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Death of Caesar : The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (9781451668827)

Page 34

by Strauss, Barry


  Cassius of Parma was the last of Caesar’s assassins to die Velleius Paterculus, History of Rome 2.87.3.

  CHAPTER 13. AUGUSTUS

  Octavian held a triple triumph Cassius Dio, Roman History 51.21.

  two of her children by Antony Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. The third child, Ptolemy Philadelphus, is not mentioned, and presumably he was already dead. Cassius Dio, Roman History 51.21.8.

  “too many Caesars is not a good thing” Arius in Plutarch, Antony 81.2.

  On the eighteenth of the month Sextilis Cassius Dio, Roman History 51.22; Augustus, Res Gestae 19.

  Caesar’s birthday Cassius Dio, Roman History 47.18.6. Caesar was actually born on July 13 but that day conflicted with an annual Apollo festival.

  After Antony’s death: Cassius Dio, Roman History 51.19.3. See Jerzy Linderski, “The Augural Law,” in Hildegarde Temporini, ed., Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt 2.16 (1986): 2187–88.

  Parricide Day Suetonius, Julius Caesar 88; Cassius Dio, Roman History 47.19.1.

  Pompey’s Senate House Suetonius, Julius Caesar 88, Augustus 31; Cassius Dio, Roman History 47.19; Eva Margareta Steinby, ed., Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae (Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 1993), vol. 1: 334–35.

  “The evil that men do” Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 3.2.75–76.

  “If we want everything to stay the same” “Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga come è, bisogna che tutto cambi,” Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Il Gattopardo, 1. ed. in “Le comete.”

  Augustus portrayed Decimus as an archvillain So we can judge by Decimus’s prominence in Nicolaus of Damascus, who was influenced by Augustus’s memoirs.

  “I’ll do it but only if I live” Seneca, Letters to Lucilius 10.82.12.

  At least three or four friends of Brutus Publius Volumnius, Empylus, Asinius Pollio, Lucius Sestius, and Bibulus. See Ramsay MacMullen, Enemies of the Roman Order, 18 and, on Bibulus, Plutarch, Brutus 13.

  The story goes that when Augustus saw a statue Plutarch, Comparison of Dion and Brutus 5.

  magnificent funeral Tacitus, Annals 3.76.

  lived into her eighties On her age, see L. Hayne, “M. Lepidus and His Wife,” Latomus 33 (1974): 76 and n. 4.

  Index

  A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.

