JULIUS CAESAR. BtVS Intertext/Allusion.
Born
Gaius Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC). Known
especially for his eloquence and skill as an orator, his political prowess, and
brilliant military campaigns. When
his political support in the Roman Senate was waning, and his enemies planned to
prosecute him, he successfully marched on Rome in 49 BC. He was voted dictator,
thus dismantling the Roman Republic.
Caesar’s death is probably one of the most famous in history and the events have been immortalized by William Shakespeare. The senators (on whom he still relied for advice and support) began to fear that Caesar’s power was becoming uncontrollable, while theirs was diminishing, and plotted to deliver the Roman Empire from tyrannical rule. They hastily planned Caesar’s assassination, and on March 15, 44 BC, attacked him in the Senate with their daggers, stabbing him twenty-three times. Ironically, all but one of Caesar’s murderers had fought against him in the Civil War, and had been pardoned by him. Caesar fought against his attackers until, allegedly, he saw Marcus Brutus draw his dagger as well. Caesar’s love for Brutus was common knowledge and he was rumoured to be Caesar’s illegitimate son. Legend has it that when Brutus rushed on him, Caesar said in Greek “Et tu, Brute?” (“You too, Brutus?” or “You too, my child?”).
In “Fear Itself” has Oz happens upon Willow and Buffy in the college cafeteria, as Willow describes her deeper explorations of witchcraft:
Oz: Ooh, you didn’t encourage her, did you?
Willow: (affronted) Where is supportive boyfriend guy?
Oz: He’s picking up your dry cleaning, but he told me to tell you that he’s afraid you’re gonna get hurt.
Willow: Okay Brutus. (smiling – shot of Oz staring at her) Brutus – Caesar? (looks from Oz to Buffy) Betrayal . . . trusted friend? (stabs the air with her banana) Back stabby? [Foreshadows events in the episode “Wild at Heart”, when Oz will betray Willow. HS]
Also in Season Four, Buffy is trying to organize a "normal" Thanksgiving feast, in the episode “Pangs.” Meanwhile, the Scooby Gang argues about the ethical implications of killing a Native American spirit, who wants to avenge the deaths of his people. Spike offers his opinion with:
Spike: You won. All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That’s what conquering nations do. It’s what Caesar did, and he’s not going around saying, “I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it.”
Spike is adapting a legendary phrase, attributed to Caesar: “I came, I saw, I conquered”. According to Plutarch, these are the words with which Julius Caesar succinctly described his victory over Pharnaces, at the Pontic town of Zela, a battle that took all of four hours. In Latin, the words are “veni, vidi, vici”.
For a detailed biography of Julius Caesar, see http://www.heraklia.fws1.com/.
Plutarch’s writings on Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus can be found at the Internet Classics Archive: http://www.classics.mit.edu/index.html.
Image from http://www.bible-history.com/augustus/AUGUSTUSBackground.htm.