The Sword of Julius Caesar

In the 2007 film The Last Legion, [spoiler alert, I'm about to give away the entire movie], a young Romulus Augustulus, dethroned as the final Roman Emperor in the West, finds the Sword of Julius Caesar hidden, mirabile dictu, on the Island of Capri, and travels to Britannia to locate the "Last Legion" of Rome. There's a final battle. The Romans win. And we find out that young Romulus is actually Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur. And the Sword of Julius Caesar, on which had been inscribed CAI • IVL • CAES • ENSIS CALIBVRNVS (Sword of Steel of Gaius Julius Caesar), is shown covered in moss, the only letters visible being ES CALIBVR. That's right, the Sword of Julius Caesar was Excalibur!

I actually enjoy the movie for what it is, and even show it to my Latin classes from time to time. I personally don't care if a

movie contains anachronisms or outright non-historical events. Either way I can make a teaching moment out of it.

And the movie has a surprisingly strong cast with Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Sangster, and Aishwarya Rai.

But the movie does raise the interesting question of what sort of sword Julius Caesar himself really would have used.

Geoffrey of Monmouth, the author of the 12th century AD Historia Regum Brittaniae (History of the Kings of Britain), describes Julius Caesar has having a notable sword when he

invaded that Island in 55 BC. He tells the story of how Julius Caesar was in single combat with a British prince named Nennius. When Caesar's sword got stuck in Nennius' shield, the Briton took control of it. In the ensuing battle, every person Nennius attacked with the Sword of Caesar died, either beheaded or mortally wounded. Unfortunately for Nennius, he himself had received a head wound from this same sword while fighting Caesar and died fifteen days later. Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us that Caesar's sword was named Crocea Mors, Latin for Yellow Death. And Crocea Mors was buried with Nennius (Historia Regum Brittaniae (4.3-4).

Even though Geoffrey of Monmouth is writing quite a long time after the events in question, the name of the sword he describes seems to preserve knowledge of a likely detail about the actual sword Julius Caesar would have used.

Many people assume that as soon as the Iron Age began, bronze weapons were replaced with the newer metal. But the fact is that iron is not really so superior to bronze that it won out based solely on its merits. Until later steel refinement became more commonplace, iron weapons had a number of disadvantages. They rusted. They lost their edge quicker. The only thing they had going for them was that they were cheaper than bronze. As a result, the common soldier would have been issued an iron sword, but people with money, such as the aristocratic Julius Caesar, would certainly have been carrying his own personal bronze sword. 

And so, what finally happened to the Sword of Caesar? The answer is, he probably had several of them, none of which he particularly favored. He probably lost some in battle from time to time. That's why he kept spares. And in the course of time they would have been melted down and repurposed. 

But if archaeologists in Britain ever dig up a 1st century BC Celtic tomb and find a bronze Roman gladius inside, there might just be a chance that the legend Geoffrey of Monmouth passed down had a basis in history.

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If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.



You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

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The Lost Last Words of Julius Caesar

What were Julius Caesar’s actual last words when he was being assassinated? In this article, I will propose that we can recover them. They were heard, but they have been misunderstood for over 2000 years.

On the Ides of March, the 15th, in the year 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of conspirators which included Caesar’s close friend Marcus Brutus. Many people have been taught that his famous last words were Et Tu, Brute, meaning “You also Brutus?” But this Latin phrase was only popularized centuries later by William Shakespeare (Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1, Line 77). The Roman historian Suetonius tells us that Caesar groaned at the first blow but then said nothing. (Divus Iulius 82.2: ad primum ictum gemitu sine voce edito) But then Suetonius adds, “Although some have handed down that when Marcus Brutus was rushing at him he said kai su teknon.”That’s Greek for “You also, child?” (Divus Iulius 82.2: etsi tradiderunt quidam Marco Bruto irruenti dixisse: καὶ σὺ τέκνον)

Now, the scene must have been pure chaos. Whether people were part of the conspiracy or not, they were all likely shouting and rushing about in the confusion of the moment. And so,  there were people who didn’t hear Caesar say anything. And perhaps that’s how some would have wanted Caesar to die--stoic and silent in the face of death. Other people apparently believed they heard him say something when Brutus was rushing at him with a dagger. And they reported his words as kai su, teknon.

If one were to compile a collection of what people tend to say when under a sudden and unexpected physical assault such as Caesar was experiencing, we would not be surprised to find that, in such a shock, a number of random things might be said. But many would certainly respond to such an attack by calling out things to the effect of “Please, don’t do this. Please stop.” And we may also find that many people, fearing death, might turn to prayer in that moment.

I theorized that perhaps Julius Caesar, despite all the battles he had endured in his career, might, in that unexpected attack, respond in exactly that fashion. And if he were to do so, he might have been more likely to respond in his native language of Latin and not in Greek.  And so, I looked at the sounds of the Greek phrase kai su, teknon to see whether they might match, in some substantial way, the sounds of a Latin utterance more in keeping with what a person being stabbed might say.