  Actium, Battle of, 228, 229, 230

  Aeneas, 54

  Aetolia, 139

  Africa, 10, 24–25, 139, 213

  Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius, 186

  Ahala, Gaius Servilius, 22, 81, 165

  Alesia, siege of, 129, 200

  Alexander the Great, 36, 37, 42, 68, 235

  Alexandria, 36, 37, 140, 209, 221

  Allobroges, 206–7

  Alps, 3

  Amatius (Herophilus), 48, 190

  Ambiorix, 92

  Anatolia, 32, 74, 100–101

  Anna Perenna, 112, 123, 147

  Anti-Cato (Caesar), 26

  Antipater, 178

  Antistius, 140

  Antium, 193, 194–95

  Antonius, Gaius, 210, 214

  Antony, Mark (Marcus Antonius), 8–11, 154, 195

  against the Parthians, 227

  angry crowd confronted by, 160

  arrival in Narbonese Gaul, 207

  assassin’s worries about, 145, 157

  and attempted assassination of Caesar, 13

  background of, 12

  in battle of Actium, 228

  in battle of Philippi, 221–22, 225–26

  Brutus shown respect by, 188

  Caesar offered kingship by, 62–63

  Caesar’s funeral oration given by, 168, 174–75, 177

  Caesar’s promotion of, 45

  Caesar’s public funeral supported by, 167, 169

  Caesar’s suspicion of, 102

  Cassius’s reconciliation dinner with, 164–65, 167, 169

  as Chief Priest of Lupercalia, 61, 62–63

  children of, 89, 164, 230

  Cicero’s lack of trust in, 152–53, 188–89, 193, 210

  Cicero’s plan to attack, 130

  Cicero’s pushing out of Rome, 198

  Cleopatra and, 53, 89

  confiscated property bought by, 10

  conspirators’ attempted recruitment of, 91, 95–97

  conspirators’ desire to kill, 96, 98, 157, 223–24

  conspirators’ negotiation with, 152–53

  conspirators’ worries about, 129

  courage of, 8–9

  death of, 229, 231

  Decimus courted by, 199

  Decimus denounced by, 179–80

  Decimus’s battle with, 205–6

  Decimus’s death ordered by, 216–17, 225

  Decimus’s territory demanded by, 199–200

  defeat of, 236

  descendants of, 232

  dictatorship abolished by, 161

  Dolabella’s consulship opposed by, 113

  drinking by, 8, 10

  fear of, in aftermath of assassination, 145

  gathering of Caesar’s supporters in house of, 155–57

  Gaul governorship won by, 198

  Gaul reentered by, 213

  as High Priest, 192, 215

  as largely absent from Caesar’s will, 169

  as leader of veterans, 171

  Lepidus as rival of, 170

  Lepidus made Chief Priest by, 189–90

  Lepidus’s alliance with, 206, 209

  loyalty to Caesar of, 188

  marriage of, 188

  as Master of the Horse, 9–10

  monuments to Caesar disdained by, 190

  named public enemy by Senate, 203

  on need to compromise with assassins, 160

  Octavia in marriage to, 227

  Octavian as rival of, 170, 187, 191–92, 226

  Octavian’s battles over money with, 191

  Octavian’s rise and, 13, 96

  as People’s Tribune, 9

  Plutarch’s biography of, 70

  popularity with soldiers of, 8

  property sold by, 139

  protests put down by, 10

  public addressed on assassination by, 164

  and reading of Caesar’s will, 168–69

  recruited to plot against Caesar, 91

  remarriage of, 10–11

  in return to Rome, 3, 4, 11, 14, 46

  and riot at Caesar’s funeral, 176, 177

  Roman Empire divided by, 226–27

  service in Gaul of, 8, 9

  in siege of Mutina, 200, 201–3

  statue of Caesar set up by, 190–91

  as suspicious of Brutus and Cassius, 196

  threatening letter from Cassius and Brutus to, 196

  in triumvirate, 213

  troops executed by, 198

  troops sent into Forum by, 149, 157

  unpopularity of, 149

  vengeance desired by, 160

  veterans’ land allotment arranged by, 188

  vote on Caesar’s tyranny opposed by, 159–60

  Apollo, 49

  Apollonia, 54, 185–87

  Appian, 71, 82, 106, 115, 122, 123, 164, 168, 219

  on aftermath of assassination, 145

  on Antony’s funeral oration, 174

  on assassination, 134, 135

  on assassins’ departure from scene, 146

  on battle of Forum Gallorum, 202

  Brutus’s speech to crowd in, 162

  on Caesar’s dismissal of soothsayers, 125

  conspirators accused of boastfulness by, 150

