The National tribune., 1881-11-12
DEATH OF JULIUS CESAR.


Caesars life had been one of the most valOrOus III
. n age when valor was the pride of nation. His
eath was equal to his life. He had many warn
ngs, but refused to retain existence at the price
of constant suspicion and guarding. Caesars enc
mics had made pretended contrition for their re-
bellion and treachery after his conquest of Pom
! pey. The question of the kingshlp was over; but
! q vapue alarm had been created which answered
the purpose Of the optimates. Caesar was at their
mercy any day. They had sworn to maintain all
his acts They had sworn, after Cicero's speech
individually and collectively to defend his life
Caesar, whether he believed them sincere or not
had taken them at their word, and came daily to
the Senate unamed and without a guard. He
had protection in the people. If the optimates
killed him without preparation, they knew that
they would be Immediately massacred. But an
atmosphere ofsuspicion and uncertainty had been
successfully generated, of which they determined
to take immediate advantage. There were no
troops in the city. Lepidus, Caesars master of
the horse, who had been appointed Governor of
Gaul, was outside the gates, with few cohorts
but Lepidus was person of feeble character and
they trusted to be able to deal with him.
Thus the ides of March drew near Caesar was
to set out in a few days for Parthia Decimus
BrutuS was going as Governor to the north of
Italy, LepiduS to Gaul, Marcus Brutus to Mace
dOnia and TrebOnius to Asia Minor Antony,
Caesars colleague in the Consulship, was to re-
main in Italy. Dolabella, Cicero's son-in-law,
was to be Consul with him as soon as Cesar
should have left for the East. The foreign APP
pointments were all made for five years, and in
another week the party would be scattered The
time for action had come, if action there was to
be. Papers were dropped in Brutus's room bid
ding him awake from his sleep. On the statue
of Junius Brutus some hot republican wrote:
Would that thou vast alive" The assassina~
ton in itself was easy, for Caesar would take no
precautions. So pOrtentous an intention could
not be kept entirely secret; many friends warned
him to beware, but he disdained too heartily the
worst that his enemies could do to him to vex
himself with thinking of them and he forbade
the subject to he mentioned any more in his pres
ence Portents, prophecies, soothsayings, fright
full aspects in the sacrifices, natural growths of
alarm and excitement, were equally vain. "Am
l to be frightened" he said in answer to some
report of the haruspices, because a sheep is
without hearth"
An important meeting of the Senate had been
called for the ides the 18th of the month The
Pontifces, it was whispered, intended to bring on
again the question OF the kingship before Caesars
departure. The occasion would be appropriate
The Senate house itself was convenient scene
Of operations. The conspirators met at supper
the evening before at Cassius's house. Cicero, to
h IS regret AS not invited. The plan was simple
and was rapid r ara 7. Csessz would attend
aaarr.... The Senate Haa 5a the secret would
~ ua. aaao r.sa. Ih. part. Who intended FL acs
were .. provide tnta- a. f'i''n aaria nl-. rrEeh
uvui.,. - ~----- concealed 70 t'g4- Pap. yoA.e
So far all was simple: but question rose whether
Caesar only was to be killed, or whether Antony
and Lepidus were to be dispatched along with
him. They decided that Caesars death would be
sufficient To spill blood without necessity would
mar, it was thought the sublimity of their ex-
)loit Some Of them liked Antony. None sup
posed that either he or Lepidus would be dam
gerous when Caesar was gone. In this resolution
Cicero thought that they made a fatal mistake: |
inc emotions We're good in their place, in the |
Of speeches and such like; Antony, as
Cicero admitted, had been signally kind to him:
1ut the killing Cesar was serious business. and !
lis friends should have died along with him. It |
vas determined otherwise Antony and Lepidus |
we're not to be touched. For the rest the assas
ins had merely to be in their places in the Senate
L good time. When Caesar entered Trebonius
vas to detain Antony in conversation at the door
The others were TO gather about Casar's chair on
'retence Of presenting petition and so could
make an end. A gang of gladiators were to be
ecreted in the adjoining theatre to be ready
hould any unforeseen difficulty present itself.
The same evening, the 18th of March. Caesar
Tas at a " Last Supper" at the house of Lepidus.
he conversation turned on death, and ON the
ind of death which was most to be desired
cesar, who was signing papers while the rest
1ere talking, looked up and said "A sudden
ne" When great men die imagination insists
hat all nature shall have felt the shock Strange
tories were told in after years OF the uneasy Ia
ors Of the elements that night
=" A little ere the mightest Julius fell
The graves did open, and the sheeted dead
Did squeak and jibber in the Roman streets
The .armOr of Mars, which stood in the hall of
lie POntifical Palace, crashed down upon the
avement. The door of Caesars room few open.
alpurnia dreamt her husband was murdered.
nd that she saw him ascending into heaven and
,ceived by the hand of God. In the morning the
Icritices were again unfavorable Caesar was ;
,stiess. Some natural disorder affected his spir
s. and his spirits were reacting on his BODY {
Ontrary to his usual habit he gave way to de- {
ITa cd n | .