An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
304: The Murder of Julius Caesar
February 13, 2023
Description
Books Referenced
Author: William Shakespeare
Context:
Referenced multiple times as the source that made the assassination story famous in the English-speaking world, including the famous line 'Et tu, Brute' and the portrayal of Brutus and Cassius as conspirators
Author: Lucan
Context:
Mentioned as 'a great epic about the civil war in the time of Nero' which contains the famous phrase about the gods favoring the winning cause but Cato favoring the defeated one
Author: Suetonius
Context:
Cited as providing 'our best account' of Caesar's assassination, including details about the 23 wounds and Caesar's final moments, and the description of his body being carried home
Author: Plutarch
Context:
Cited as a source for details about the assassination, including that every conspirator agreed to stab Caesar once, and that Caesar fought back until he saw Brutus