The HBO series Rome dramatizes the murder of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March (see clip above). It is ironic that this level of violence ushers in the Pax Romana that we have begun to discuss in class. What do you think motivates this murder? The perpetrators, led by Senator Brutus, made a conscious choice to murder Caesar in public in the Senate house. What does it possibly symbolize? Can we fairly call Pax Romana peaceful if this is how it begins?
Let's talk (reflect)...
23 comments:
Daniel Kaufman said...I think control was a motivation for the assassination. Brutus viewed Caesar as threat and didn't want him to rule as permanent dictator.I wouldn't call Pax Romana very peaceful. military wise sure, but outside of the military? No you cant say people running around killing dictators is a very peaceful thing can you?
Senator Brutus mentions in this clip that Ceaser is going to consider revoking his brother's exile. Ceaser says that he is still considering it. I'm not sure what exactly that means but I do know the Senator didn't like it. Right after that he begins to fight him and tells the others to attack him. I think if symbolizes rebellion, because they are taking over a position of authority by taking Julius's life.
I don't think that Senator Brutus was very happy when Caesar said that he's still only considering revoking his brother's exile and I think that is one of the reasons for the assassination. I think the fact that the assassination was done in public symbolizes that it was a rebellion because they didn't want Caesar to rule anymore so they took his life and position. Also I think it could be taken as a threat to the other people who witnessed it.
This attack was planned for a while.Brutus and other senators were waiting for the right moment. This was a assassination that wanted to take out one of the three leaders of Rome and start a conflict within the city. This symbolizes that much more was to come, like the mark of a new era. But as a side note I was disappointed that they didn't let Julius Ceaser say his last words.
Olivia Siegel said
In the clip of the murder of Julius Caesar, i think the motives in the video was on revenge because Senator Brutus and Caesar had a Conspiracy over an agreement they had and Brutus made all of the people in meeting also himself killing Caesar. I think that the Pax Romana would not be peaceful when Caesar died.
I believe that Pax Romana was a violent place at times. Clearly there was a reason to kill Caesar although, I think that the way they did it was not called for. For example at the end when the last person stabbed him he looked Caesar directly in the eyes. I feel that was a way of insanity. A question that popped in my head is how can a person look straight into someone's eyes as they take away their last breath.
I think it cant be considered a peaceful place because this is how it started. They killed for power, and that is all they wanted and cared about.
Pax Romana was really violent when it shouldn't have been. The murder of Julius Caesar was motivated by wanting power. This could possibly symbolize a sense of madness because they just used to take out weapons and stab each other without stopping.by Gloria p. harley
I think that Senator Brutus wanted to kill Caesar because he didn't revoke his brothers exile, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.Also i believe the attack was premeditated because everyone who took part in Caesar's public murder seemed to have been ready and prepared when Brutus told them to attack,I think the attack symbolizes rebellion and betrayal because they all seemed to be on his side and the people just either watched him die or took part in his death.
I think the motives for killing Ceaser were control and disagreement. As I watched the clip, it already seemed that Brutus and Ceaser already didn't get along very well. I also think they wanted to kill Ceaser because they didn't like they way he handled things and the less people in charge, the more there is for one single person. Obviously after watching this clip we can predict that Pax Romana was not a very joyous time. I think this murder can symbolizes the need and want for power and control.
After watching this video, I seems as though Brutus was doing the murder in front of the public for attention and also for rebellion. It seems as though Brutus thought twice about killing Caesar from the way he looked at him for a few seconds. I do not think Pax Romana started of peaceful. I wonder why the definition of Pax Romana says its a peaceful time...when it clearly is the opposite.
When I watched this video I thought that due to the violence of this time Pax Romana is the wrong phrase for this. The murder of Caesar proves that there wasn't all peace. The violence makes this time of "Roman Peace" seem false and the name of this time, Pax Romana, biased.
In this clip, we can clearly see that the only way they thought they could overtake power was through violence which is ironic since Pax Romana was supposed to be a very peaceful time. I think this symbolizes a rebellion cause they're overtaking a position of authority in such a brutal way.
After watching this video,i think the motivation is take control power and Senator Brutus was not really happy about his brother's exile.He murder Caesar in public in the Senate house because he don't want Caesar to control anymore.I don't think the Pax Roman would not peaceful
I think the motivation and symbolism for the killing, is power. This killing would be planned because this was the beginning of the era. They would have to have a well thought out conversation about how future people and themselves would gain power. To kill is not a sane or controlled way to do so either. It's like a child, you teach them what the rights and wrongs area and how to behave at a young age so they are brought up to act that way. Pax Romana was taught at the beginning of the era to kill for power and that idea would grow as the years went on.
I think Brutus wanted to be the leader of Pax Romana for himself and everyone else wanted him to be it to so they all help murder Ceaser. I don’t think that Pax Romana is a very nice place now because after Ceasers death that is when ever thing started to get violent.
I think that power and rule are the two concepts that motivate this murder. The Senators wanted Caesar's place as ruler. I think that by murdering Caesar in public, it was posed as a threat to anyone that witnessed the murder. I think this symbolized rebellion and the start of a war/conflict with other cities
I think that the senators wanted that authority so they all rebel against Caesar. As you can see in the video, Senator Brutus was not happy about what Caesar said and they all decided to just kill Caesar. They killed an authority and I wouldn't call that peaceful and that it was violence.
In the video senator Brutus is asking Julius Caesar if he still is going to revoke he's brother's exile. I think it was very cruel and brutal how they killed him and I don't think it was a good enough reason why. I also think they wanted control and they knew that Caesar had the authority and they all were probably sick of if and decided to kill him. When he told him that he was considering revoking his brother's exile he just tells everyone to kill Caesar and they listen and I think it's his brother at the end of the clip that finishes Caesar off and I think he did that because he felt that all of that was for him so he couldn't wait to get the last stab. It was very violent and not peaceful and if this is how they started in Pax Romona it was a horrible place to be.
I think that on some level caesar deserved his fate. Perhaps not as brutal as it came however. I think this could have been handled more peacefully. But if the foundation of pax romana was death, it cannot truly be peaceful. Behind the curtains chaos rules. And the way caesar was was killed truly shows chaos
i think the motivation of the murder is to make sure that Senator Brutus' brother does not get exiled. i think that senator brutus wanted to make a statement showing that who ever opposed him would have the same fate as Julius Caesar. i think that Senator Brutus just wanted to strike fear into all those that thought of opposing him.
What motivated this was Caesar was getting a lot of attention and power and the other rulers along with him were jealous. I don't consider Pax Romana a peaceful time because there was a public murder of Caesar.
The assassination of Julius Caesar was brutal, precise and premeditated with the pretense that Caesar was hell-bent on ruining the foundations on Rome. Peace in government must always be a bit of a thin covering, for the economy is in shambles and it kills the military. With the military symbolizing power for Rome, Pax Romana seems impossible to achieve if at the same time the emperors want to conquer other kingdoms. I think that Pax Romana was publically peaceful, though the interworking of the government contradicts its serene claim.
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