The Ides of March!

Hello everyone –

Today, on the Ides (15^th) of March in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of conspirators on the floor of the Roman Senate. We remember this singular moment in history with a Greek historian, a Roman poet, and an astronomer of my acquaintance.

“The rule of Caesar, although during its establishment it gave no little trouble to its opponents, still, after they had been overpowered and had accepted it, they saw that it was a tyranny only in name and appearance, and no cruel or tyrannical act was authorized by it; nay, it was plain that the ills of the state required a monarchy, and that Caesar, like a most gentle physician, had been assigned to them by Heaven itself. Therefore, the Roman people felt at once a yearning for Caesar, and in consequence became harsh and implacable towards his murderers.”

à Plutarch: Parallel Lives: "Dion and Brutus" 

Plutarch: Life of Julius Caesar – Chapter 69

                69. At the time of his death Caesar was fully fifty-six years old, but he had survived Pompey not much more than four years, while of the power and dominion which he had sought all his life at so great risks, and barely achieved at last, of this he had reaped no fruit but the name of it only, and a glory which had awakened envy on the part of his fellow citizens. However, the great guardian-genius of the man, whose help he had enjoyed through life, followed up-on him even after death as an avenger of his murder, driving and tracking down his slayers over every land and sea until not one of them was left, but even those who in any way soever either put hand to the deed or took part in the plot were punished.

                Among events of man's ordering, the most amazing was that which befell Cassius; for after his defeat at Philippi he slew himself with that very dagger which he had used against Caesar; and among events of divine ordering, there was the great comet, which showed itself in great splendor for seven nights after Caesar's murder, and then disappeared; also, the obscuration of the sun's rays. For during all that year its orb rose pale and without radiance, while the heat that came down from it was slight and ineffectual, so that the air in its circulation was dark and heavy owing to the feebleness of the warmth that penetrated it, and the fruits, imperfect and half ripe, withered away and shriveled up on account of the coldness of the atmosphere. But more than anything else the phan-tom that appeared to Brutus showed that the murder of Caesar was not pleasing to the gods; and it was on this wise. As he was about to take his army across from Abydos to the other continent, he was lying down at night, as his custom was, in his tent, not sleeping, but thinking of the future; for it is said that of all generals Brutus was least given to sleep, and that he naturally remained awake a longer time than any-body else. And now he thought he heard a noise at the door, and looking towards the light of the lamp, which was slowly going out, he saw a fearful vision of a man of unnatural size and harsh aspect. At first he was terrified, but when he saw that the visitor neither did nor said anything, but stood in silence by his couch, he asked him who he was. Then the phantom answered him: "I am thy evil genius, Brutus, and thou shalt see me at Philippi." At the time, then, Brutus said courageously: "I shall see thee;" and the heavenly visitor at once went away. Subsequently, however, when arrayed against [Mark] Antony and [Octavius] Caesar at Philippi, in the first battle he conquered the enemy in his front, routed and scattered them, and sacked the camp of Caesar; but as he was about to fight the second  battle, the same phantom visited him again at night, and though it said nothing to him, Brutus understood his fate, and plunged headlong into danger. He did not fall in battle, however, but after the rout retired to a crest of ground, put his naked sword to his breast (while a certain friend, as they say, helped to drive the blow home), and so died.

 

“The Apotheosis of Julius Caesar”

Excerpted from Book 15 of the Metamorphoses

By Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE)

Translated by Brooks More (1922)

 

Apollo's son came to us from abroad,

but Caesar is a god in his own land.

The first in war and peace, he rose by wars,

which closed in triumphs, and by civic deeds

to glory quickly won, and even more

his offspring's love exalted him as a new,

a heavenly, sign and brightly flaming star.

Of all the achievements of great Julius Caesar

not one is more ennobling to his fame

than being father of his glorious son.

 

Was it more glorious for him to subdue

the Britons guarded by their sheltering sea

or lead his fleet victorious up the stream

seven mouthed of the papyrus hearing Nile;

to bring beneath the Roman people s rule

rebel Numidia, Libyan Juba, and

strong Pontus, proud of Mithridates' fame;

to have some triumphs and deserve far more;

than to be father of so great a man,

with whom as ruler of the human race,

O gods, you bless us past all reckoning?

