Monday, 01 June 2009

Julius Caesar Quotes


Julius Caesar quotes / quotations are limited. There are not many, and, oftentimes I am confused as to which were really Caesar’s and which were William Shakespeare's.

1) “Veni, vidi vici” : I came I saw I conquered. This is a Caesar quote as documented by Suetonius . Details at a previous post.

2) “The die has been cast” : Caesars words on crossing the Rubicon ; Details at a previous post.

3) “Et tu Brute” : And you too Brutus. This is an interesting one, supposedly uttered by Caesar on being assassinated ; Details at a previous post

4) Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true.
(Still working on this one.)

5) It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience
(Still working on this one as well)

6) It is not these well-fed long-haired men that I fear, but the pale and the hungry-looking.
The conspiracy to asassinate Caesar was known well before the time. A number of people had warned Caesar against Brutus, who they believed was one of the main instigators. But, Caesar would not hear of any negative comments implicating Brutus. He believed that he had favoured Brutus in the past at the expense of Cassius, and it was in Brutus’ interest that Caesar should live. Anyhow, the possibility must have stuck in the back of his mind somewhere, as, when rumour had it that Antony and Dolabella were also planning his assination he remarked
"I am not much in fear of these fat, long-haired fellows, but rather of those pale, thin ones",(meaning Brutus and Cassius.) (Plutarch )

7) What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.

8) Cowards die many times before their actual deaths.

9) As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can.

10) I had rather be first in a village than second at Rome.
From Plutarch, that is self explanatory (Page 469)
"We are told that, as he was crossing the Alps and passing by a barbarian village which had very few inhabitants and was a sorry sight, his companions asked with mirth and laughter, "Can it be that here too there are ambitious strifes for office, struggles for primacy, and mutual jealousies of powerful men?" Whereupon Caesar said to them in all seriousness, "I would rather be first here than second at Rome."

11) "Because I maintain that the members of my family should be free from suspicion, as well as from accusation."

12) "I go to meet an army without a leader, and I shall return to meet a leader without an army."
"The sum total of his movements after that is, in their order, as follows: He overran Umbria, Picenum, and Etruria, took prisoner Lucius Domitius, who had been irregularly named his successor, and was holding Corfinium with a garrison, let him go free, and then proceeded along the Adriatic to Brundisium, where Pompey and the consuls had taken refuge, intending to cross the sea as soon as might be. After trying by every kind of hindrance to prevent their sailing, he marched off to Rome, and after calling the senate together to discuss public business, went to attack Pompey's strongest forces, which were in Spain under command of three of his lieutenants — Marcus Petreius, Lucius Afranius, and Marcus Varro — saying to his friends before he left "I go to meet an army without a leader, and I shall return to meet a leader without an army." And in fact, though his advance was delayed by the siege of Massilia, which had shut its gates against him, and by extreme scarcity of supplies, he nevertheless quickly gained a complete victory." Suetonius

I could find detail to those with links and explanations, busy looking for more detail on the others

Image from Wikipedia

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Good Julius Caesar quotes

Health is Wealth said...

Personally I like Julius Caesar Quotes. Great compilation. I think you are great anthologist. Thanks:)