Caesar and Cleopatra: A Tale of Julius Caesar Read online

Caesar’s speech rallied the men under his command when they would have stayed in Rome rather than sail to Africa to fight King Juba of Numibia. Word soon reached Rome that Caesar had defeated the Optimates led by Cato and King Juba at Thapsus. Cato, Rome soon learned, had committed suicide to avoid capture. Cato, enemy of Caesar, was dead, and Caesar was uncontestably Rome’s greatest general.

  July 25, 46 B.C.

  Caesar arrived home in Rome once more. Caesar had sent word for Cleopatra and their son Caesarion to come to Rome. A splendid villa awaited them over the River Tiber. Caesar had several reforms to implement. He ordered the Senate to implement changes, more like a general than like a politician. When in Rome, Caesar had begun to implement change—building a temple, changing laws, giving benefits to his army.

  And alienating the Senate, bit by bit.

  April 45 B.C.

  Caesar had received word that his legates could not quell the revolt of Pompey the Great’s two sons, Gnaeus and Sextus, in Spain. Caesar journeyed to Spain to crush the revolt himself, and won a victory at Munda. Gnaeus Pompey was killed. However, Sextus managed to escape. They did not know where he had gone.

  Caesar returned home, war-weary, but hopeful that he was done with battles.

  October, 45 B.C.

  As Caesar’s chariot rolled through the city on the day of his arrival into Rome after his many battles to crush his foes, the common people exclaimed ‘veni, vedi, vedi,’ or “I came, I saw, I conquered,” to Caesar, their victorious hero, who had coined this famous expression on one of his campaigns.

  Getting down from his chariot outside the forum, Caesar then made his way on foot to the Roman Rostra— a raised platform upon which orators or leaders spoke to an assembly of the Roman people. A crowd had followed him all the way, and was cheering him on. Suddenly, a member of the crowd of people pressed forward and put a wreath around the statue of Caesar on the Rostra. Caesar, who was speaking, was surprised.

  “Remove the wreath,” ordered the tribunes Marcellus and Flavus while Caesar spoke. “It is a symbol of Jupiter. A symbol of royalty. And Rome has no King.” There had not been a King in Rome since the founding of the republic around seven hundred years before.

  “Caesar Rex!” exclaimed the crowd, stirred up with fervor.

  “I am not Rex,” protested Caesar, raising his hands to calm them. “I am no King.” Still, privately, Caesar was angry that the two tribunes had acted against the crowd’s wishes.

  “I want you to have both of the tribunes who ordered removal of the wreath removed from office,” said Caesar later to one of his commanders. Thus Gaius Marullus and Lucius Flavus were punished.

  February 13 – 15, 44 B. C.

  The festival of the Lupercalia was under way in Rome. It was an ancient festival, dating back before Rome existed as a republic. The Lupercalia was a pastoral festival which was celebrated in order to purify the city and ward off evil spirits. It was associated with the god Lupercus, a shepherd god, whose priests wore goatskins during the festival. The festival was also in part to honor Lupa, the she-wolf who had suckled Remus and Romulus, founders of Rome in the year 753 B.C.

  Caesar was ready for the festival. He got up to give a speech from the Rostra. But, during Caesar’s speech, Marc Antony, who had been elected co-consul with Caesar, tried three times to put a crown upon Caesar’s head. Caesar took the crown into his hand, but didn’t put it on his own head.

  “No, Antony, Jupiter alone is King of the gods,” Caesar said, loudly. He kept the crown, though, in his hand, when the festival was over.

  Caesar later used the crown in sacrifice to the god Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

  I am no King…

  46 B.C. – 45 B.C.

  Cleopatra journeyed with her son to Rome, where Caesar awaited her. Caesar met her, and was delighted to see his young son, Caesarion, once more.

  “I am glad, he looks a bit like me,” commented Caesar when he saw young Caesarion again after the last few years. He was walking around, but wore Egyptian clothing. That would have to be changed.

  “He knows of you. His nurse has told him all about his father, and of Rome. He was excited to come here.” Said Cleopatra quietly. “I am glad we are all here together.”

  “I am as well,” said Caesar with sincerity, though he knew Cleopatra was not popular with the Roman people. They pitied Calpurnia, his Roman wife, whom they felt Caesar had disrespected by his “marriage” to Cleopatra.

  And still they loved him. Caesar was Rome’s greatest hero.

  February, 44 B. C.

  The Senate was affronted by the outrage! Dictator for Life, Dictator Perpetuo—a title Caesar had taken for himself, to establish his own rule of Rome. Would Caesar make himself emperor next? What would happen to the Roman Republic, and the Senate?

  Caesar was at Cleopatra’s villa taking a refreshment outside, when he received a messenger with a gift.

