The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Julius
Caesar's assassination was a pivotal moment in the history of Rome. Its
aftermath split Rome among competing factions and led to Octavian's ascendance
to power as Caesar Augustus, Rome's first true emperor. This historical event
is shrouded in myths and legends that have captured popular imagination for
over two millennia, but the facts are every bit as interesting.
Caesar was
assassinated on March 15th, 44 BC. This date is more commonly
referred to as the Ides of March, and was a day of religious ceremony and
observance in Ancient Rome. In Shakespeare’s famous play Julius Caesar, Caesar is warned by a soothsayer to, “Beware the
Ides of March,” shortly before his death. The line serves to heighten the
dramatic tension of Shakespeare’s play, but there is no actual historical
record of this event occurring.
Marcus
Brutus is remembered in history as the man who betrayed and killed Caesar,
prompting Caesar, in Shakespeare’s version of events, to exclaim, “Et tu
Brute?” which, translated means “And you too, Brutus?” As the Shakespeare quote
implies, however, Brutus did not act alone. Some accounts claim as many as
sixty men conspired together to assassinate Caesar, including 16 senators, Brutus
being one of them. Given how vilified they have been across the centuries,
their motives, by most accounts, were surprisingly pure. They did not seek to
assassinate Caesar in a grab for political power. Instead, they
feared Caesar posed an existential threat to the Roman Republic and sought to
preserve the Republic through his death. Nor were their fears unfounded. Caesar
had marched his army across the Rubicon River, an illegal act, which caused a
civil war. When he had subdued his rival, Pompey, he returned to Rome and appointed
himself dictator for life. For many of the conspirators, this was the last
straw. They all agreed that Caesar must be stopped.
The
conspirators met in small groups in the homes of the more prominent members of
the group. Several assassination plans were considered before they settled on
killing him in the Senate. This plan had several advantages. First, only
senators were allowed into the senate chamber so Caesar’s bodyguards would not
be present. Second, the senatorial toga that was required apparel while the
senate was in session would provide ample room to hide daggers. Most
importantly, it carried an important symbolic message: the senate, as the seat
of power in the Roman Republic, would not suffer the presence of tyrants or
dictators among them.
Julius
Caesar, who was to leave Rome on March 18th on a military campaign, arrived
at the Senate Building on the 15th unaware of what awaited him. As
he stood in front of the Theater of Pompey, the conspirators moved in around
him. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, which glanced off of Caesar’s
collarbone, before the others, including Brutus, drew their daggers and stabbed
him to death.
Following the
assassination, Brutus and the other conspirators expected to be treated as
saviors of the Republic, but instead they were forced to flee Rome, pursued by
Octavian, Julius Caesar’s adopted son. After the conspirators were either
captured, or killed, a memorial, which was only recently unearthed by archaeologists, was erected in the exact spot where Caesar was assassinated. His
death, intended to save the Republic, instead signaled the last days of the
Republic. In Julius Caesar the Roman Empire found its first martyr. Rulers
around the world would appropriate his name as a title of authority for
centuries: Kejsare, Czar, Kaiser etc. Though Caesar died an untimely death, his
name has lived on.
Recommended Reading
"The Ides of March: Julius Caesar is Murdered." History.com. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-ides-of-march-julius-caesar-is-murdered (accessed March 20, 2014).
"The Assassination of Julius Caesar, 44BC." Eye Witness to History.com. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/caesar2.htm (accessed March 20, 2014).
Dryden, John. "Plutarch: The Assassination of Julius Caesar, from Marcus Brutus." Fordham University.edu. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-caesar.asp (accessed March 20, 2014).
Pappas, Stephanie. "Spot Where Julius Caesar was Stabbed Discovered." Live Science.com. http://www.livescience.com/23900-julius-caesar-assassination-place-discovered.html (accessed March 20, 2014).
