Again, I can't help swerving off to the discussion in Greece pre-Alexander about what was the best kind of government - oligarchy? monarchy? democracy? - a fascinating read when you realize that Alexander would put paid to that debate, and to the inability of the Greek democratic city-states to stop squabbling among themselves (or rather, the would-be leaders squabbling among themselves). The parallels with Octavian are pretty scary.

DO you suppose, since Caesar was so skilled in Greek literature and philosophy that his two most famous utterances were supposedly said in Greek, not Latin, that he had pondered this question and decided, like the squabbling Greek city-states, that it was time to give up the idea they could effectively govern an Empire?

Of course it's my PERSONAL feeling - and unprovable - that Caesar probably anticipated 'restructuring' the Republic, like Sulla but in a totally different direction, and then retiring when he was sure that a revamped Senate would continue to follow his policies - but he didn't live that long. I don't think he intended to forever destroy the Republic, but rather the power-base it had existed upon. It took Augustus to do the latter.