SUETONIUS: The Portents Before The Murder Of Julius Caesar

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  • Created by: zoya5
  • Created on: 06-04-22 16:26

GENERAL NOTES

  • It's a TEXT not poem
  • Suetonius:
      • writer best known for his works "The 12 Caesars"
  • Most famous account of Caesar's assassination
  • Julius Caesar :
      • roman statesman who played a large part in the fall of the Republic. Aftersetting up the Triumvirate and then a bitter civil war he became leader of Rome
      • He was well-liked by people but the senators thought he was getting too much power.
      • He was assassinated by the senate on 15th March 44 BC
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PARAGRAPH 1

  • futura caedes - his imminent murder:
      • He was murdered in the senate house
      • caedes  literally can mean "disaster/slaughter"
      • this is a very emotive word. It foreshadows how brutal his murder will be
  • evidentibus prodigiis - by obvious portents:
      • This whole text is about omens before his murder, all which he ignored to his death
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PARAGRAPH 2

  • We go from very vague descriptions of omens to very detailed descriptions; this also increases as we get closer to the day of his death
  • in truciendo Rubico:
      • in 49 BC, Caesar crossed the river Rubicon with an army. This took him into Italy where by law, he wasn't allowed to command an army. This effectively declared war and Caesar subsequently took power
  • proximus diebus - during the previous few days
      • Along with many other examples this text has lots of time phrases. There is almost a countdown to Caesar's death. This makes the pasage very dramatic and increases tension
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PARAGRAPH 3

  • pertinacissime ... pabulo - were very stubbornly ... to graze:
      • Alliteration emphasises the stubborness of the horses. The superlative also emphasises this expression
  • flere - were crying:
      • Horses don't naturally cry. This is unnatural and so to a Roman this would be an omen
      • Suetonius is more concerned with making this dramatic
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PARAGRAPH 4

  • immolantem:
      • Caesar was sacrificing when Spurinna told him the omen
  • Spurinna:
      • Etruscan name, which links to his job as a soothsayer/ haruspex. This would be really obvious to a Roman
      • It emphasises his talent for magic and also makes the omen more credible
  • ut caveret periculum - to beware of danger:
      • word order is mixed around here - verbs usually come at the end of a phrase but caveret has been brought forward. This emphasises the warning
  • Caesar is warned that some danger will befall him by Ides of March:
      • his assassination takes place on that day
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PARAGRAPH 5

  • pridie autem - the day before:
      • time phrase. Continues countdown to his death. Keeps the dramatic tone
  • avem reguliolum - when a king bird:
      • avem =Caesar. reguliolum = Caesar acting like a king - not liked by senators
  • curiae - senate house:
      • this omen takes place in the senate house of Pompey (triumvirate ally) and then fought. This is ironic as this is where Caesar will be killed
  • volucres varii generis - some other birds of various kinds:
      • the other birds = senators and the various kinds = different reasons for wanting Caesar dead
  • laureo ramulo - a laurel twig:
      • reflects laurel wreath, symbol of power, worn at special occasions but Caesar wore it all the time, like a crown
  • discerpserunt- tore it to pieces:
      • very violent verb - reflects brutal murder of Caesar
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PARAGRAPH 6

  • ea ... nocte - actually during the night:
      • Time phrase
      • this omen happens at night which is a perfect time for magical events to happen
  • sibi visus est - he seemed to himself: 
      • common phrase in latin literature
      • indicates someone dreaming and in this case it is Caesar
  • supra nubes volitare - to be flying over the clouds:
      • he is flying in his dream
      • this represents how high he is in society
  • Iove dextram iungere - to be holding hands with Jupiter:
      • he is dead
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PARAGRAPH 7

  • Calpurina uxor imaginata est - his wife Calpurina imagined that:
      • typical phrase meaning she is dreaming
  • conlabi fastigium domus - the gable of the house was collapsing:
      • fastigium is the pointed end of a temple. By this time Caesar has been given a unique honour of being allowed a gable on his house
      • the collapse of the gable foreshadows his downfall
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PARAGRAPH 8

  • cubiculi fores - the doors of the bedroom:
      • in Roman superstition if things happen on their own it is often a bad omen
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PARAGRAPH 9

  • ob haec simul et ob infirmam valitudinem - on account of these things ... his weak health:
      • parrallel structure shows Caesar is placing same importance on the omens as on his health - he is not being as conscious of the omens as he should be
  • diu cuncatus - he hesitated for some time:
      • Suetonius is creating tension and suspense about whether or not Caesar will got to the senate
      • we have to wait to find out
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PARAGRAPH 10

  • frequentes ac iamdudum - crowds of people ... for a long time:
      • Suetonius tells us that Decimus Brutus persuades him about going to the senate by saying the senators are waiting for him and have been for a while
      • we know thay are waiting to kill him
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PARAGRAPH 11

  • quinta fere hora - almost the fifth hour:
      • last time phrase
  • libellumque insidiarum indicem - a document giving information about the conspirators:
      • dramatic and creates suspense for the reader - will he find out?
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PARAGRAPH 12

  • sinsitra manu - in his left hand:
      • left hand is a bad sign
  • mox lecturus - read them soon:
      • dramatic irony
      • We know he won't read it as he is going to be assassinated
      • ironic - he holds the key to his own safety 
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PARAGRAPH 13

  • before a meeting in the senate, they would make a sacrifice to see if the meeting should go ahead
  • It was common that if the sacrifice was unfavourable they would make another sacrifice intil a favourable reading was obtained
  • Here Caesar is unable to get a favourable reading -  the dramatic reason is because his fate is sealed
  • You could even say that perhaps the only acceptable sacrifice is Caesar himself
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PARAGRAPH 14

  • Caesar mocks the warning Spurinna has given him saying the Ides of March has come and he is fine
  • spreta ... irridens ... arguens - scorning ... mocking ... accusing:
      • Tricolon of actions 
      • emphasises his arrogance and his error as he enters the senate house
      • he is scorning superstition, mocking Spurinna and accusing him of giving false prophecy
  • introiit - he entered:
      • emphatically placed at the start of the sentence to indicate this is where his mistake happens
      • now his fate is sealed
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PARAGRAPH 15

  • adessent ... is venisse ... eas ... sed ... praeterisse - full of sibillance
  • It is also a forcefully brief in the mention of this ominous reply Spurinna gives
  • These 2 things combined add to the sinister tone at the end of the text
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