The Assassination of Julius Caesar
On 15th March, 44 BC, Caesar was due to appear at a session of the Senate. He woke up feeling sick and he was in a dilemma whether to attend or not but decided to go in the end. If you believe in omens, here is a fact - first, Caesar’s horses that were grazing on the banks of the Rubicon were seen to weep. Next, a bird flew into the Theater of Pompey with a sprig of laurel but was quickly devoured by a larger bird. Anyway, let's get back to the main event.
Mark Antony, having vaguely learned of the plot the night before from a terrified liberator named Servilius Casca, that several Senators had conspired to assassinate Caesar, went to head Caesar off. The plotters having anticipated this move had arranged for Trebonius to intercept him. Being unaware of all these, Caesar arrived at the Senate.
Just as Caesar entered the Senate, a man named Artemidorus tried to warn him of imminent danger by thrusting a small scroll into his hand, but Caesar ignored it. Tillius Cimber approached Caesar and handed him a petition on behalf of his exiled brother while other conspirators slowly surrounded him to offer support. As Caesar waved Cimber to go away, Cimber grabbed Caesar's toga and pulled it back. Casca, standing nearby dealt the first blow with his dagger. Caesar tried to defend himself by catching Casca's arm. Within moments, the entire group including Brutus started striking at Caesar.
Caesar attempted to get away, but he was blinded by his blood. He tripped and fell at the footsteps of Pompey. The stabbing continued while he lay defenseless. All in all, Caesar was stabbed 23 times. Caesar's last known words were not clear but the famous one recorded was that of "You, too, my child".
So there it is a little bit of history for this week. Stay tuned for the next...
Image credit - Google