A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome

by Emma Southon

approached Caesar and fell to his knees to beg Caesar to bring his brother back from exile. Caesar dismissed him, but Cimber grabbed Caesar’s toga in desperation. While this was happening, the rest of the conspirators approached the chair. Cimber pulled Caesar’s toga and exposed his neck. This was the signal. In Suetonius’ version of the murder, Caesar was offended by Cimber’s tugging on him and shouted, ‘Why! This is violence!’ and in Appian’s, Cimber shouted, ‘What are you waiting for, friends?!’ but in all the others, the first stab came unannounced. The first man to stab Caesar was Casca. He came from behind and aimed for the neck. He missed and drove his dagger into Caesar’s shoulder. The murder had begun. Caesar’s response to the first stab varies across the sources. Nicolaus has him leap up silently, to be felled immediately with a sword to the side, driven into him by Casca’s brother. Suetonius’ Caesar grabs Casca’s arm, still holding the blade dripping with his own blood, and stabs Casca with his stylus before being cut down by another, anonymous blade. In Plutarch’s version, Caesar doesn’t just grab Casca, he grabs the blade of the dagger like an absolute hero and shouts, ‘Damn you, Casca,’ before being hit by Casca’s brother. Appian’s account portrays Caesar standing up, grabbing Casca and whirling around, flinging Casca across the room but exposing his side to another blade. Finally, Dio’s Caesar is the most pathetic and gentle. He is unable to react and is bes...