![]() ![]() Caesar died in the Curia of Pompey, which served at that time as the Roman senate house, named for his rival and fellow consul, the so-called Pompey the Great. But a group of senators, wary of seeing their constitutional republic transform into the rubber-stamping apparatus of one strongman, proved his mortality to all the world in the form of dozens of stabs. But for Caesar, one could see how he might have come to see himself as more than just a mere person. Behind the general, a slave held a laurel over his head, whispering, “Remember, you are mortal.” This was, in effect, an institutional reality check. Had he not been among their greatest generals? Had he not distributed much of his wealth to the common man, earning their love? (Some would say buying it.) Had he not, through his relationship with Cleopatra, brought Egypt into the Roman World and used Egyptian grain to feed the hungry people of Italy? Had he not wowed the Roman people with his achievements?Ī Roman general who had been awarded a Triumph by the Senate-a special military and religious parade in the city of Rome-would ride on a chariot, with his face painted in honor of Jupiter. Claiming to be descended from the goddess Venus, Caesar was surely a kind of god-among-men. He wanted to assume the office of an unprecedented Dictator-for-Life-a king in all but name. Julius Caesar, consumed by self-confidence and believing his own propaganda, fatally miscalculated. Rome could tolerate a dictator, but it would not have another king. As Rome grew, so grew its political instabilities, crises, and upheavals. This had happened a few times in Rome’s past and the Roman state endured. After the time expired, all his powers devolved back to the senate. During this period, the dictator had a free hand to do anything he deemed necessary for the preservation of the state. In times of emergency, Rome could appoint a legal dictator to serve for a fixed amount of time. This was not democracy, but it was not autocracy, either, and a codified system of laws were in place to govern the new republic. The Romans overthrew the monarchy and established a Republic, where instead of one person with supreme power, there was a degree of power sharing among the ultra-elites of Roman society, the patricians, with an elected leadership. ![]() This proved too much for the Romans to bear. The city was ruled over by various Etruscan kings in its formative centuries, until the last, Tarquin, through murder and terror, made himself an absolute autocrat, and instigated wars with neighboring Etruscan cities. It’s first legendary king and semi-mythical founder was Romulus, from whom Rome gets its name. It is important to note that Rome was originally a kingdom. But the Republic was a constitutional arrangement, too, where the deliberative body called the Senate was headed by two annually-elected consuls who, between them, held the executive power. Caesar soon became the nominal ruler of the Roman Republic. He had conquered the vast territory of Gaul (today’s France and Belgium) and brought back its loot, showcasing his triumphs publicly and deliberately. For those who skipped history class, Caesar, with an enormous fortune enjoyed fame and adoration from the commoners called the plebians. Without going into excessive detail about a subject familiar, or should be familiar, to anyone who wants to play a role in the public sphere, Gaius Julius Caesar was the populist consul of Rome and, for a time, her master. In the church of the politico-whose temples are council chambers, state houses, Capitols, Parliaments, Kremlins, or palaces-those who have come to see themselves as deities in their own right should use today of all days to pause and reflect. The public hopes that such recognitions are given to worthy individuals, but we are not so naive as to think that other factors would not contribute to honors in the public sphere. ![]() Few things are more frightening, especially to a public official who makes a career of being in the spotlight, than the idea of being completely and utterly forgotten. Public honors are a form of immortality and, perhaps, their great appeal. A park might be dedicated to someone, others may have a statue erected. The names of prominent mayors and business magnates may be immortalized on a plaque in town, on a marker stone, or perhaps across the façade of the public library, school, or university. Have I been a good parent? Did I make a difference? Fundamentally, the question at its most basic level is, “How will I be remembered?” Most people, no matter what station they hail from, are concerned to some extent or another with their legacy.
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