Suetonius

Question 1

What suetonius well known for

Answer 1

Suetonius was well known for his work “ the twelve lives of Caesar”

Question 2

Who was Julius Cesar?

Answer 2

Julius Caesar was a Rome statesman who played a large part in the roman republic fall
after winning a bitter civil war he emerged the leader of Rome he was very good with people but the nobility were worried he had to much power

Question 3

When was cesar assassinated and who by?

Answer 3

he was assassinated in 44 BC 15 march senators conspired to kill him in the senate

Question 4

Where was cesar murdered?

sed…est

Answer 4

But his imminent murder was indicated to Caesar by obvious portents.

Question 5

Give analysis for “futura caedes”

Answer 5

Julius Caesar was murdered in the senate house

“caedes”-means disaster ot slaughter emotive word showing how brutal Cesar assassination will be

Question 6

What happened during the previous few days?

“proximus..dimiserat

Answer 6

During the previous few days some
herds of horses, which during his
crossing he had dedicated to the
river Rubicon and let loose without
any keeper,

Question 7

What does “evidentibus prodigiis” mean?

Answer 7

this text tells us the omens before his murder all of which cesar ignored to his death

Question 8

What were the horse doing?

“comperit…flere”

Answer 8

he found were very stubbornly refusing to graze and were crying in floods.

Question 9

Give analysis for “proximis diebus”

Answer 9

time phrase almost like a countdown to ceasar death
Suetonius is building the tension
we go from vague omen descriptions to very detailed accounts of the omen closest to his death

Question 10

What river is mentioned in the poem?

Answer 10

“traiciendo Rubiconi” Caesar crossed this river Rubicon with an army which took him into Italy (were by law he could not command an army)This effectively declared war and Ceasar subsequently took power

Question 11

Who were the “consecraverat”?

Answer 11

these were the horse Cesar crossed the river on and they are now kept in good conditions as they are now dedicated to the river god.

Question 12

“pertinacissime pabulo”

Answer 12

the alliteration of the “P” emphasizes the stubborn nature of the horses.The superlative also gives this impression

Question 13

What does “flere” mean?

Answer 13

this means to weep and horses do not actually cry like humans so for them to cry in unnatural behaviour so this is seen as an omen suetonius is more concerned by making it dramatic.

Question 14

Who warned Cesar?

“et…proferretur.”

Answer 14

And, when he [Caesar] was sacrificing, Spurinna the soothsayer warned him to beware of danger,
which would not be delayed beyond the Ides of March.

Question 15

Who is Spurinna?

Answer 15

the name is Etruscan-this links to his job as a soothsayer/haruspex
To a Roman it would be an obvious link it emphasise the the omen he gives Caesar

Question 16

How does mixed word order portray danger?

Answer 16

the word order is mixed around the verb “caveret” is not at the end of a phrase but has been moved forward this emphasises Caesar must be aware of the danger

Question 17

When is the ides of march?

Answer 17

he is warned that something bad will fall on the Ideas of march (15th).his assassination will take place then

Question 18

What flew into the senate house of pompey?

Answer 18

The day before those same Ides, when a king bird (= a wren) flew into the senate-house of Pompey with a laurel twig, some other birds of various kinds pursued it from a nearby wood and tore it to pieces on the spot.

Question 19

How does the bird reflect Cesar?

Answer 19

“pridie” continues the countdown to his death keeps the tension going
“avem regaliolum” metaphor -this is the bird that reflects Cesar reflects how Cesar is acting like a king and this is what the senators do not like

Question 20

Why is Pompey key?

Answer 20

this omen takes place in the senate house of pompey
pompey had been one of Cesar allies but then they fought against each other Romans would have known this + understood the irony.This is where cesar dies

Question 21

What phrase represents the senators?

Answer 21

“volucres varii” alliteration emphasis many senators dont like him

Question 22

What is “laureo ramulo”

Answer 22

the twig reflect the laurel wreath
this is a symbol of power and you can only wear it at some points
Caesar has now been given the honour to wear this whenever he is in a crowd

Question 23

What was Cesar seen to be doing in his dream?