  on Decimus’s gladiators, 200

  on Senate meeting on assassination, 159

  on senators’ sympathy with assassins, 153

  Appian Gate, 60, 61


  Appian Way, 59, 99, 105, 116, 168, 174

  Aquila, Lucius Pontius, 47–48, 94, 203

  Aquinus, Marcus, 147

  Arcesilaus, 43

  Ardennes Forest, 92

  Aristotle, 33

  Armenia, 227

  Artemidorus of Cnidus, 123–24

  Artemis, 49

  Artemisia of Halicarnassus, 210

  Arx, 147

  Asia, Roman, 196

  Assembly Place, 43

  Athens, 160–61, 210

  Atia, 12, 56, 171, 174, 185

  Atlantic, Battle of the, 4

  Atticus, 56, 151, 167–68, 194, 209, 214, 221–22

  Augustus, Emperor, see Octavian

  Balbus, Gaius Octavius, 147

  Balbus, Lucius Cornelius, 39–40, 57

  Balkans, 230

  banquets, 105–6

  Basilus, Minucius, 91, 92, 149

  Caesar stabbed by, 135

  Bassus, Quintus Caecilius, 55–56, 180, 209

  Bellienus, Lucius, 177

  Bellovaci, 7, 83

  Best Men (optimates), 17, 18, 34, 37, 47

  Antony suspected of being enemy to, 188

  Caesar’s alleged desire to join, 78, 79

  Parthian War opposed by, 54

  in plot to kill Caesar, 97–98

  Bibulus, 26, 27, 69

  Birria, 116–17

  Bithynia, 92, 196

  Bononia, 213

  Brittany, 4, 234

  Brundisium, 185, 186–87, 198

  Brutus, Lucius Junius, 22, 52, 62, 80, 99

  Brutus, Marcus Junius, 14, 15–18, 76, 93

  in aftermath of assassination, 145–46

  as alleged leader of plot to kill Caesar, 67–68, 70

  alleged to be Caesar’s son, 22–23, 24, 81

  allowed to remain praetor after assassination, 192

  Antony’s murder opposed by, 98, 157, 223–24

  Antony’s showing of respect for, 188

  Antony’s suspicion of, 196

  assassination injury of, 135, 150

  assassination planned by, 98–99, 100

  assassins recruited by, 87–88

  Athens as power base of, 21

  Atticus’s refusal to fund, 194

  Caesar stabbed by, 135–37

  Caesar’s alleged sparing of, 23–24

  and Caesar’s desire to join Best Men, 78, 79

  and Caesar’s funeral, 168

  Caesar’s promises to, 17

  on Caesar’s seizure of property, 94

  and Caesar’s veterans, 145

  Cassius’s forces combined with, 219–20

  Cato as role model to, 21, 26

  Cato’s suicide disapproved by, 25

  charm of, 79

  Cicero’s Cato commissioned by, 26

  Cicero’s disappointment in, 18

  Cicero’s meeting on return to power with, 194–95

  in Civil War, 23–24

  coin issued by, 131

  coins with face of, 188

  court paid to Caesar by, 19, 20

  dagger used by, 131

  death of, 224–26, 229, 235

  on death of Cicero, 217–18

  Decimus refused aid by, 207

  and Decimus’s recruitment to plot, 81

  in decision to kill Caesar, 77–81

  depression of, 195

  determination of, 24

  dictatorship for Pompey opposed by, 77

  divorce and remarriage of, 26, 27

  Eastern exile of, 192, 193, 196–97

  education of, 20

  Favonius rejected for conspiracy by, 130, 146

  in flight to Antium, 193

  Gaius Antony’s execution ordered by, 217

  glory of, 224–25

  Greek philosophy loved by, 77, 79, 83, 196–97

  hostages kept by, 164

  Italian Gaul trusted to, 16–17

  Lepidus and, 155, 164, 194

  Lucius Junius Brutus claimed as ancestor of, 22, 52, 62, 80, 99

  Macedonian governorship of, 211

  in march to Capitoline Hill, 146

  memory of, 234, 235

  money-lending by, 23

  money raised by, 217

  on morning of assassination, 112–13

  personality of, 15–16

  at Philippi battle, 221–24, 225–26

  in plans to return to power, 193–94

  Plutarch’s biography of, 70, 79

  and Porcia’s death, 211

  as public face of plot, 144–45

  public support desired by, 149, 162–64

  republicanism of, 22, 234

  Senate’s assignment of new province to, 195

  speech on assassination by, 150, 151

  Thracian victories of, 211–12

  threatening letter to Antony from, 196

  troops paid by, 219

  as urban praetor, 75, 80

  Brutus, Marcus Junius (father), 20

  Brutus (Cicero), 19, 80

  Bucolianus, 135

  Byzantine Empire, 233

  Caecina, Aulus, 101

  Caesar, Gaius Julius:

