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Famous Last Words: Caesar's Prophecy on the Ides of March

Ziogas, I.

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Abstract

Shakespeare’s Et tu, Brute has been influential in shaping a tradition that interprets Caesar’s last words as an expression of shock at Brutus’ betrayal. Yet this interpretation is not suggested in the ancient sources that attest the tag καὶ σύ, τέκνον (‘you too, son’). This article argues that Caesar’s dictum evokes a formula of funerary epigrams, which refers to death as the common lot of all mortals. The epitaphic connotations of καὶ σύ or tu quoque feature in epic poetry, a connection that lends a Homeric dimension to Caesar’s last words. The dictator’s oral epitaph predicts the death of Brutus as a consequence of his involvement in the assassination. It means ‘You too, son, will die’. The Greco-Roman belief that a dying man can foresee the future invests Caesar’s last words with prophetic authority.

Citation

Ziogas, I. (2016). Famous Last Words: Caesar's Prophecy on the Ides of March. Antichthon, 50, 134-153. https://doi.org/10.1017/ann.2016.9

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 16, 2016
Online Publication Date Feb 8, 2017
Publication Date Jan 1, 2016
Deposit Date Feb 8, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Antichthon.
Print ISSN 0066-4774
Electronic ISSN 2056-8819
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 50
Pages 134-153
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/ann.2016.9

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Copyright Statement
This article has been published in a revised form in Antichthon https://doi.org/10.1017/ann.2016.9. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © The Australasian Society for Classical Studies 2017




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