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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination

Almost everything we think we know about how Julius Caesar died we learned from Shakespeare.  "Et tu, Brute?" -  Caesar never said it, although according to Barry Strauss in his new book, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (#564), he may have said something similar, but in Greek.  That's just one of the fascinating bits of information in his concise recounting of the events leading up to the fateful Ides of March, 44 B.C.

Who was Julius Caesar, and why did so many people want him dead?  Once the deed was done, did things work out as planned for the conspirators?  Barry Strauss makes these people and their motivations as real as though you are reading about them in today's newspaper.  This is no fusty bit of history dusted off for our inspection; it's highlighting an incident that, though it took place centuries ago, has shaped our past and still reverberates today. 

Consulting numerous contemporary sources, as well as those writing up to several generations later, Strauss strives to put together a more comprehensive view of the assassination from both sides: Caesar's enemies and detractors, as well as his supporters.  Strauss includes as well a wealth of additional source material for readers interested in exploring more about the people and politics involved.  As a boon for us non-academic types, he also includes a number of recommended works of fiction on the period that portray the characters and period accurately. 

Kudos, Professor Strauss!  Wish I was close enough to Cornell to sit in on some of your classes!

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