However at this point, Caesar’s last moments deviate quite a bit from the Shakespearean version. Both The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the historical record make this clear. This outlawing of kingship in Rome, in tandem with the personal distress and jealousy of the weakened Roman Senate was the uppermost motive for Caesar’s assassination. Reportedly, Senator Gaius Cassius Longinus, one of the principal architects of the plot to kill Caesar, attempted to entice Marcus Brutus to participate in the assassination by implying his ancestor would have done the same. (Fascinating to think that if not for that rape, much of human history may have been completely changed.)Īfter the monarchy was successfully deposed, one of Brutus’ first acts was to get the people to swear an oath that never again would a king rule in Rome.īrutus’ influence was also of more immediate impact on Caesar’s assassination: he was ancestor of Marcus Junius Brutus, the very Brutus to whom Caesar (allegedly) cried to in death. Brutus, in roughly 509 BC, summoned the Roman people to vote for the overthrow and exile of the monarchy – an act of rebellion sparked by the rape of a Roman noblewoman, and Brutus’ kin, Lucretia who felt being raped dishonored her family, so killed herself. To put the gravity of this in perspective, kings ruled Rome prior to the founding of the Republic by Lucius Junius Brutus.

This stoked fears that Caesar wished to completely dismantle the Roman Republic, and instead rule as a king. Throughout Caesar’s dictatorship, Caesar had consolidated his political power even further, being declared dictator perpetuo (dictator in perpetuity) and also passed laws that allowed him to personally appoint senators and other officials loyal to him, and to dismiss others at whim.

Unsurprisingly, the Senate took this loss of power and privilege less than lightly.

As a consequence of this, the balance of political power shifted away from Rome’s political elite, the Senate, which had for centuries served as Rome’s premier electoral and administrative body, and entirely towards Caesar. However, the legal office of dictator also granted Caesar power to rule by decree, and also to wield unilateral judicial power. As dictator, Caesar was de jure Chief Executive and Military Commander of Rome, powers which he had already assumed in practice. Caesar’s victory both removed his chief political and military rival, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (defeated by Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus), and concentrated military power in the hands of Caesar, thereby clearing the path for him to assume dictatorial power. In roughly 49 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar, then a very popular general of Rome’s armies, emerged the victor from a civil war. According to the Roman Historians Plutarch and Suetonius, the former of whom wrote “Life of Caesar” and “Life of Brutus”, the inspiration for The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, these famous words are a historical fiction. Popular reception notwithstanding, however, “Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar!” is one Shakespearean exclamation that should provoke historical indignation. Shakespeare’s rendition of Caesar’s last words has received popular canonization – entering the vernacular alongside other literary imports from Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar such as “Beware the Ides of march!”, “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!”, “Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears!” and “ Sic Semper Tyrannis!”Īs Caesar professed to love Brutus as a son, and had been Brutus’ political sponsor, “Et tu, Brute?” has become a popular literary trope expressing shock at the betrayal of an ally. For context, William Shakespeare would have us believe, Julius Caesar, in his final moments called out: “Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar!” to his longtime friend Marcus Junius Brutus, prior to succumbing to stab wounds inflicted by Brutus and co-conspirators in the Senate house. In terms of famous last words, Julius Caesar’s supposed “Et tu, Brute?” may be the most well known of any in history.

Suetonius gaius julius caesar summary