 

And, lest that son should come from mortal seed,

Julius Caesar must change and be a god.

When the golden mother of Aeneas was

aware of this and saw a grievous end

plotted against her high priest, saw the armed

conspiracy preparing for his death,

with pallid face she met each god and said:

 

“Look with what might this plot prepares itself

against my cause; with how much guile it dooms

the head which is the last that I have left

from old-time Julus, prince and heir of Troy.

Shall I alone be harassed through all time

by fear well grounded? First the son of Tydeus

must wound me with his Calydonian spear;

and then I tremble at the tottering walls

of ill defended Troy; I watch my son

driven in long wanderings, tossed upon the sea,

descending to the realm of silent shades,

and waging war with Turnus—or, if I should speak

the truth, with Juno! Why do I recall

disasters of my race from long ago?

The present dread forbids my looking back

at ills now past. See how the wicked swords

are whetted for the crime! Forbid it now,

I pray you, and prevent the deed,

let not the priest's warm blood quench vestal fires!”

 

Such words as these, full of her anxious thoughts,

Venus proclaimed through all the heavens, in vain.

The gods were moved, and, since they could not break

the ancient sisters' iron decree, they gave

instead clear portents of approaching woe.

 

It is declared, resounding arms heard from

the black clouds and unearthly trumpet blasts

and clarions heard through all the highest heavens,

forewarned men of the crime. The sad sun's face

gave to the frightened world a livid light;

and in the night-time torches seemed to burn

amid the stars, and often drops of blood

fell in rain-showers. Then Lucifer shone blue

with all his visage stained by darksome rust.

The chariot of the moon was sprinkled with

red blood. The Stygian owl gave to the world

ill omens. In a thousand places, tears

were shed by the ivory statues. Dirges, too,

are said to have been heard, and threatening words

by unknown speakers in the sacred groves.

 

No victim gave an omen of good life:

the fibers showed great tumults imminent,

the liver's cut-off edge was found among

the entrails. In the Forum, it is said,

and round men's homes and temples of the gods

dogs howled all through the night, and silent shades

wandered abroad, and earthquakes shook the city.

 

But portents of the gods could not avert

the plots of men and stay approaching fate.

Into a temple naked swords were brought—

into the Senate House. No other place

in all our city was considered fit

for perpetrating such a dreadful crime!

With both hands Cytherea beat her breast,

and in a cloud she strove to hide the last

of great Aeneas' line, as in times past

she had hid Paris from fierce Menelaus,

Aeneas from the blade of Diomed.

 

But Jove, her father, cautioned her and said,

“Do you my daughter, without aid, alone,

attempt to change the fixed decrees of Fate?

Unaided you may enter the abode

of the three sisters and can witness there

a register of deeds the future brings.

These, wrought of brass and solid iron with

vast labor, are unchangeable through all

eternity; and have no weakening fears

of thunder-shocks from heaven, nor from the rage

of lightnings they are perfectly secure

from all destruction. You will surely find

the destinies of your descendants there,

engraved in everlasting adamant.

'Tis certain. I myself, have read them there:

and I, with care have marked them in my mind.

I will repeat them so that you may have

unerring knowledge of those future days.

 

“Venus, the man on whose behalf you are

so anxious, already has completed his

allotted time. The years are ended which

he owed to life on earth. You with his son,

who now as heir to his estate must bear

the burden of that government, will cause

him, as a deity, to reach the heavens,

and to be worshipped in the temples here.

 

“The valiant son will plan revenge on those

who killed his father and will have our aid

in all his battles. The defeated walls

of scarred Mutina, which he will besiege,

shall sue for peace. Pharsalia's plain will dread

his power and Macedonian Philippi

be drenched with blood a second time, the name

of one acclaimed as ‘Great’ shall be subdued

in the Sicilian waves. Then Egypt's queen,

wife of the Roman general, Antony,

shall fall, while vainly trusting in his word,

while vainly threatening that our Capitol

must be submissive to Canopus' power.