  Adriatic crossed by, 34

  aging and health problems of, 8, 15

  in alleged affair with Cassius’s wife, 76

  alleged depression of, 102–3

  as allegedly willing to join Best Men, 78, 79

  in Anatolian campaign, 32, 101

  Antony’s offering of crown to, 61–63

  Antony’s statue of, 190–91

  appearance of, 4, 32

  Aquila’s dispute with, 47–48

  army’s loyalty as political tool of, 37–39

  assassination attempt against (46 B.C.), 13

  autopsy of, 140

  background of, 32–35

  bodyguards of, 100–105

  Brutus allegedly spared by, 23–24

  Brutus put in charge of Italian Gaul by, 16–17

  as Brutus’s alleged father, 22–23, 24, 81

  Brutus’s paying court to, 19, 20

  casualties in wars of, 4, 38

  Cato imprisoned by, 34

  Cato’s criticism of, 22, 31

  and Cato’s suicide, 25

  as Chief Priest, 101, 176, 189

  chiefs of staff of, 39–40

  Cicero visited by, 56–58

  Cicero’s lack of trust in, 18–19, 31

  Cleopatra’s affair with, 33, 36–37, 53, 141, 235

  Cleopatra’s claim to throne supported by, 35, 68

  coins with face of, 188

  colonists settled abroad by, 41

  column and altar erected to, 190

  courage of, 103

  as Dictator for Ten Years, 30, 44, 49

  elections cut back on by, 149

  enemies pardoned by, 4, 31, 88

  epilepsy of, 44, 110, 122

  in exile, 193

  fifth triumph of, 47–49, 176

  as fond of gladiators, 117–18

  four triumphs celebrated by, 25–26, 29, 38, 39, 41, 176, 219

  free speech crushed by, 19

  funeral for, 167–78, 194

  funeral pyre of, 171, 173, 176, 177–78, 190

  in Gallic revolt, 6

  gambling by, 123

  imperial views of, 29–30

  kingship allegedly desired by, 62–63, 79, 113, 220

  Labienus offered consulship by, 89

  land grants to veterans from, 40

  legitimacy lacked by, 44

  Lepidus’s dinner with, 105–6, 109–10

  made Dictator in Perpetuity, 50–52, 68

  made master of Egypt, 36

  made official god, 53, 68, 215, 232

  military intelligence of, 101–2

  in move to Egypt, 24

  and mutiny of soldiers, 10

  name of, transformed into imperial title, 232

  North Africa victory of, 25–26, 51

  Octavian adopted by, 45–46, 51, 79, 83, 169, 189

  overview of, 140�
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  People’s Tribunes vs., 59–61, 63

  Philippus visited by, 56

  Plutarch’s biography of, 70

  poor laws of, 33–34, 39, 40–41, 63, 141

  as Populist, 18

  practical ability of, 4

  previous plots against, 100

  promises to Brutus made by, 17

  property confiscated by, 91, 94, 97–98, 141

  public works projects of, 41–43

  removal of body from Senate House, 153–54

  Republic disdained by, 32

  in return to Rome, 3–4, 13–14, 29, 31, 46, 47–49, 91

  rioting soldiers executed by, 39

  Rubicon crossed by, 34–35, 38, 61, 108, 144

  Sabis River battle won by, 34

  seductions by, 5

  self-promotion by, 33

  Senate honors mocked by, 58–59, 63, 104

  Servilia given gift by, 20–21

  in showdown with Pompey, 7

  in siege of Alesia, 129, 200

  soothsayers dismissed by, 125, 127

  statues of, 42, 52–53

  stripped of Gaul governorship, 9

  Suetonius’s admiration for, 70–71

  Sulla compared to, 103

  Sulla’s retirement mocked by, 50–51

  and threat of absolute monarchy, 235–36

  troops paid by, 219

  violence embraced by, 34

  in war against Gaul, 5–6, 9, 33, 37, 39, 55, 79, 84, 123, 140, 233

  and war against Parthia, 49, 54–56, 60, 68, 87, 96, 109, 119, 156, 178, 186, 192, 235

  wealth of, 6, 20–21, 157, 187

  will revised by, 45–46, 51, 79, 83, 155, 167, 168–71, 173, 179

  Caesar, Gaius Julius, plot to kill:

  aftermath of, 145–47

  Artemidorus’s warning over, 123–24

  Brutus as necessary to, 77–78

  Brutus’s defense of, 162–64

  Brutus’s speech on, 150, 151

  and Caesar’s arrival at Senate, 123–25

  and Caesar’s entrance into Senate, 128, 129–30

  Caesar’s friends in, 88

  Caesar’s lack of loyalty as motive for, 68

  Caesar’s suspicion of, 102–3

  calmness of plotters in, 120

  Calpurnia’s dream and, 107

  Cassius’s speech on, 150–51

  Cicero as alleged guiding spirit of, 95

  and conspirators’ fear of Mark Antony, 129

  as court intrigue, 89

  gathering at Cassius’s house on, 112, 113

  hostages in, 164

  immunity granted to plotters of, 161, 164

  and issue of bodyguards, 104–5

  Mark Antony’s refusal to join, 95–97

  morning of, 107, 112–15, 120–23

  motives for, 68, 69, 71, 74–77, 78, 89–90

  number of conspirators involved in, 93

 

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