Caesar's legacy

FABIAN

Dear Anupa,

Calpurnia dreamt that she held Caesar's dead body covered with wounds in her arms when she awoke, she asked her husband to cancel the Senate meeting, due that morning (March 15, 44 B.C.). The omens as interpreted by the professionals were also grim. So Caesar decided to send for Marc Antony and postpone the Senate meeting.

Just then Decimus Brutus visited him and urged him not to postpone the meeting. The Senate was about to make Caesar king of all the provinces outside Italy with the right to wear a diadem outside Italy, whether on sea or land. Should the Senate wait till Calpurnia had better dreams?

At the meeting Tillius Cimber approached Caesar requesting him to allow his exiled brother to return. Caesar refused. Tillius and the rest of the conspirators began to insist and Caesar got angry. Tillius pulled down Caesar's toga as a signal and the first blow was struck by Casca. Caesar turned around and got hold of the knife and cried in Latin "Casca, you villain, what are you doing?" Casca shouted out in Greek "Help, brother." It is believed that Caesar fought back till he saw Brutus raise his dagger at him and Caesar exclaimed, "You too my son?"

On March 19, Caesar's will was handed over to Marc Antony by the Vestal Virgins. He was shocked to find that Caius Octavianus was designated as Caesar's son and heir.

One of Caesar's lasting contributions is the reform of the calendar. Let us look at the names of the months and their meaning. September means the seventh month, October the eight and so on till December. For September to be the seventh month, the year had to begin in March and that was the case in Rome where the newly appointed Consul used to assume office on March 15 and arrive at the appointed place to take over command. Military operations used to commence in spring. This worked out well when the theatre of military operations was not too far from Rome. As Rome's military operations expanded the Consul needed more time to travel. So in B.C. 153 it was decided that the year would start in January with the new Consul taking office then. But the misalignment between the Roman calendar and the seasons continued till Julius Caesar with the assistance of Alexandrian astronomers, chief among whom was Sosigenes. The Julian calendar came into effect from January, B.C. 45. The previous year had a total of 445 days. The Julian calendar is still with us, with some adjustments.

Caesar founded public libraries, based on the Alexandrian pattern. Tackled the debt problem, that had dogged Rome for more than four centuries. By 49 BC Caesar decreed against hoarding of money and creditors were obliged to accept property at pre-war prices. Both sides complained and this erupted in violence resulting in the death of 800 citizens. Caesar then decreed that interest accrued after the beginning of the civil war was not to be paid.

Caesar enlarged the Senate from 600 to 900 by nominating men who were loyal to him such as bankers, industrialists and army officers. Despite all his achievements, Caesar was a failure in replacing the outdated republican system with a new, viable system. Where Caesar failed, his adopted son succeeded.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Break - dancer
Next     : A matter of wright and rong