Final answer:
Julius Caesar, who became dictator of Rome and enacted various reforms including the Julian calendar, was assassinated due to lingering political conflicts and fear of autocracy. Following his death, Mark Antony and Octavian formed the Second Triumvirate, which eventually led to the rise of the Roman Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
Julius Caesar's Dictatorship and Assassination
Julius Caesar was a central figure in the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. His rise to power, first as a military leader and then as a dictator appointed for an indefinite term, was controversial among the Romans. Despite attempts to stabilize his rule by reconciling with former enemies and implementing governmental reforms such as the creation of the Julian calendar, political unrest persisted. The deep-seated fear of autocracy among the Romans, dating back to the Etruscan rule, primed a conspiracy led by Brutus and Cassius that culminated in Caesar’s assassination on the Ides of March (March 15), 44 BCE. After his death, Mark Antony and Octavian established the Second Triumvirate, dividing the empire and ultimately setting the stage for the rise of the first emperor, which marked the end of the Republic and the dawn of Imperial Rome.