Julius Caesar (100-44B.C.) b military genius and major figure in Roman history b conquered Gaul and defeated his archrival, Pompey b appointed dictator for life - his power prompted fear that he would make himself king

b Reformed the Roman calendar, was granted the right to wear the purple toga of Roman kings, to use the laurel crown, and to sit in a gold chair; his image was set up in all temples in Italy and his likeness appeared on coins.

EARLY LIFE b Helped Mark Antony fight piracy b Married a relative of Pompey (they later divorced on his suspicion that she was unfaithful) and supported military assignments for Pompey

b He later married Calpurnia b Caesar’s daughter, Julia, married Pompey. Despite this, strain developed between the two men. The death of Julia and success of Caesar at Gaul eventually destroyed the two men’s relationship. b Helped form first triumvirate (trio in power) b Caesar began a civil war. Caesar’s veteran army overran Pompey and he fled to Egypt where he was murdered.

b Following him there, Caesar became involved with Cleopatra and made her his mistress as well as queen of Egypt b After his victory over Pompey, he returned home to Rome and this is where our play begins b from this victory originated his famous boast, Veni, vidi, veci (“I came, I saw, I conquered.”)

THE ASSASSINATION OF CAESAR b The plot to murder Caesar was conceived by men who feared his power. The men also resented Caesar’s popularity with the masses.

b Altogether, sixty men were involved in the plot to kill Caesar. Caesar heard rumors about the plot to murder him, but dismissed them. On March 15, the Ides of March, he went to a meeting with the Senate on the porch of the theater of Pompey. At 11 o’clock Caesar was asked by one of the plotters to recall his brother from exile. As Caesar listened, the other conspirators gathered round, completely surrounding Caesar.

b Stabbed twenty-three times, Caesar fell at the foot of Pompey’s statue. Caesar’s death brought on another civil war which ended the Republic and ushered in the new era of the Empire. b Shakespeare took facts from Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans and developed them into this play.

ELEMENTS OF THE PLAY b PROTAGONIST - main character, center of attention; in conflict with antagonist - BRUTUS b ANTAGONIST - character in conflict with the main character - CAESAR- ANTONY- OCTAVIUS b CONFLICTS - person vs. person; person vs. self

b SETTING - Rome, 44 B.C.; Sardis and Philippi, 42 B.C. b TRAGIC FLAW - not a literary term - means: Good people, through error and temporary weakness, can wreck havoc on themselves and others.

Background b His family had noble roots although they were neither rich nor influential in this period. b At age 18 he married Cornelia, the daughter of a prominent member of the Popular faction; she later bore him his only legitimate child, a daughter, Julia. b The Optimate dictator, Sulla, ordered Caesar to divorce her; when Caesar refused, Sulla listed him among those to be executed. Caesar went into hiding. He eventually got a pardon.

Background b Caesar was awarded the civic crown (oak leaves) for saving the life of a citizen in battle when on the staff of a military legate. b General sent him on an embassy to obtain a fleet of ships. b Successful, but rumor was he had “persuaded” the king b When Sulla died in 78, Caesar returned to Rome and became an orator/lawyer. b Became known as an eloquent speaker

Background b Caesar was kidnapped and held for ransom by Cilician pirates when sailing to Greece for study b Ransom was set at 20 talents -- claimed he was worth 50 talents b Kept a friendly, joking relationship with the pirates b He warned them that he would track them down and crucify them after he was released as warning to all other pirates b He did that, but cut their throats first so their suffering would be less

Background b Caesar was elected military tribune b Spoke at the funerals of his aunt (Julia) and wife (Cornelia) b Both funerals he emphasized connections with Marius, ancient nobility of his family, and how he descended from the first kings on his mother’s side, and from the gods on his father’s side

Background b Caesar was elected quaestor and had a seat in the Senate. b Married granddaughter of Sulla, Pompeia b Supported Gnaeus Pompey and helped him get great generalship against Mediterranean pirates b Rumors were Caesar had affair with Pompey’s wife, as well as many other wives of prominent men.

Background b Spent heavily in a successful effort to be elected chief priest and later he was elected praetor b Divorced Pompeia because of her scandal with another man. b The man had been acquitted in the law courts, but Caesar claimed his wife must be above suspicion. b This suggested he was so exceptional that all associated with him must be free of scandal

Background b Joined forces with Pompey and Crassus. b They were called “The First Triumvirate” by modern historians b Called “the three-headed monster” by enemies b When Senate refused to grant Pompey’s veteran soldiers land and Crassus blocked his efforts, Caesar agreed to support their interests if he was elected to the consulship

Background b Was elected consul against heavy Optimate opposition by Marcus Porcius Cato – a shrewd and conservative politician b Caesar married his only daughter, Julia, to Pompey to solidify the alliance b Caesar married Calpurnia, the daughter of the leading member of the Popular faction b Caesar earned himself a five-year term as proconsul of Gaul after his consulship was over

Background b Caesar left Rome for Gaul – did not return for 9 years b Conquered most of central Europe b Opened lands to Mediterranean civilization, a decisive act in world history b Much of the conquest was an act of aggression by personal ambition

Background b Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus met in Caesar’s province to renew their alliance b Pompey had been increasingly moving toward the Optimate faction. b Pompey and Crassus were to be consuls again b Caesar’s command in Gaul was extended until 49 BCE

Background b Led a 3 month expedition to Britain, but did not establish a permanent base there b The coalition with Pompey was strained because Julia had died in childbirth b Crassus received command of armies in the East, but was defeated and killed by Parthians

Background b Rioting in Rome led to Pompey’s extra- legal election as “consul without a colleague.” b Without Julia and Crassus, there was little to bond Caesar and Pompey b Pompey moved to the Optimate factions b Pompey had always been eager for the favor of the aristocrats

