Caesar's name as a living divinity – not as yet ratified by senatorial vote – was "Divus Julius" (or perhaps "Jupiter Julius"); "divus", at that time, was a slightly archaic form of "deus", suitable for poetry, implying some association with the bright heavens. A statue of him was erected next to the statues of Rome's ancient kings: with this, he seemed set to make himself King of Rome, in the Hellenistic style, as soon as he came back from the expedition to Parthia he was planning; but "friends" in the Senate killed him on 15 March 44 BC.