“Why should I mention all the barbarous lands

and nations east and west by ocean's rim?

Whatever habitable earth contains

shall bow to him, the sea shall serve his will!

 

“With peace established over all the lands,

he then will turn his mind to civil rule

and as a prudent legislator will

enact wise laws. And he will regulate

the manners of his people by his own

example. Looking forward to the days

of future time and of posterity,

he will command the offspring born of his

devoted wife, to assume the imperial name

and the burden of his cares. Nor till his age

shall equal Nestor's years will he ascend

to heavenly dwellings and his kindred stars.

Meanwhile transform the soul, which shall be reft

from this doomed body, to a starry light,

that always god-like Julius may look down

in future from his heavenly residence

upon our Forum and our Capitol.”

 

Jupiter hardly had pronounced these words,

when kindly Venus, although seen by none,

stood in the middle of the Senate-house,

and caught from the dying limbs and trunk

of her own Caesar his departing soul.

She did not give it time so that it could

dissolve in air, but bore it quickly up,

toward all the stars of heaven; and on the way,

she saw it gleam and blaze and set it free.

Above the moon it mounted into heaven,

leaving behind a long and fiery trail,

and as a star it glittered in the sky.

 

There, wondering at the younger Caesar's deeds,

Julius confessed they were superior

to all of his, and he rejoiced because

his son was greater even than himself.

Although the son forbade men to regard

his own deeds as the: mightier! Fame, that moves

free and untrammeled by the laws of men,

preferred him even against his own desire

and in that one point disobeyed his will.

 

And so great Atreus yields to greater fame

of Agamemnon, Aegeus yields to Theseus,

and Peleus to Achilles, or, to name

a parallel befitting these two gods,

so Saturn yields to Jove. Now Jupiter

rules in high heavens and is the suzerain

over the waters and the world of shades,

and now Augustus rules in all the lands—

so each is both a father and a god.

 

Gods who once guarded our Aeneas, when

both swords and fire gave way, and native gods

of Italy, and Father Quirinus—

patron of Rome, and you Gradivus too—

the sire of Quirinus the invincible,

and Vesta hallowed among Caesar's gods,

and Phoebus ever worshipped at his hearth,

and Jupiter who rules the citadel

high on Tarpeia's cliff, and other gods—

all gods to whom a poet rightfully

and with all piety may make appeal;

far be that day—postponed beyond our time,

when great Augustus shall forsake the earth

which he now governs, and mount up to heaven,

from that far height to hear his people's prayers!

 

Caesar’s Comet appeared in the night sky over the Eternal City in the summer of 44 BCE. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)

 

“An Overview of Caesar’s Comet”

By Jerusha Emrys, Contributing Writer @ https://rhcfortnightlyquotemail.blogspot.com

Caesar's Comet, also known as the Comet of 44 BC, is a comet that appeared shortly after the assassination of Julius Caesar. It was observed by many ancient historians and astronomers, who noted its presence in the night sky for several days before fading away. Its presence in the sky led many Romans to claim that the comet had been sent as a sign of Caesar’s death and apotheosis.

The Comet of 44 BC was also one of the brightest comets ever observed in recorded history. A number of witnesses reported that it had a long tail and a large head, which was visible at night for several days, before finally disappearing into the night sky. Additionally, the comet may have been connected to more than just Caesar's assassination; Romans believed that it was the omen of a major catastrophe, and some even feared that the end of the world was near.

The Comet of 44 BC remains a fascinating topic of study and speculation, even today. Although there is still no definitive explanation for its appearance or its disappearance, its significance in ancient astronomical and historical records has left its mark on our knowledge of the era. Its connection to Julius Caesar's assassination and the Roman reactions to the comet remain a compelling topic for discussion, even centuries later.

 

Julius Caesar: Act II, Scene 2

By William Shakespeare

Caesar: Cowards die many times before their deaths;

The valiant never taste of death but once.

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,

It seems to me most strange that men should fear;

Seeing that death, a necessary end,

Will come when it will come.