This feeling is one Julius Caesar knows all too well.
On this day in history, Julius Caesar was stabbed when he was at the foot of the statue of Pompey where the Roman Senate was meeting.
Already famous in Rome for his nine year siege in Gaul, he marched into his country as a hero and took control of the country from his former ally, Pompey. He was later elected as consul in 49 BCE. He was again elected in 46 BCE and was appointed dictator for ten years. Caesar then served as a consul in 46 BC and 45 BC, the last of his terms he served without a colleague.
During his reign as dictator, Caesar created a new constitution in order to suppress all armed resistance in the Roman provinces, create a strong, central government and combine the empire into one cohesive unit.
In order to achieve these goals, he strengthened his control over the government by increasing his authority and decreasing the powers of other government institutions. He reformed several important issues that had been neglected for a long time, like the calendar.
However, all good things must come to an end.
Fearful of Caesar appointing himself dictator for life, a group of 60 conspirators led by Marcus Brutus, Gaius Longinus, Decimus Albinus, and Gaius Trebonius formulated a plan to kill Caesar.
On March 44 BCE, Caesar attended his last Senate meeting without a bodyguard, despite being forewarnedby his wife earlier that danger was afoot. The perpetrators had daggers hidden in their togas and stabbed Caesar 23 times while he stood at the foot of Pompey’s statue.
Legend has it that Caesar’s last words to Brutus were “Et tu, Brute?” meaning “And you, Brutus?” His final words have been immortalized thanks to Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar and the quote is widely used to signify the most horrific betrayal.
On March 15, the deadline for students participating in the Mr. and Mrs. Rock Bridge pageant passed, the Young Socialist club met in room 215 and Ron Paul visited the University of Missouri campus. But 2,056 years ago and 5191 miles away, the most famous of betrayals was committed.
By Jessica Jost