Background b The conquest of Gaul was effectively completed b Caesar set up an efficient provincial administration to govern vast territories b Published the history The Gallic Wars b Caesar would be immediately prosecuted if he returned to Rome as a private citizen b Pompey and Caesar were maneuvered into a public split. b Neither could yield to the other without a loss of honor, dignity, and power

Background b Caesar tried to maintain his position legally, but led his armies across the Rubicon River when pushed to the limit b This caused an automatic civil war. b Quickly advanced to Rome, set up a rump Senate and declared himself dictator b Practiced his policy of clemency during his campaign. b This meant he would put no one to death and confiscate no property

Background b Led his legion to Spain to prevent Pompey’s forces from joining him in the East b After a short campaign, he returned to Rome and was elected consul, thus legalizing his position b Pompey and the Optimate faction established a strong position in Greece b Caesar was in Brundisium and did not have sufficient ships to transport all his legions

Background b Caesar crossed with only 20,000 men and left Mark Antony in Brundisium to try to bring across the rest of the soldiers b The rest of his forces finally landed and were greatly outnumbered by Pompey’s men. b In the final battle, Pompey had 46,000 men and Caesar had 21,000 men. b By brilliant generalship, Caesar was victorious b All Roman citizens were pardoned, including Brutus b Pompey fled to Egypt

Background b Caesar had 4,000 legionaries and landed in Alexandria b He was presented with the head of Pompey b Cleopatra was years old b She was driven out of Alexandria at this time by Pothinus b She had herself smuggled into the palace in Alexandria wrapped in a rug that was a gift for Caesar

Background b She enlisted Caesar’s help in her struggle to control the Egyptian throne b Cleopatra was of Macedonian Greek descent b She was highly intelligent and well-educated b Caesar saw her as a useful ally as well as a captivating female b He supported her right to the throne b Achillas and an army of besieged the palace b Caesar managed to hold the palace itself and the harbor

Background b Caesar had Pothinus executed as a traitor b He allowed Ptolemy to join the army of Achillas b Caesar had the Egyptian fleet burned b This caused the Library of Alexandria to be consumed in flames

Background b While under siege, Caesar tried unsuccessfully to capture Pharos, a great lighthouse on an island in the harbor b At one point, he was forced to jump in the water and swim to safety b Plutarch says Caesar swam with one hand, held important papers above the water, and towed his purple general’s cloak with his teeth b He did not want it captured by the Egyptians

Background b Caesar sent for reinforcements b When they arrived, they defeated the Egyptian army b He had been trapped in the palace for six months can could not exert influence on the civil war b The civil war was going badly, but he still remained in Egypt until June b He cruised the Nile with Cleopatra to the southern boundary of her kingdom

Background b Caesar left Alexandria when Cleopatra was established as a client ruler in alliance with Rome b He left 3 legions under the command of Rufio, as legate, in support of her rule b Either immediately before or soon after he left Egypt, Cleopatra bore a son, claiming he was the son of Caesar

Background b After leaving Alexandria, Caesar swept through Asia Minor to settle disturbances there b He met and overcame Pharnaces, a rebellious king b Publicized the rapidity of this victory with the slogan, veni, vidi, vici b I came, I saw, I conquered

Background b Arrived in Rome and settled the problems caused by the mismanagement of Antony b When he attempted to sail for Africa to face the Optimates, his legions mutinied and refused to sail b With a brilliant speech, he brought them around totally and defeated the Optimates b The leader, Cato, committed suicide rather than be pardoned by Caesar

b Caesar was now unchallenged and victorious b Arrived back in Rome and celebrated four splendid triumphs b He sent for Cleopatra and her son b He established them in a luxurious villa across the Tiber from Rome b He listed his political aims as “tranquility for Italy, peace for the provinces, and security for the Empire”

Background b Resolution of the worse of the debt crisis b Resettlement of veterans abroad without dispossessing others b Reform of the Roman calendar b Regulation of the grain dole b Strengthening of the middle class b Enlargement of the Senate to 900

Background b His methods alienated many of the nobles b He held the position of dictator and governed autocratically b He was more general than politician b Used political structured, but often announced his decisions to the Senate and had them entered on the record as senatorial decrees without debate or vote

Background b The two sons of Pompey led a revolt in Spain b Caesar’s legates were unable to quell the revolt b Caesar had to go himself and a decisive, but difficult victory at Munda b Caesar, back in Rome, celebrated a triumph over Gnaeus Pompey b This aroused discontent because triumphs were reserved for foreign enemies

Background b Issued coins with his likeness b Allowed his statues to be adorned like the statues of the gods b Senate was constantly voting him new honors b He had the right to wear the laurel wreath and purple and gold toga and sit in a gilded chair at all public functions b Had inscriptions such as “to the unconquerable god”

Background b Caesar was named dicator perpetuus b On Feb. 15 th, the feast of Lupercalia, Caesar wore his purple garb for the first time in public b Antony offered him a diadem, but Caesar refused it b He claimed that Jupiter alone is the king of Romans

Background b Caesar was preparing to lead a military campaign b He was warned of personal danger but refused a bodyguard b Caesar attended the last meeting of the Senate before his departure, held at its temporary quarters b The sixty conspirators came to the meeting with daggers in their togas

Background b He was struck 23 times as he stood at the base of Pompey’s statue b Caesar said in Greek to Brutus, “You too, my child” b All senators fled after his death b Slaves carried his body home to Calpurnia several hours later b For several days there was a political vacuum

Background b The conspirators had no long-range plan and did not immediately kill Mark Antony b The conspirators had only a band of gladiators to back them up b Antony had a whole legion, the keys to Caesar’s money boxes, and Caesar’s will