How did caesar become rome's sole leader?

brutus overlooks that the majority of the crowd served julius caesar the military general. he appeals to their citizenship as romans by calling them first by that name in his salutation: "romans, countrymen, lovers." mark antony, however, speaks in terms understood by the military, by calling them first by, "friends, romans, countrymen." he recalls not only caesar the general but caesar the friend, whose body they see covered with stab wounds.