Sources for the Assassination of Caesar

by Macnaa

Hi!

I was watching Historia Civilis's video on the Assassination of Caesar and found that it was incredibly detailed so thought that I might be able to read some ancient account of it. In looking for these sources I found four secondary sources (Cassius Dio, Appian, Suetonius and Plutarch) all of which were far less detailed than the video. For instance I can't find a source for Brutus telling Cicero: "Congratulations Cicero, you've regained your liberty!".

I looked at the sources of the video and the ancient sources were the aforementioned as well as Cicero, but I can't seem to find if he talks about it.

So my question is how do we know about the extra details such as the above quote, the various senators talking outside the theatre of Pompey, the conspiratorial meetings etc.

Thanks for your help!

KiwiHellenist

I'm not familiar with the video but it'd have to be a long one to be that much more luxuriously detailed than Cassius Dio's (mostly fictional) account!

If there are specific details you want to know the source for, you could always try contacting Historia Civilis directly, or alternatively ask about them here. For the specific points you do mention --

  • Brutus telling Cicero 'Congratulations Cicero, you've regained your liberty' -- I'm not sure about this, but it could perhaps be inspired by the extant letters exchanged between Brutus and Cicero in March to July 43 BCE; in one of them (Ad Brutum 11) Brutus says that if Cicero becomes consult then he will 'begin to imagine a true republic, glistening with its own strength'.

  • people talking ouside the theatre -- before the assassination: probably Appian Civil wars 2.115. Speeches made after the assassination by Dolabella, Cicero, and Antonius, in various places: a long version in Dion Cassius 44.21-50.

  • conspiratorial meetings -- probably a combination of various things, such as Suetonius talking about plots made between two or three people; Appian's story of a conversation between Cassius and Brutus (and then going on to test their friends); Dion Cassius' story of a conversation between Porcia and Brutus (her husband).