First off, the final syllable, non, is the Latin word for ‘no’, or ‘not’. What if his last actual word was simply, No! The rest of Kai su, teknon seems to echo the Latin phrase quaeso te which literally means “I beg you.” But quaeso te can also mean, simply, ‘please’.

Quaeso te is attested in a prayer in the writings of the Roman playwright Plautus, who writes:

Apollo, quaeso te...   “Apollo, I beg you...” (Mercator 678)

So, let’s imagine in the chaos of that situation, Caesar has already been stabbed several times. Now his friend Brutus is rushing toward him with a dagger. And Julius Caesar, in shock physically and emotionally, blurts out, in Latin: “ I beg you!  No!”

In Latin, what he would have said was Quaeso Te! Non!  

As Brutus was rushing to kill his own friend, people who understood the emotional impact of this act were predisposed to hear Caesar’s words as somehow a reflection of that moment.

And thus it happened that people in the crowd misheard:
Quaeso Te! Non!      as 
Kai su, teknon.  

In the end, we’ll never know. But I suggest that a reinterpretation of the sounds that were reportedly heard from Caesar that day can indeed be reconstructed into a Latin phrase that Caesar plausibly could have uttered as his actual last words.

Brothers by Different Mothers: the Keith Massey / Todd Lasance Comparison Fully Analyzed

A former colleague of mine from the National Security Agency (NSA), who still works there as an Arabic linguist, wrote me with the most extraordinary of compliments over a recent post I made regarding a possible Julius Caesar spinoff from Spartacus on Starz.

My post had a pic of Australian actor Todd Lasance, who played Julius Caesar. And visible on the screen was also my own pic. She wrote:

"Wait a second, that guy looks just like you!"

And I realized, how right she is!

Let's compare Mr. Lasance and myself, further analyzing our other shocking similarities.

1) We're both devastatingly handsome.

2) We both part our hair to the right.

3) We're both obviously ripped.

4) I teach Latin; Mr. Lasance played the role of Julius Caesar, who spoke Latin.

So, I press forward, trying to break out as a writer of "espionage/adventure/action/romance" themed novels. And I wish you great success, Mr. Lasance, in your career. Our paths will certainly cross at some point. I think you would be perfect for the role of Andrew Valquist, the chief protagonist in my spy novels.

If you've stumbled on this post because you searched for "keith massey latin" or "keith massey devastatingly handsome" or "todd lasance", make sure you explore all of my products--novels and Udemy courses--before you leave (after bookmarking my blog, of course).

But while I have you here, can someone please tell me why I didn't make a million dollars on my "Iguanodon Likes This" product line?

Wait, one more thing, then you can go. Why the hell didn't this video of me filming black bears in my backyard go viral. Seriously?

Julius Caesar Spinoff from Spartacus?

We're still waiting for definitive word on whether the Starz Network will be spinning off a show about Julius Caesar from Spartacus. 

The casting of Todd Lasance was brilliant. He could certainly pull off a whole series. And the story of Julius Caesar is packed full of adventurous episodes that could easily make three or four seasons of programming.

 

I include a discussion of Julius Caesar in my

 online Udemy course Fortune Favors the Brave. Visit my website for more details.


Julius Caesar is the epitome of Fortuna (Fortune) because he knew that a certain element of luck always exists in life. But Caesar also knew that taking a proactive approach to life would help you increase your chances at success, even though randomness may play an part.

A knowledge of the importance of Fortune/Luck is why, as he was about to cross the Rubicon River, he said the famous words Alea Iacta Est (The Die is Cast). He used a gambling term because, even though life is a game where others may plan unfairly, you can't win if you don't play.

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If you are moved by stories of heroes fighting against oppressive tyranny, check out the novel A Place of Brightness, the first installment of the Andrew Valquist Saga. 


You'll share the triumphs and trials of a family of freedom fighters all the way from Cold War Romania down to the present day.

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The Die is Cast - Alea Iacta Est

By Keith Massey, PhD.  Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing.
 

A classic quote from Gaius Julius Caesar.

 Alea Iacta Est - The Die is Cast. He's crossed the Rubicon. The rest is history.

I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. 

Alea iacta est... tshirts by keithmassey
Check out more Julius T-Shirts at Zazzle

You can change the gender, size, color, and style of this product on the Zazzle site. Enjoy!

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Veni, Vidi, Vici!

By Keith Massey, PhD.  Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing.
 

A classic quote from Gaius Julius Caesar.

 Veni, Vidi, Vici! I came, I saw, I conquered! So alliterative. So arrogant!

I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind.

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! T-Shirt! by keithmassey
See other Julius T-Shirts

You can change the gender, size, color, and style of this product on the Zazzle site. Enjoy!