Plutarch's Life of Ceasar

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Mark Zaborniak

History 1110 Unit 2

N. Conradt

        The assassination of Julius Caesar as depicted by Plutarch shows how the dictator was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. Plutarch wrote on a number of historically significant figures, and most appear in his The Parallel Lives. Written in an attempt to show how the political figures influenced their domains, Life of Caesar describes why Caesar was killed and the final moments and death of Julius Caesar.

        The first paragraph of the source tells us that Caesar was not unaware of the impending threat against him. A prophet imposed the knowledge on him sometime before, but the ruler was not inclined to heed the warning, and fate proved to catch up with him in the end. The quotes given by Caesar and the return by the prophet show the arrogance that Julius conducted himself with, and that the very pride he had may have led to his ultimate demise.

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        The second part of the primary source portrays the arrival of Caesar at the senate house and the details surrounding his murder at the hands of a group of fellow senators and one time friend Brutus. The conspirators stabbed at Caesar multiple times as the dictator attempted to defend himself. Plutarch says that until the dictator saw his friend upon him he resisted valiantly but gave up and succumbed to death as Brutus lunged at him.

        One of the most obvious issues that gave rise to this document is the murder of one of the world’s most powerful leaders ...

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