“ea…iungere”

Answer 23

Actually during the night on which dawned the day of the murder, in the silence he seemed one time to be flying over the clouds, and the next minute to be holding hands with Jupiter;

Question 24

How do we know cesar is dreaming?

Answer 24

“Nocte” best time for magical/omen things to happen

“sibi Visus Est”-common phrase to show someone is dreaming.Cesar is dreaming about himself

Question 25

What word tell us he is flying?

Answer 25

“supra nubes volitare” he is flying in his dream which shows how high he think he is in society

Question 26

How do we know Cesar is dead?

Answer 26

“Iove dextram iungere;” he is holding hands with Jupiter and he is dead

Question 27

What did his wife Calpurnia magine?

Answer 27

and his wife Calpurinia imagined that the gable of the house was collapsing and that her husband was
stabbed in her lap;

Question 28

How does the gable collapsing show his downfall?

Answer 28

“fastigium domus”pointed end of the gable by this time cesar has been given the honour a gable of his house and the collapse show’s his downfall

Question 29

What flew open?

“Ac..patuarunt”

Answer 29

and suddenly the doors of the

bedroom flew open of their own accords

Question 30

What phrases shows the bedroom down opened themselves?

Answer 30

cubuli fores- the bedroom Door often open themselves in Roman superstation this is bad

Question 31

What did cesar hesitate for?

ob…differet

Answer 31

On account of these things and also his weak health he hesitated for some time whether he should stay at home and postpone the [business] he had planned to transact in the senate,

Question 32

Give analysis for “Diu Cunctatus”

Answer 32

“diu cunctatus” creates tension by increasing the suspense whether if cesar will go to the senate or not
die-for a long time we have to wait and see

Question 33

Who urged him to go?

tandem …disituerat

Answer 33

but at last, when Decimus Brutus urged him not to disappoint the crowds of people who had been
waiting for a long time,

Question 34

What was handed to Caesar on the way?

quinta..porectum

Answer 34

he set off at almost the fifth hour; a document giving information about the conspirators, [which was] handed
to him by someone on the way,

Question 35

What is the phrase for documents?

Answer 35

libellumque insidiarum-this is the document with the conspiracy inside them.Will he read them?

Question 36

What hand did he put the documents in?

libellis commisicut

Answer 36

he put with some other documents which he was holding in his left hand, as though intending read them soon.

Question 37

Why were more victims killed?

Answer 37

Then, after more victims had been
killed, since it wasn t possible to find
a favourable omen,

Question 38

Who did Cesar mock and why?

Answer 38

he entered the senate-house, scorning such superstition, mocking Spurinna and accusing him of being false because the Ides of March
were here without any harm to him:

Question 39

What did the Spurina say after Cesar mocked him?

Answer 39

though he responded that they had

indeed come, but they had not gone.

Question 40

How does mox lecturus show irony?

Answer 40

This is ironic as he holds the key to his own safety in his hand but will not get the chance to read it before it is too late.

Question 41

What did they always do before meeting with the senate?

Answer 41

Pluribus hostiis caesis, cum litare non posset: Before a meeting of the senate, they would made a sacrifice to see if the meeting should go ahead (to see if the gods were OK with it).

Question 42

Why was it common the sacrifice was unfavourable?

Answer 42

It was common, if the sacrifice was unfavourable (like a blemish on the organs or if the animal was not calm) to make another sacrifice, and another if necessary, until a favourable reading was obtained.

Question 43

Why cant Cesar get a favourable reading?

Answer 43

the dramatic reason is because his fate is now sealed. You could even think that perhaps the only acceptable sacrifice is in fact Caesar himself!

Question 44

What does the tricolon show spreta, irridens, arguens:

Answer 44

tricolon of actions that Caesar takes here. This emphasises Caesar’s arrogance, and his error as he enters the Senate house. He is scorning superstition, mocking the soothsayer Spurinna and accusing Spurinna of giving false prophecy!