CLAS/HIST1631

CLAS/HIST1631

Brutus

The Gracchi Brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus try to

reform Rome around time of Eunus' slave war Reassign 'public' land Reduce concentration of wealth in hands of few Provide settlement for dispossessed former soldiers Basis of the movement known as 'populares'

Both die trying, at the hands of crowds summoned by senatorial opposition, 'optimates'

Failure to reconcile the differences they brought up leads to the Roman Revolution, changing government from rotating magistratices to autocracy

The Fragmentation of the Republic

Land reforms proposed by Gracchi violently rejected

Senatorial elite react against any diminishing of their authority

Polarization of the ruling classes into Populares and Optimates

Politicians and others get used to taking sides, often with bloody results

War Against Allies; War Against Slaves

War with Italian allies, who wanted citizenship

Only settled through concessions

Slave rebellion of gladiator Spartacus, 73-71

Extensive fighting in Italy

Pompey Magnus 'The Great' Consul in 70, before

proper age Eastern command,

wipes out pirates, finishes rebellious eastern monarchs, captures Jerusalem

On return (61 BC), senate won't let him settle army

Julius Caesar Related to Marius on

mother's side Made pontifex (chief

priest) in 73, after distinguished military career

Spends lavishly in government

Provincial governor in Spain

First Triumvirate

On return from Spain, Caesar runs for consular office; can't afford to lose (60 BC)

Allies himself with Pompey Not an official alliance, due to mutual self-

interest Sealed by marriage of Julia (Caesar's daughter) to

Pompey in 59 BC Caesar hopes to have his back covered while in

his province, Gaul

Caesar in Gaul

Given provinces of Gauls, this side and other side of the Alps

Starts major war, after almost a decade conquers all of modern-day France, Belgium, even reaches Britain

Needs continued power to avoid prosecution for irreg. activities in consulship

Civil War Julia dies 54 Pompey opposes

Caesar's run for office in absentia

Caesar crosses the Rubicon river

“Alea iacta est” B. of Pharsalus Egypt and Cleopatra

Caesar, Dictator for Life

Detail of Text

Assassination of Caesar Progressive measures: calendar, increasing number of Patrician families, colonies

Widespread conspiracy assassinates him in Curia, 15th March 44 BC

Conspirators believe they have restored Republic; just delay the inevitable

Caesar's Two Would-Be Successors

Octavian, his barely-adult nephew to whom he surprisingly left his wealth and name, adopting posthumously

Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony), who was his lieutenant and considered himself the true successor to Caesar's glory

44 BC's 24 Hour News Cycle

Compared to most history before 18th C., we know a great deal about this year

Contemporary letters, sometimes multiple on one day Cicero, hoping to restore Republic, but refusing to get

his hands dirty in assassination

The Turning Tide

Popular love of Caesar out-weighs respect for assassins

Antony and Octavian join forces and oppose the killers of Caesar Gradual realization that they are in a corner: see letter

to Brutus on p. 58-59

Brutus, Traitor or Freedom-Fighter?

Sadly, this flood of information rarely informs discussion of the people involved

Brutus' life put him in the centre of the conflict between popularist dictator Caesar and the senate

His personal life with Caesar was so close that the latters last words were not 'You also, Brutus?' They were 'You also, my son'!

Son of Caesar

Julius Caesar had no male offspring Brutus might have been destined to mary Julia,

Caesar's only daughter Brutus was like a step-son, because Brutus'

mother, Servilia, was Caesar's longstanding mistress

Brutus' uncle – Servilia's half brother – was Cato, the leading optimate, and a vigorous opponent of Caesar at every turn

Sic Semper Tyrannis

Lucius Junius Brutus was the last king-killer of Rome, and Brutus' ancestor

Brutus studied in Athens and saw the statue of Harmodius and Aristogeiton One thing the defeated Greeks and Romans could

agree on was the evil of tyranny

Brutus' Propaganda in Coin

Optimate Hypocrisy

The optimates always talked of constitutional matters, but never lost an opportunity to gain wealth and power through their position in ruling elite

E.g., Cato and Brutus' trip to Cyprus to organize as province

On return, Brutus gets a law decreed that lets him charge 48% on loan to city at Cyprus

Choosing Sides Civil War between Caesar and Pompey of 49 put

Brutus, like many others in hard spot: Family ties Values

Pompey was chosen as weapon of optimates against Caesar, who they saw as having 'gone rogue'

Pompey had been responsible for death of Brutus' father

Yet nevertheless Brutus chose Pompey's side

Caesar's Victory Over Pompey

Brutus chose the losing side at B. of Pharsalus Pompey, Cato decide to go to Africa and continue

fight Pompey's killed by the king of Egypt, Ptolemy XIII Cato defeated in N. Africa; commits suicide

Miraculously, Caesar decided to offer clemency to anyone who would return to Rome

Brutus takes governorship of Gaul from Caesar

The War of Words

Brutus writes eulogy of Cato with Cicero Caesar writes anti-Cato in response Brutus became literally wedded to Cato: he

divorces in order to marry Porcia, daughter of Cato

Imagine the dinner-table, with Servilia and Porcia staring daggers at each other!

The Assassination of Caesar

Brutus was the man of the hour, egged on by Cassius

All these personal and self-interested reasons intersected with political: Caesar had decreed himself dictator for life

Took place at meeting of senate, but not in Senate House but rather under statue of Pompey!

The Failing Counter-Revolution

Cicero says the conspirators had “courage of men and foresight of children”

Eventually they are driven from Rome and defeated at Philippi in 42 BC

Cicero is killed by agreement of Antony and Octavian