The Ides of March
March 15th 44BC
For all the Classicists, History nerds, or people who simply enjoy reading tidbits of info that they wouldn't normally come across!
Today is the Ides of March, 2053 years ago on this day Gaius Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate building but his fellow Senators. Those Senators were desperately trying to save the Republic, the self-government that Rome had known for hundreds of years. Sadly for them, their actions were in vain and would ultimately cost a lot of them their death and ruin. Julius Caesars heir and nephew, Octavianus (more commonly known as Augustus), would later take up his uncles torch.
The Julio-Claudian Dynasty is one of the most studied family lines of ancient history and the Roman Empire probably one of the most commonly known. Gaius Julius Caesar was one of the best general historians have ever studied, commonly known for his statement "
veni, vidi, vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) and Augustus proved to be just as intelligent in the art of politics and power manipulation. Their actions, and that of their descendants, would lead to a solidified monarchical empire under the control of some really great emperors and some... really not great emperors!
If you ever feel the inclination for a good historical read that isn't
too dry I suggest you pick up "Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History" by Christopher S. Mackay (he's quite witty... in that Classicists kind of way... I promise!)
If you're still curious about this time period but don't want to sit down to read a textbook, take a look at the
HBO series Rome. It's not 100% accurate but it does a fairly decent job on the major events.
