The Death of Caesar

Suetonius - Divus Julius, LXXXII:

As he took his seat, the conspirators gathered about him as if to pay their respects, and straightway Tillius Cimber, who had assumed the lead, came nearer as if to ask something; and when Caesar with a gesture to put him off to another time, Cimber caught his toga by both shoulders; then as Caesar cried, "Why, this is violence!" one of the Cascas stabbed him from one side just below the throat. Caesar caught Casca's arm and ran it through with his stylus, but as he tried to leap to his feet, he was stopped by another wound. When he saw that he was beset on all sides by drawn daggers, he muffled his head in his robe, and at the same time drew down its lap to his feet with his left hand , in order to fall more decently, with the lower part of his body also covered. And in this wise he was stabbed with three and twenty wounds, uttering not a word, but merely a groan at the first stroke, though some have written that when Marcus Brutus rushed at him, he said in Greek "You too, my child?"

(Trans. J.C.Rolfe, Loeb Classical Libraries, 1928)

Appian - Bella Civilia, II.XVI.117:

The conspirators had left Trebonius, one of their number, to engage Antony in conversation at the door. The others, with concealed daggers, stood around Caesar like friends as he sat in his chair. Then one of them, Tillius Cimber, cane up in front of him and petitioned him for the recall of his brother, who had been banished. When Caesar answered that the matter must be deferred, Cimber siezed hold of his purple robe as though still urging his petition, and pulled it away so as to expose his neck, exclaiming "Friends, what are you waiting for?" Then first Casca who was standing over Caesar's head, drove his dagger at his throat, but missed his aim and wounded him in the breast. Caesar snatched his toga from Cimber , siezed Casca's hand, sprang from his chair , turned around and hurled Casca with great violence. While he was in this position another one stabbed him with a dagger in the side, which was exposed by his turning around , Cassius wounded him in the face, Brutus smote him in the thigh, and Bucolianus between the shoulder blades. With rage and outcries Caesar turned now upon one and now upon another like a wild animal, but after receiving the wound from Brutus he despaired and, veiling himself with his robe, he fell in a decent position at the foot of Pompey's statue. They continued their attack after he had fallen until he had received twenty-three wounds. Several of them while thrusting with their swords wounded each other.

(Trans. Horace White, Bell and Sons, 1899)

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McKeown, J., "The Death of Caesar," http:// romans.etrusia.co.uk
/romans_death_of_caesar.php
, 18 October 2004.

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