Caesar, Julius; Rome -- History -- Republic, 265-30 B.C.
The Senate meanwhile was occupied in showing the sincerity of their
conversion by inventing honors for their new master, and smothering him
with distinctions since they had failed to defeat him in the field. Few
recruits had yet joined them, and they were still substantially the old
body. They voted Caesar the name of Liberator. They struck medals for
him, in which he was described as Pater Patriae, an epithet which
Cicero had once with quickened pulse heard given to himself by Pompey.
"Imperator" had been a title conferred hitherto by soldiers in the
field on a successful general. It was now granted to Caesar in a
special sense, and was made hereditary in his family, with the
command-in-chief of the army for his life. The Senate gave him also the
charge of the treasury. They made him consul for ten years. Statues
were to be erected to him in the temples, on the Rostra, and in the
Capitol, where he was to stand as an eighth among the seven Kings of
Rome. In the excess of their adoration, they desired even to place his
image in the Temple of Quirinus himself, with an inscription to him as
[Greek: Theos animaetos], the invincible god. Golden chairs, gilt
chariots, triumphal robes were piled one upon another with laurelled
fasces and laurelled wreaths. His birthday was made a perpetual
holiday, and the month Quinctilis[5] was renamed, in honor of him,
July. A temple to Concord was to be erected in commemoration of his
clemency. His person was declared sacred, and to injure him by word or
deed was to be counted sacrilege. The Fortune of Caesar was introduced
into the constitutional oath, and the Senate took a solemn pledge to
maintain his acts inviolate. Finally, they arrived at a conclusion that
he was not a man at all; no longer Caius Julius, but Divus Julius, a
god or the son of god. A temple was to be built to Caesar as another
Quirinus, and Antony was to be his priest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account