the guide to the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Julius Caesar actually killed? Not at the Roman Forum, but in the Curia of Pompey, the hall attached to the Theatre of Pompey, whose ruins now stand in the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina.

When did Caesar die? On 15 March 44 BC, the famous "Ides of March," assassinated by a group of conspiring senators.

Why did the Senate meet there and not at the Forum? Because the usual Curia at the Roman Forum was being rebuilt: sessions were held temporarily in the Curia of Pompey, where the assassination took place.

Did Caesar really say "Tu quoque, Brute"? It's the famous line tradition attributes to him, on seeing Brutus among the conspirators. Ancient sources report it in Greek; it remains uncertain whether he truly said it, but it has passed into legend.

What can you see on the site today? The ruins of the Theatre of Pompey complex and of the Curia, alongside the Republican temples, in the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina, open to visitors since 2023 via a walkway.

See also

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Article #366 · Category: Monuments · Updated: May 2026