Hi folks! This week, we have some testimony from the Roman world itself about Julius Caesar, the popular and beloved dictator whose reforms ended the civil wars and whose assassination on the ides of March, 44 BCE, started them up again. What do you think made Caesar tick? Why did he matter so much to Rome’s people and soldiers?

In terms of From Plutarch, it mainly explains Caesar's charming personality, extraordinary political skills, and military genius. Nevertheless, the author might try to convey Caesar's ambition to change the nation because of a number of carefully prepared features: For instance, "Caesar won a great and brilliant popularity by his eloquence," which would be a kind of mean to rise in the nation. Whether political reform or economic reform, he all had a certain degree of foresight, and I am going to seek out his singularity.

My main interest was in how Caesar was at first portrayed as not being loved by the Roman people. Although he did not carry the peoples favor slowly but surely he began to sway the opinion of the public through working well alongside them. He went from being seen as a person who was not to be trusted to someone who was now seen as a genius and an intellectual. Caesar became the people's emperor.

The part of Plutarch's description of Caesar's early career that caught my attention was his being generous to his soldiers by offering them a prize of wealth to whoever was the most deserving among his soldiers. Another part that interested me the most was his willingness to endure many hardships without backing down from his attacks. This is how Julius Caesar's strength influenced the spirit and ambition of his soldiers, as evidenced by the rewards and honors he bestowed upon them. I wonder if this is what Plutarch is trying to show, how Julius Caesar was able to become an influence for the people of the ancient world, and it might explain how Caesar was able to yield to the strong by accepting the poorest conditions.

Julius Caesar was not only a very effective orator but also deeply admired by the people of Rome. This admiration stemmed from both his rhetorical brilliance and his strategic alignment with the commoners. During his early life, Caesar quickly rose in popularity, winning what could be considered a brilliant popularity contest by skillfully presenting himself as a champion of the people. His speeches reflected a blend of compassion, intelligence, and political savvy, earning him widespread favor among the plebeians. His ability to connect with the masses, while maintaining a sharp political mind, solidified his position as a beloved figure in Roman society and helped pave his path to power.

One of the most striking passages was where Appian describes how Antony used Caesar's bloodstained robe in the funeral oration and held it up to the crowd. This dramatic gesture had a powerful emotional impact—people cried, shouted, and eventually rioted. Appian seems to be demonstrating the ability of public opinion to be manipulated through clever rhetoric and symbolism. He highlights the political theatre's power and assumes that Antony was very intentional about stirring up indignation against the conspirators.

One segment that struck me most strongly was when Plutarch described how Caesar, at a young age, disobeyed dictator Sulla's order to divorce his wife, Cornelia. Sulla had stripped Caesar of his priesthood and inheritance, yet Caesar chose to escape for his life and go into hiding rather than complying. This really surprised me because it shows that Caesar was such a courageous and upright individual even at the early stages of his life. I believe Plutarch wanted to show that the greatness of Caesar was noticeable from the very beginning. His political consciousness, courage, and confidence were not qualities he learned later on—they were natural to him from the early stages.

In Appian’s account of Caesar’s funeral, what jumped out to me was how the crowd reacted with such intense emotion—they tore apart the Forum to build a pyre and even attacked the homes of the conspirators. It surprised me how personal his death felt to the public. Appian seems to be showing how deeply Caesar had connected with ordinary Romans, not just as a leader but almost like a hero. I’m curious now about what exactly made Caesar earn that kind of loyalty—was it his reforms, his charisma, or something else?

the primary sources tell me that Julius Caeser was a really good talker and very liked by the people in Rome. I know this because in his early career he won a Brillant popularity contest because of the good will from the common people for the friendliness of his manners but his eloquence as an advocate.

The detail from the reading, Plutarch on Caesar's early career that stood out to me was the story where Caesar and his company got caught in a storm and had to sleep in a poor man's hut. Caesar says "honours must be yielded to the strongest, but necessities to the weakest" and then made Oppius sleep in the one bed that was available. At first I thought he was trying to make fun of Oppius for being the weakest but now I see it was Caesar showing care for his friend. Especially since he and his other company had to sleep outside in the poor in the rain. This is why this part of the reading stood out to many there isnt too many stories of Caesar showing care for those around him. They talk about his military conquest , he was liked by the people, but this story show Caesar could show great care for someone. I believe this what the author was trying to show as Caesar was often depicted as cold, harsh, a tyrant etc. The author clearly wanted to show the readers that there were some good parts to Caesar. The author wanted to show that Caesar was a multifaceted man.

I would like to know Did Caesar ever interact with his children or was he always gone to war or governing Rome? What happened to Caesar's previous lovers/wives?

I decided to concentrate on Appian's narrative of Caesar's funeral, and specifically the gesture when Mark Antony publicly showed off Caesar's tattered and bloody toga while giving the speech at the funeral. This episode seemed particularly significant and emotionally provocative. The melodramatic showcasing of Caesar's ravaged garment transformed the funeral into a campaign rally, angering the people and inciting them into a frenzy of sorrow and fury. What struck me was how expertly stage-managed the affair was. Antony wasn't merely paying his respects to the memory of Caesar; he was using the moment to shift popular opinion and instill discontent among the conspirators. Appian is describing the manipulative power of public performance in Roman politics here. By drawing attention to Antony's stage-managed movements and the crowd's response to them, he demonstrates how instantly public opinion could be manipulated through spectacle. This also shows the tension between loyalty to a person and political expediency that characterized much of the late Republic. I want to learn more about how funerals functioned politically in Rome. Were such dramatic public funerals common, or was Caesar’s exceptional? Also, how did the people react in the days following the funeral? Was this moment truly the spark for the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire?

I think from reading Ceaser’s Funeral that he was very loved. The text says “if anyone should conspire against him, those who failed to defend him were to be accursed”. Meaning that if you didn’t defend Ceaser you would be punished. Antony made a proud speech about Ceaser calling him a leader. There was singing and reciting of his achievements. Then the people burned down the place where Ceaser was killed.