HISTORY This Week The Real Assassination of Caesar
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Mar 9, 2020 In this engaging discussion, Professor Barry Strauss, a historian and author specializing in ancient Rome, delves into the notorious assassination of Julius Caesar. He reveals how the events of the Ides of March were more chaotic than legends suggest. Strauss explores Caesar's dismissal of ominous warnings and the motivations behind the senators' conspiracy. The conversation goes on to dissect the aftermath, including the rise of Octavian and the lasting legacy of Caesar as a complex figure balancing populism and tyranny.
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Caesar's Lifetime Dictatorship Shocked Rome
- Julius Caesar had himself declared dictator for life in February 44 BC, a shock to Romans who never accepted lifelong kingship.
- That concentration of power, and his public trappings of royalty, alarmed elites and spurred a lethal conspiracy.
Royal Trappings Heightened Suspicion
- Caesar adopted royal symbols like high boots and a gold-and-ivory throne that made him appear king-like to Romans.
- These visible signs deepened fear that he aimed to become monarch rather than a republican leader.
Cleopatra Affair Fueled Dynastic Fears
- Caesar's affair with Cleopatra and the birth of their son Caesareon sparked rumors about dynastic ambitions.
- Romans feared a foreign queen and her son would install a royal line undermining the Republic.
