(The Death of Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini, between 1804 and 1805.)
On this day, March 15th 44 B.C, Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate chamber of Rome by a band of conspirators, most famously led by Marcus Junius Brutus.
Years previous, Gaius Julius Caesar had returned to Rome from Gaul as a triumphant hero. Trading in his commander’s uniform for the robes of a senator, Julius soon turned his skills as a military strategist to leading the Republic in a political guise.
He decreed a number of significant and necessary reforms, including offering land to settle for seasoned veterans, and also gifting grain to the urban poor and offering these same impoverished Plebeians the opportunity to populate newly acquired colonies in Anatolia, Greece and North Africa.
The city of Rome had suffered violence and corruption in recent years and was plagued by high unemployment. Julius was credited with bringing law and order to the dark alleyways of Rome, but also providing many new jobs through a plethora of public works projects.
Whilst these reforms made him popular amongst the commoners, they brought panic to many of his enemies and even some of his friends. To these men, the very existence of their beloved Republic was threatened, especially after Caesar was named 'Dictator for Life' in February 44 B.C. To many this was viewed as an act completely unconstitutional and that they would soon be under the permanent yoke of this would-be tyrant.
Fearful that the concentration of absolute power in a single man threatened the institutions of the Republic, dozens of senators who called themselves the “Liberators” plotted to kill the dictator.
Reputedly, Caesar was stabbed 23 times by the conspirators who believed themselves to be saviours of Roman liberty and democracy. Instead, the daggers they thrust into Caesar dealt a fatal blow to the already wounded Roman Republic. His death was followed by a bloody civil war, which would ultimately lead to the creation of the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian. Who of course would later take on the mantle, the Emperor Augustus.
Through the centuries, artists have portrayed this key moment in ancient history, including paintings by Vincenzo Camuccini, 1806 (pictured above) and by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1867 (pictured below). We also of course have the famous and immortal lines from William Shakespeare, "Et tu, Brute?".
(The Death of Caesar by Jean-Léon Gérôme (French, 1824-1904) (Artist))
- The Cultural Experience Newsletter - March 12th