Beware the Ides of March!
The Day Caesar Died
You might have heard the phrase, “beware the Ides of March!”, which is usually said in a dramatic tone, for extra effect. But what does that actually mean? Today we're going to talk about the day that Caesar died, the Ides of March.
Ides of March means the middle of March, the 15th to be exact, which marked the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. But how did this momentous event unfold, and what led to Caesar's dramatic demise?
Who was Julius Caesar?
To find out why he was assassinated, we first need to know what Caesar was like as a person.
Military and Political Life
Known as an incredible general, a prolific politician, and eventually a dictator, Caesar's life was marked by remarkable achievements. As a general in the army, he led critical campaigns, such as the Gallic Wars, and crafted narratives about these wars in clear language to bolster his popularity with the masses in Rome through strategic propaganda. He was notably the first Roman to attempt conquering Britain. However, in 59 BC, Caesar made a pivotal shift to prioritizing his political career over his military triumphs.
Although owed a triumph (celebratory procession through the streets of Rome with his troops), Roman law forbade a commanding officer to enter the city while in control of an army. This meant Caesar had to choose between running for the top office (consul) or celebrating his military victories. He chose to disband his army and stand for the election. He won the vote, and became consul for 59.
The Triumvirate
Once he'd been consul he went back to the army, and this gave him more protection from the law. As a consul, he couldn't be tried for any crimes people thought he had committed. And the same was true when he was, ruling an army, as he had imperium.
However, he was worried that this protection would be taken from him, so he and two other men set up something called the triumvirate, “the three men rule”. It wasn't official, and it wasn't sanctioned, but basically between the three of them, Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Crassus, they ruled Rome. They had the political power, the army, and the wealth. So Caesar became a triumvir.
Unfortunately for the three of them, it was quite the shaky alliance, especially when Crassus died quite suddenly in 53 BC while on campaign in Parthia. This put quite a bit of a strain on Pompey and Caesar's relationship.
The Rise to Dictatorship
This strain of relations eventually culminating in a civil war. Caesar emerged victorious, ascending to the role of dictator - a role he was elected to by the people yet became fraught with resentment from the Senate. These emergency powers weren’t unheard of, and because of the Civil War they made sense.
The only thing was that the Romans really hated kings. They didn't mind electing someone dictator for six months or even a year. But what they didn't like was when he got the title dictator in perpetuo: “eternal dictator”. So he had effectively been electeda king in all but name. This is a problem. The Senate were the body of men who ruled Rome, but now Caesar was in charge of Rome on his own.
As dictator, he had granted clemency to all the people who had fought against him. This is a really good idea, as it stops the war, doesn't it? Those who fought against him on Pompey's side were allowed to come back as long as they apologised properly, and he had people to run the country again with him.
The Conspirators
The Senate at this point in 44 BC was made up of various groups. We have Caesar's allies, the people who had fought with him in the Civil War. There are also those people who feel overlooked because Caesar’s staunch allies have been promoted above them, and maybe they weren't particularly for or against Caesar or Pompey, so they’re worried about fading into the background. And there are also the enemies that he has forgiven, those people who fought with Pompey against Caesar, but to whom he gave clemency.
You may expect the real worry, the real danger will come from those forgiven enemies, or maybe the overlooked Senators who are getting a bit frustrated. But as we are going to find out, some of Caesar's closest allies are also involved in the conspiracy to kill him.
The Omens
The Roman world was deeply superstitious, and a series of unsettling omens foreshadowed the events of the Ides of March.
Tablets
A collection of bronze tablets was found, which reportedly contained dire warnings. The story we get from historians is that the tablets foretold that when they were discovered, great misfortune would befall a descendant of the goddess Venus.
Julius Caesar, a member of the Julian family, claimed to be descended from Venus through her grandson Iulius, and so perhaps this was something to watch out for on his part.
Animals
There are also two separate omens involving animals. The first one is the horses.
Julius Caesar had crossed the River Rubicon in 49 BC and lots of people say this was the beginning of the Civil War. He crossed into Italy with his army, and afterwards he set free the horses on which he had crossed the river, he had let them go to pasture. These horses had been seen weeping and refusing to eat any grass. To the Romans, this was very telling and very worrying that his horses were weeping.
