Ok this was SO difficult to put in order but here goes (sorry it took so long to answer, also I love this question tysm):
Honourable mentions: Speaking Greek when being affectionate with people, liking the stories of Rhodes defeating kings in the past, his brilliant speeches to his army.
10. Having the absolute audacity to ask Cleopatra for aid against Dolabella. YOU KILLED HER MAN. SHE DOES NOT WANT TO HELP YOU. But shoutout to her military commander Serapion for sending him aid without asking her.
9. Praying to the statue of Pompey before killing Caesar. I like this because it shows that Cassius wasn’t the disloyal traitor so many people make him out to be. He was loyal, but to Pompey instead of Caesar, and this makes sense entirely because not only did he fight in Pompey’s navy, but Pompey also made sure he didn’t get in legal trouble after his fight with Faustus Sulla when he was a child.
8. Leaving Parthia and running off to Syria. Some people call this cowardice or disloyalty, but the fact that Cassius FINALLY left Parthia and more importantly left Crassus to actually make the smart decision after following Crassus for so long is so satisfying. I think that him going to Syria was the only thing that let him survive and that had he stayed with Crassus, he would have walked straight into death like Crassus did.
7. Defeating Dolabella at sea and then besieging him at Laodicea. Everyone knows Cassius as a conspirator but I don’t think he’s appreciated as a general enough. He’s bloody brilliant! Also I like how he tries to bribe the night guard to let him into the city and the night guard stands on business and nobly refuses, only for the day guards to just let him in, that’s funny.
6. Burning a bunch of Caesar’s ships, then having his ship get captured, then escaping that capture. First of all I find it so fascinating that Caesar writes about this in his Civil Wars with no knowledge that Cassius is going to be the one to kill him. Second of all HE’S SO COOL and if there was a film about Cassius’ life, this would be the scene I’d probably replay the most.
5. Successfully ambushing the Parthians and defeating them. Not much to say it’s just impressive and I’m glad he actually got the chance to win against the Parthians after Crassus dragged him into such a disaster before.
4. Fighting Sulla’s son Faustus as a child. It’s so funny that Cassius had ALWAYS been willing to get violent over the concept of people having absolute power literally since he was a child in school. Also, after the fight when Pompey questioned both boys, Cassius said, “Come on then, Faustus, you can tell Pompey, if you dare, what you said that made me so angry, and I will knock your teeth in again” which implies he WON the fight.
3. The conspiracy. There’s not much I can say about why I love it other than Cassius hated tyrants and when he saw a man on the path to become a tyrant he did something about it. Bonus points because it’s what he’s known for and I think he’d like that.
2. Reassuring Brutus that the ghost he saw wasn’t real. This is one of those things that really makes me hate how people view him as this cold and heartless murderer, because he genuinely seems so lovely here. Brutus was so panicked he couldn’t sleep, but when he told Cassius about it in the morning, Cassius didn’t just tell him it wasn’t real, but he gave a full scientific/philosophical explanation as to why he didn’t believe it was real and why Brutus saw it, saying “You have passed through a great many hardships, which have imposed a severe strain on your body, and this condition both stimulates and distorts the intelligence.” He then says he doesn’t believe in spirits such as the one Brutus saw, but that if they were real, he doesn’t need to worry because he’s doing the right thing.
1. Bursting out laughing at Favonius trying to quote the Iliad at he and Brutus. It’s such a small thing and maybe it’s insignificant but there’s something about laughing at a pretentious, condescending old man trying to seem wise but coming across as absolutely cringe instead that’s SO relatable. And sometimes historical figures, particularly historical figures from over 2000 years ago, don’t really seem human but there’s something so human about bursting out laughing at a cringe old man who wants you to take him seriously. Favonius was being condescending and pretentious and cringe. He looked stupid. It’s the exact sort of thing I also find extremely funny. I like that Cassius and I laugh at the same things. He has a good sense of humour. 10/10 Cassius moment, undoubtedly my favourite. ❤️