These are some notes I jotted while reading C.Suetonius Tranquillus, The Lives of the Caesars. This entry includes my observations from Chapters 45-89 from his writings on Julius Caesar (see notes on 1-44 here). If there is something you found to be important from this section that you’d like to bring to my attention please leave a comment.
– Caesar was obsessed with his appearance. He kept his hair short. He maintained a clean shave. He plucked hair from his body. He worried about his balding. (Chapter 45)
– When Caesar became pontificate he moved to a palace on the Via Sacra. (Chapter 46)
– Caesar invaded Britain in hopes of “finding pearls.” (Chapter 47)
– Caesar was “addicted to women” including the wives of many important Romans. (Chapter 50)
– Caesar’s addiction included married women in the provinces. (Chapter 51)
– Other mistresses included queens like Eunoe the Moor and Cleopatra the Egyptian. Caesar and Cleopatra had a son together. (Chapter 52)
– Caesar was known as a solid orator. (Chapter 55)
– The war in Gaul was described in depth by Caesar’s own commentaries. (Chapter 56)
– Caesar was a very cautious, strategic general. Suetonius says he would move ahead of his troops and even scout enemy territory. (Chapters 57-58)
– In order to force his men to fight harder he would let loose all of the escape horses. (Chapter 60)
– Caesar would interfere with men trying to escape battle. (Chapter 62)
– Suetonius says that Caesar valued his soldier for nothing but their courage. He mixed severity with indulgence. (Chapter 65)
– During the Gallic war there were no mutinies against Caesar with very little rebellion during the civil war. (Chapter 69)
– Suetonius says that Caesar’s bad deeds outweighed his good deeds and he names many of those deeds like dictatorship for life and receiving the title emperor. (Chapter 76)
– Caesar began to show signs of kingship, which offended the senate. He refused to stand in their honor, but remained seated. (Chapter 78)
– Other signs include not rebuking a man who put a crown on a statue of his image, Antony attempting to crown him, rumors that he was going to move to Alexandria or Ilium and drain Rome of resources, and a “prophecy” that only a king could defeat the Parthians, indicating Caesar should be that king. (Chapter 79)
– This began the conspiracy against his life. (Chapter 80)
– There were many omens warning Caesar about his impending doom. He almost stayed home, but he was convinced by Decimus Brutus that to shun the senate would cause him problems. Brutus was part of the conspiracy though. Even as he was about to enter the senate chambers someone handed him a paper warning him, but he did not get to read it. (Chapter 81)
– Suetonius says that Tullius Cimber was the one who attacked Caesar first. The others followed, stabbing him to death. (Chapter 82)
– Caesar’s will was read in Mark Antony’s house after his murder. Gaius Octavius received three-fourths of Caesar’s estate and Octavius was adopted. (Chapter 83)
– The people mourned Caesar. What was surprising to read was the line, “but especially the Jews (est praecipueque Iudaei).” (Chapter 84)
– The people attempted to attack the houses of Brutus and Cassius. (Chapter 85)
– Caesar was fifty-six when he was killed. He was deified. (Chapter 88)
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