The second animal omen involved birds. Lots of different types of birds from all around the city converged on a single wren. The wren had flown into the Senate house with a laurel leaf in its mouth, and it was torn to pieces by these other birds. This one particularly is very poignant when you find out that Caesar was killed in the Senate house by lots of different senators, and he was wearing a laurel crown at the time. So this one could well have been a very important sign if Caesar had listened to it.
Worried Wife
Calpurnia was Julius Caesar's wife, and she began to have worrying dreams. To the Romans, dreams were also messages or warnings from the gods. First she dreamed that the gable end of their house collapsed. This would be a little worrying, but not a big deal. However, next she dreamed that Julius Caesar was lying in her lap, having been stabbed in the chest. A slightly more specific warning you might say.
So all of these things added together maybe made Caesar a little bit worried and he was considering maybe staying at home on the morning of the 15th of March, especially when Calpurnia begged him not to leave.
The Soothsayer
In Rome, an important type of priest was a Haruspex. This is a soothsayer, someone who looks at the entrails of an animal that's been sacrificed to the gods and tells you the future from those entrails. This Haruspex was called Spurinna, and according to Suetonius, he gave Caesar a warning. This warning became famous because of William Shakespeare. In his play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare has his Soothsayer shouting:
“beware the Ides of March”
This has become quite a famous saying. A very strong statement.
So Caesar has had the omens from Calpurnia, the dreams. He’s had the birds and the horses, and the tablets being found. And now a soothsayer who can see the future in the entrails has specifically said to Caesar “watch out. Something's coming for you. You’re in danger until the Ides of March”
So how on earth did we get to the Senate House on the Ides of March with all these warnings? Honestly, Caesar's arrogance overshadowed his caution.
On the morning of the 15th March (the Ides), he had decided not to visit the Senate. His wife has been begging him to stay home, and no favourable omens can be found. The soothsayers outside the Senate house are reading the entrails of the sacrificial victims and there are no good omens at all. They keep sacrificing and they keep checking different animals but all the entrails are blackened and malformed, and this is not a good sign from the Gods.
Unfortunately, he was persuaded otherwise by Decimus Brutus, a trusted associate. He informs Caesar that lots and lots of senators have already gathered at the Senate house and there's a rumour going round that they're going to crown Caesar king of Rome. This is tempting.
Note: Decimus Brutus is not the most famous of the Brutus family to be involved in this story. Decimus Brutus is a younger cousin of the Brutus who we're going to talk about in a little bit, the famous “et tu Brute” Brutus. Decimus Brutus is younger, and he is a very close friend of Julius Caesar. He almost looks up to him as an uncle or a father figure.
So Decimus Brutus comes to Caesar's house and says, listen, you're really going to have to go to the Senate house. Everyone is waiting for you. Don't upset the Senate by not attending because they won't vote you all the honours that you'll want. So Decimus persuades Caesar to come to the Senate House.
Ironically, as they walked there, a note listing the names of the conspirators was thrust into Caesar’s hands - but it was unread and ignored. Caesar did not read the note. He put it into a bundle of papers in his left hand (left is unlucky to the Romans) and he carried on walking.
Suetonius Divus Julius
Thus, Caesar entered the Senate house, dismissing the divine warnings. This is what Suetonius says about his entry into the Senate house in Divus Julius 81.4.
introiit curiam spreta religione Spurinnamque irridens et ut falsum arguens, quod sine ulla sua noxa Idus Martiae adessent: quanquam is venisse quidem eas diceret, sed non praeterisse.
introiit curiam spreta religione “He entered the Senate house ignoring the omens”. This is part of the reason in the Romans mind that Caesar kind of had to die. He is ignoring the omens, the signs from the gods.
