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The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

 

The Assassination of Julius Caesar (44 BC)

 

Famous for...

 

1. Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

Julius Caesar (often called Caesar, pictured right) was a great Roman leader and general, who conquered:

  • Gaul (France).
  • Britain.
  • Germany.

 

2. Caesar’s dying words

Caesar said to Brutus (one of his assassins) in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar: “Et tu, Brute?” (“And you, Brutus?).

But his last words are more likely to have been:

“You, too, my son?” (on seeing his son attack him).

 

3. The Ides of March

A soothsayer warned Caesar to beware the Ides of March (March 15th).

Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia, also foresaw his death in a nightmare the night before but couldn’t persuade him to stay at home.

 

4. Carry On CleoThe Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

In the 1964 British comedy film, Carry On Cleo, the English actor, Kenneth Williams, played Julius Caesar (pictured right).

He says on seeing his assassins:

“Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me!”

 

Key people

 

Julius Caesar

Roman leader (see above).

 

Brutus and Cassius 

Roman senators and leaders of the plot to assassinate Caesar.

 

Mark AntonyThe Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

Caesar's loyal supporter who gave a great funeral speech attacking the assassins.

In Shakespeare’s (pictured right) play, Julius Caesar, this famously begins:

“Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears”.

 

Octavian (later Emperor Augustus)

Caesar's nephew and adopted son.

 

Calpurnia

Caesar's wife.

 

Lessons for success, leadership and ethics

 The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

1. Ideals are important

Despite being Caesar’s friend, Brutus (pictured right) was prepared to kill him to preserve democracy and freedom in Rome, because Caesar wanted to be emperor and dictator.

 

 

2. Don’t deceive yourself

Brutus let his ideals disguise the evil of killing a good friend. The murder destroyed him, leading to his suicide.

 

 

The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

3. Think through the consequences of your actions

Caesar’s murder didn’t achieve what Brutus and Cassius had hoped.

It didn’t preserve democracy but instead replaced one dictator (Caesar) with another (Octavian, later Emperor Augustus, pictured right).

 

 

4. Share power with the people

If he had kept democracy, Caesar wouldn’t have been killed.

 

 

5. Power corrupts

Caesar’s lust for dictatorial (or absolute) power destroyed him.

 

 

6. Change isn’t easyThe Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

People felt threatened by Caesar’s dictatorship and the loss of democracy.

But most people put up with it, because the alternative (civil war) was far worse.

Cicero, the Roman writer and philosopher (pictured right), was sympathetic to Caesar, because his actions had been partly driven by circumstances.

“We are his slaves, but he is the slave of the times”, Cicero said.

 

7. Betrayal is shameful

Caesar’s assassins included his friends and son.

 

8. Integrity inspires

Despite murdering Caesar, Brutus was still greatly respected by Mark Antony , who wrapped his body in his most expensive cloak.

In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony describes Brutus as “the noblest Roman of them all”.

 

Key quotes

You, too, my son?, Caesar (his likely dying words).

The Ides of March are come, Caesar (just before the murder) to the soothsayer, who replied: “Aye, Caesar, but not gone”.

Thus, always, to tyrants!, Brutus (on Caesar’s death).

 

What happened after Caesar’s death?

 

44 BC

Mark Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral leads to civil war.

 

42 BCThe Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

The Battle of Philippi in which Mark Antony (pictured right) and Octavian defeat Brutus and Cassius (who both commit suicide).

 

31 BC

Octavian defeats Mark Antony at the naval Battle of Actium.

 The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Success, Leadership and Ethics

30 BC 

Mark Antony and his wife, Cleopatra (the queen of Egypt and Caesar’s ex-lover, pictured right) commit suicide.

 

27 BC

Octavian becomes Augustus, the Roman Empire’s first emperor and dictator.

 

Best book

Adrian Goldsworthy, Caesar (2006).

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