Page 30 - History of War - Issue 05-14

JULIUS CAESAR

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Caesar succumbs to a pack
of murderous Senators,
known as The Liberators

from the Subura – to a man, they all when the conspirators agreed they would descended upon him. The attack was
came from Rome’s richest families. w GLOBAL ICON strike. Despite reports of a plot against so frenzied that the group were said to
The leader of The Liberators was WILLIAM him, Caesar refused to believe that he have accidentally wounded one another
Brutus. His relationship with Caesar SHAKESPEARE’S was in any real danger. On 15 March in their eagerness to drive their blades
1599 PLAY
was deeply complex. Caesar considered JULIUS CAESAR 44BC, he travelled through Rome without in. Caesar was stabbed 23 times.
Brutus a friend, but Brutus held Caesar in IS BELIEVED a bodyguard, to the curia at the great As Brutus finished him off, he told him,
contempt. He had fought against Caesar TO HAVE BEEN theatre Pompey had built for the city ten “This is what happens to tyrants.”
in the civil war but, along with many of his THE FIRST years earlier, to meet with the Senate. But the assassins had misjudged the
co-conspirators, had been given clemency PRODUCTION The Liberators had chosen this place mood of Rome. To the people, Caesar
by Caesar when it ended. It was that PERFORMED AT for the assassination deliberately. It was was no tyrant; he was their beloved
same whiff of generosity that Caesar had THE FAMOUS a very public space, and they wanted leader. Upon learning of his death, they
displayed when dealing with the pirates GLOBE THEATRE to wake Rome up from its trance. Here, burned the houses of the so-called
as a younger man. This time, though, IN LONDON. they waited nervously, their sharpened Liberators and chased them from the city.
that kindness would cost him his life. daggers hidden within their robes. The killing caused another civil war that
Brutus and his allies were Roman ended with Caesar’s son Octavian being
warriors, and their code was simple Frenzied attack crowned Emperor, ending the Republic
– death or glory. By beating them, then When Caesar entered the chamber alone, and ushering in an imperial system and
pardoning them, Caesar had robbed them furtive glances were exchanged and the a dynasty that lasted 400 years.
not only of their power but also of their death sentence was silently passed. Julius Caesar may have never been
honour. There was also the weight of Caesar sat upon his throne and listened crowned King of the Romans, but in
history. Brutus was descended from the as one Senator begged him to allow his death he was commemorated as a
original Brutus, who had rid Rome of its exiled brother to return home. The denial deity. His statue was erected in the
last King, Tarquin, in 509BC. History, it of the request had been predicted by all Parthenon, a building dedicated to the
seemed, was repeating itself, and Brutus of the assassins, who had also agreed gods. The only other human to receive
felt he had a pre-ordained role to play. that the refusal would trigger the killing. that honour was Romulus, who had
But he and his co-conspirators would As soon as Caesar said no, the pack founded Rome 700 years before. w
need to act quickly. Caesar announced
that he was to leave Rome for three
years to lead a military campaign abroad. Caesar’s death provoked feelings
of anger and resentment
Before he went, though, he would visit among the people of Rome
the Senate on the 15th of the month –
the Ides of March – one last time. That’s
When Caesar entered the

chamber alone, furtive
glances were exchanged

and the death sentence
was silently passed Mary Evans

30 HISTORY WAR
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