Spurinnamque irridens et ut falsam arguens. “and laughing at Spurinna and declaring him a fraud”. Caesar is actively laughing at the spokesperson for the gods. Again, not a good idea in very superstitious ROme. And this is why he's laughing at him
quod sine ulla sua noxa Idus Martiae adessent “because the Ides of March had come without any injury to him”. Caesar is taunting Spurinna, saying look it's the Ides March, the 15th. I'm fine. You said something bad would happen but I am still here.
quanquam is venisse quidem eas diceret, sed non praeterisse. “though [Spurinna] said they had indeed come but they had not yet passed by”. Spurinna basically says yes, well done Caesar. You've made it to the Ides of March, but the Ides of March haven't finished yet. We still have time.
So this is a very ominous little bit of Suetonius there. It's one of my favourite parts so I put it in.
The Moment of Betrayal
Caesar sat at the front of the Senate and the conspirators gathered round him. Lots of different senators coming towards him with petitions, things for him to sign, requests. That's not uncommon, that was often how a meeting started. But what was uncommon was when they drew the daggers. One of the conspirators came very, very close to Caesar and tugged at his toga, and then brandished a dagger.
Supposedly after he is stabbed for the first time, Caesar says ista quidem vis est! “This is indeed violence”, which is quite a weird thing to say after you've been stabbed I think, but that is what our historical sources tell us he said.
Over 60 senators said they would be involved in this conspiracy in some way or another. In order for them to share the blame, they each agreed to stab Caesar. Caesar was stabbed 23 times. So obviously not everyone stabbed him. It's kind of like every group project you've ever done, where some people don't necessarily pull their weight, but they still get the grade. Caesar is dead and he lies on the floor of the Senate house in his own blood.
Caesar’s Last Words
There's been quite a lot of discussion over the past 2000 years about Caesar's final words. It is a topic that has kept people invested for a long time.
One important thing is that these words were supposedly said to Marcus Junius Brutus, not Decimus Brutus, who led him to the Senate house. Marcus Junius Brutus had been pardoned by Caesar. Actually, so had Decimus Brutus. Both of them had fought on Pompey's side. Both had been granted clemency by Caesar, but both of them were quite close to Caesar. Anyway, Marcus Junius Brutus is (supposedly) the one assassin Caesar couldn’t bear to see attack him. He saw this as the ultimate betrayal, and gave up on defending himself.
The reason most people know Caesar’s final words are because of Shakespeare. In the play, Julius Caesar says as his last lines et tu, Brute? “and you, Brutus?”. Even you, even you are stabbing me? The disbelief, hurt and betrayal are clear in this final exclamation.
However, in Suetonius, his final words are quoted as καὶ σὺ τέκνον; [translit: kai su teknon?] which is Greek for “and you, my child?”
This has led to many theories about their relationship. Possibly Caesar was revealing that Brutus was his illegitimate child in his final moments! However, other people have pointed out:
a) why would he speak in Greek in his final moments?
b) if he has kept us a secret forever, why would he say it in his final breath?
c) which Brutus was he actually talking to?
So kind of a confusing amalgamation. But the most important thing is that the final words that everybody knows of Julius Caesar are et tu brute? “even you, Brutus?”
Success or Failure?
It's the 16th of March, 44 BC. Caesar has been assassinated. Is this a success against tyranny? The Roman senators at the time were worried that Caesar had too much power, was going too far, and didn't have enough checks against him. To be clear, this was a small number of senators (fewer than 20% of the senate) conspired to kill him, and they did think the Roman people would rejoice.
This wasn't necessarily what happened. In fact, you could say it wasn't a success against tyranny. You could say it became the catalyst for the Principate. The Principate was the rule of the emperors who came after, because Julius Caesar's heir (his great nephew, Augustus Caesar) became the first official emperor of the Roman Empire.
So you could say that the conspirators actually got the exact opposite of what they wanted. They tried to kill a man who had too much power to stop him being a king, and instead they caused another civil war, and they left the door open in a way for Augustus to sweep in and pick up all the pieces and become basically a king anyway.
Ides of March Party
Whatever you think about the Ides of March, whether it was a success or a failure, you should celebrate it your way! On this 15th of March make sure you're doing something to remember Caesar. Honestly, it's just a good excuse to have a gathering, to play fun murder mystery games, or to eat lots of delicious food.
Find some way to celebrate the Ides of March. Why not? Let me know how you mark the occasion!
See you next time on bambasbat!