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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help
I'm a bit confused by your assertion that Brutus' action
destroyed Rome -- in what sense? While it is true that the
Roman Republic did not survive, the death of the Roman
Republic was a foregone conclusion and did not require any
particular help from Brutus (he didn't provide any). Julius
Caesar had already brought about its demise with his
extraordinary political and military career (combined with
the turbulence of the period), and there was nothing that
could bring the Republic back -- even killing Caesar.Why wasn't killing Caesar sufficient to preserve the
Republic? Because Caesar was merely the leading candidate
for dictator/emperor at the time. Mark Antony and Augustus
both had imperial aspirations, as did several other figures
in Roman politics. The murder of Caesar merely opened the
doors to other players in the Big Game.Even if the Roman Republic was dead, Rome was far from
stricken. The Roman Empire would soon emerge with Augustus'
victory at Actium over Antony, and Rome would embark on a
long and prosperous reign as the flower of the Western
world. While many Romans during the empire would hearken
back to the "good old days" of the Republic every time the
Empire was in trouble, they were simply doing the same things
our grandparents do whenever something goes wrong. The
Roman Empire ushered in a great time for the arts, science,
politics, and philosophy that lasted for a couple of
centuries.The fall of Rome was a long ways off. I'm sorry if I
misunderstood your assertion, and I apologize for the
sermonizing, but Brutus is one of my favorite characters and
I don't want him shouldered any additional burdens. The ones
he already bears are quite sufficient, I think, and he
doesn't need the fate of the Roman world added to them.Posted by Scott Schiefelbein on May 06, 1997 at 13:52:45
In Reply to "Actions of Brutus" posted by Candicane on April 30, 1997 at 07:46:54
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help