Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Reasons For the Assassination Of Julius Caesar - Coggle Diagram
Reasons For the Assassination Of Julius Caesar
Caesar Excessive Honours and Powers
Cassius Dio
‘He had aroused dislike that was not altogether unjustified, except in so far as it was the senators themselves who had by their novel and excessive honours encouraged him and puffed him up’
holds the opinion that these honours gain envy of the senators, leading to the formation of the conspiracy
also notes that caesar was corrupted by these honours, and then aimed for kingship
Nicolaus of Damascus
‘At that time some wished to gratify him by voting him one honour after another, while others treacherously included extravagant honours, and published them, so that he might become and object of envy and suspicion to all’
hints towards caesar honours being a tool of the conspirators to make caesar hated
Suetonius states caesar 'allowed honours to be bestowed on him which were too great for mortal man'
The Honours:
his head and title parens patrae were put on coinage
his house was to have a pediment (a feature reserved for temples)
caesars birthday was declared a public holiday
the month Quintilis was renamed jelius in his honour
a temple was to be built to his clementia
received tribunician sacrosanctity
statues of him were placed throughout rome
Swain and Davies argues that caesar excessive honours were ‘ubiquitous symbols of kingship and divinity'
Personal Motives Of Others
the idea that caesar was set up by the conspirators
nicolaus of damascus notes how some gratifies caesar with exessive honours in order to spark hatred towards him
H.H scullard states that the multiple incident that surrounded caesar could be interpreted as ' attempts by his political enemies to embarrass him'
along with his Scullard adresses rumoours of the time that caesar wanted to be king stating ' more probably these rumours were set on foot by his political enemies in order to dicredit him'
Nicolaus of Damascus notes that 'the reputation which has long been attached to the brutus family was very influential in causing the uprising' hinting that the personal motivation of Brutus led to a greater uprising against caesar
though some sources state the conspiracy was led by motives of personal gain Swain and Davies states ‘The assassination believed they were following these ideas (of fighting tyranny) convinced that the republic could love again only after caesar death’
'The assassins were driven by intense jealousy of caesars' unparalleled fortune and supremem power' - Vellius Paterculus
Caesar Behaviour Caused Resentment
Not only was caesar disliked amongst the senate but also by the people
'he vexed not only the senate, but also the people' - Plutarch
When receiving a procession of the senate before the temple of Venus Genetrix, caesar does not rise. This is seen as a great act of insult which created resentment, though sources disagree on the thesis that Caesar was overcome by illness and could not stand
Plutarch states that the people were appalled by this action and seeing this caesar ran away in shame and then used his disease as an excuse which Plutarch emphasis as a lie
Suetonius states this actions 'roused deadly hatred against him'
Caesar powers caused further resentment
though caesar exessive honours he gained all power in the senate and became 'obnoxious to the optimates and to those who were trying to obtain a share in government' - Nicolaus of Damascus
‘When he (Caesar) became exalted through many notable victories (which was fair enough) and began to think himself superhuman the common people worshipped him, but he began to be obnoxious to the optimists and to those who were trying to obtain a share in the government. And so every kind of man combined against him’
along with this Suetonius comments on Caesar 'disregard of law'
'he could dominate senate, magistrate and people' - Scullard
‘His manner of exercising authority undermined the trdational republic institutions and thus debased them….the old elite were squeezed out of the system for the foreseeable future’
Swain and Davies