  “What is it?” asked little Caesarion.

  “A denarius coin,” answered the messenger, who had brought a coin with Caesar’s image printed on one side along with the title Dictator Perpetuo. Caesar took the coin from the messenger, looked at the front, and then turned the coin over, upon which was the likeness of the goddess Ceres and the title Augur Pontifex Maximus.

  “It is you on the coin?” asked Caesarion.

  “Yes,” said Caesar, and took the boy up into his arms. “It is. See—there is my face, and on the other side, a goddess.”

  The boy smiled.

  * * * * *

  Caesar sat in the Temple of Venus Genatrix he had built as a result of a vow to honor the gods for his victory over Pompey. Some time in the afternoon of a hot day, a Senatorial delegation came to where Caesar was sitting to inform him of special honors that were being bestowed on him.

  “What can it be now?” Caesar thought, perhaps being a bit too dismissive of the delegation, but he was tired of dealing with the Senate and the nebulous honors it granted him, honors contrived as always to be more to the Senate’s advantage.

  Thinking that he was not in the mood to be disturbed by the Senate again, Caesar chose not to rise in his seat to meet the Senatorial delegation, but remained seated—Cornelius Balbus, one of his commanders, restrained him a bit in case he should rise, but Caesar had no intention of rising.

  This point was well taken by the delegation.

  15th March, 44 B. C.

  The Ides of March dawned cold, but the day was clear. Outside Caesar’s villa, a songbird was singing cheerfully, but inside the villa, Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife, was distraught. She had just awoken from a dreadful dream.

  “Caesar,” she said, coming into the dining area where Caesar and Marcus Brutus were talking. Brutus had arrived early that morning to escort Caesar to the Senate.

  “I had a bad dream,” said Calpurnia with a sob. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around her husband.

  “Please, don’t go to the Senate today,” she said, with another small sob.

  Caesar shook his head. “Calpurnia,” he said gently, “I have been summoned by the Senate, my dear. I will be home late this afternoon. Put your dream out of your mind.”

  Marcus Brutus, who had come to Caesar’s house, witnessed the interchange. “Come, Caesar, do not listen to the fanciful dreams of your wife. The Senate has honored you with a summons. We must go.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” said Caesar, and left his wife outside their villa, where she was clearly still troubled by fear.

  Caesar and Brutus arrived at the Senate some time later that morning. The priests outside stopped Caesar before he entered. “Let us do some more augueries,” they entreated Caesar, “for the sacrifices we have made today have given us bad omens only.”

  “What is this about?” Caesar demanded, having little patience for the priests.

  “We could not read the outcome of the augery for you, mighty Caesar, but I fear this does not bode well—can you stay and allow me to do anothe
r augery in your name?”

  “No, of course I can’t stop now.” Said Caesar. “I must go into the Senate. Come, let us postpone divination until sunset,” added Caesar in irritation.

  “Come, Caesar, let us ignore this and go in where the Senate is waiting,” said Brutus, in a tired voice that lacked patience.

  Caesar nodded, and along with Brutus went up the steps of the Senate.

  A messenger passed Caesar a note as he was about to enter the Senate, but he didn’t stop to read it. He took the note with a quick look, but didn’t open it.

  Caesar went into the Senate building where the meeting was called to order, next to Pompey’s Theater.

  While the meeting was going on, Servillius Casca suddenly stood and came over to Caesar, who was seated. Casca brandished a dagger, and stabbed him first, in the neck. Casca called to his brother, who approached Caesar in seconds and stabbed him in the ribs with a sword, while Caesar stood and attempted to defend himself.

  Other Senators stood as well and were ready, approaching Caesar, who stared in confusion and shock, not knowing why the Senators suddenly surrounded him. Among them was Marcus Brutus, who had accompanied Caesar to the Senate that morning. Cassius slashed at Caesar’s face. Decimus Brutus stabbed him in his side. Other Senators, including Gaius Cassius Longinus, brother-in-law to Brutus, attempted to stab Caesar, but his dagger was deflected and ended up slashing Marcus Brutus’ hand. Minucius also tried to stab Caesar, but in the motions, ended up slashing Rubrius in the thigh.

  Caesar had wandered a bit from his chair as the assassins struck him. Finally, Caesar fell to his knees, by the statue of Pompey the Great, his former enemy.

  There, under the shadow of Pompey’s bust, Marcus Brutus stabbed Caesar in the groin.

  Caesar looked in agony at the frenzied face of Brutus looming above him.

  “You too, my child?” he said. They were the final words of Gaius Julius Caesar.

  Thus Caesar, dictator of Rome and greatest of Rome’s generals, died. He was fifty-six years old.