Poem 3-What to do with the Conspirators

You argue for a fair trial, senators.

For this is the just solution.

But why be just when we can be entertained?!

Let us present to the Roman people the funeral games of Caesar

With gladiatorial games featuring...the conspirators!!!!

Since the liberators so enjoy using their swords,

Let them use their swords again, only now against each other.

Let us kill two birds with one stone-

Present the public with games for the fallen and punishment for the assassins!

Their punishments will range from death to embarrassment

(for I wouldn't allow any Brutus to set forth as a gladiator without a gladiatorial costume!)

Efficiency is the key, o senators.

So stop all your debating and follow the musings of your Catullus.

Quintus Pedius on the fate of the assassins

Senators,

When I first learned of my great uncle’s death, I was deeply saddened. But when I learned how and by whose hands he was slain, I was filled with rage. My only thoughts were of revenge. I believed that these conspirators, these assassins, should be made to feel the same fear, the same pain that my great uncle felt moments before he died. I believed these men should be killed, as they had taken another’s life. I believed their bodies should be thrown into the Tiber, which was not outrageous as some of them wanted Caesar’s body to be thrown into the river, because they had acted as criminals.

But as the days passed, the anger turned into grief. I began to think differently about the fates of these so-called liberators. At my great uncle’s funeral, for which I thank you, Senators, for allowing his family to have, I watched my family mourn the loss of our beloved Caesar. And as I watched my family weep, I knew I could not argue for the deaths of any more men. No one else should have to die. No more families should have to fight for the right to have a funeral. No more wives should have to mourn the loss of their husband, nor should children have to mourn the loss of their father because of the actions of a few stupid, cowardly men.

So I propose a fair trial for these conspirators. Let them face a court of their peers and be put on display for the world to see. And let them truly face justice. And, if they are found guilty, which surely they will be, for I have faith in our courts, let them be known as traitors, murderers, and ex-patriots wherever they should go for the rest of their lives. For truly that is a fate worse than death.

(Sorry the font was so huge in the last post, I'm technologically challenged.)

Quintus Pedius on the death of Caesar

Conscript Fathers,

Many of you have stated your desire for Caesar’s body to not receive the proper burial he deserves. Some even go as far as saying that his body should be tossed into the Tiber, as if he was a condemned criminal. So I ask you, what exactly is a criminal? Is it a man who swears to protect his leader and then concocts a plan to assassinate him? Maybe you do not think this is criminal behavior. But surely you would say that surrounding a man so closely that he cannot defend himself, and then stabbing him to death would be criminal. And if you think that one who murders another in cold blood is a criminal, then all of you are to be considered criminals. And if you still believe that Caesar’s body should be thrown into the river as a criminal’s body would, then you are saying that your bodies, when all of you die, should be tossed in as well.

But perhaps you have not been swayed. Caesar was more than a valiant military and political leader. He was also the father of the Roman people. And in the next days, I’m sure you will witness the profound grief and hostility of a people who have just lost their adored father. So I appeal to you, not as senators, but as sons, fathers, husbands, and brothers. Think of your family. How would you want your father or sons to be treated in death? You would want them to receive a proper funeral; you would want their achievements to be celebrated. And this is what Caesar deserves: a proper burial with the traditional rituals. Not only do I, his great nephew, believe this, but the Roman people as a whole do as well. For if you are truly for the Republic, then you will comply with the wishes of the common people.

To those noble Romans...not you, Brutus

My Roman friends of the Senate,

I write this letter to those noble men of the senate that are working tirelessly and for days on end to settle the dispute over the proper course of action for the late and wonderful Gaius Julius Caesar. As many of you may already have been aware, G.J.C. and I were close not only intimately but politically. Our alliance was one that the gods themselves arranged for the betterment of the world and will forever be kept in my heart. Gaius Julius Caesar was a golden light that shone throughout the world bringing peace and guidance wherever it touched. His vision for Rome is often skewed by those evil and nefarious men who were jealous of his success and position. But as woman of power, I can empathize with this misunderstood leader. I implore you to recognize Caesar for all the good that he brought to your nation, including wealth, prosperity, and victories on so many military fronts. He acted for what he thought was best, and what he wanted was to benefit every person in Rome.

Now you might be asking yourselves why Cleopatra of Egypt would care so much about the fate of Rome, and the answer is very simple. I am a mother once and soon to be twice to this fallen hero. It is my duty to speak on behalf of my children who are potentially a major part of Rome in the future. Those “liberators,” those scum of Rome have a misguided sense of what is right. I ask you, is it right to betray your oath to Rome by mercilessly and unjustly killing the beloved leader of the nation you promised to protect? What kind of logic is it to kill your leader and claim it to be for Rome? What kind of idiotic person might think that murder and sending your nation into a state of political and emotion turmoil is a “good idea?” Apparently, those moronic men of misguided self-righteousness would, and Brutus, from letters I have received, continuous to defend himself and those disgusting principles. I suggest you run very far, Brutus, for those noble men of the senate along with Marcus Anotnius, Gaius Octavius, and the masterful Publius Ventidius Bassus are coming to get you and see that you meet the same fate you unjustly bestowed upon the fair Caesar, legally of course.

I hope to see that those men are punished swiftly and that Rome is to be set straight again. I and the Egyptian nation wish those Caesarians the best and we mourn for your loss.

Toodles,

Cleopatra VII
Ps. I hope to be a part of these deliberations soon. My Caesarion and soon-to-be-son are seeking someone to guide them and teach them, by example, how to lead, speak, and act with dignity, as a Roman man should. I hope to hear from you soon for my scribes have formed a series of interwebs that allow me to receive letters with great speed.

Former Consul on the fate of the Conspirators

Fellow Romans,

I would first like to congratulate the Senate on making the right decision in regards to Caesar's funeral. It was the honorable and morally right thing to do for a former military leader and consul of Rome. This man led the Roman army in a time of great prosperity and expansion. Politics must be put aside at a time like this and a former servant of the Rome honored.

Now as to the fate of the conspirators, every last one of them should be given a fair trial as any criminal of the state. With many witnesses and the entire Senate knowing the identities of the murderers, this should not be a difficult conviction. The one claim the conspirators have to excuse their actions was their belief that Caesar was leading Rome down a dangerous road toward tyranny. Fellow Senators, worry over political future is no excuse for murder. If found guilty, these murderers must be put to death as a warning to those who choose to deal political differences in such an extreme and barbaric manner. This trial should be quick and easy, for we cannot excuse murderers of the consul of Rome. I urge you to give these men a trial and let their fates be determined the lawful way.

Lucius Aemilius Paullus

Libo On Caesar's Funeral

Most noble and honorable senators,

After listening to many of my fellow senators speak about the death of Caesar, today I would like to share my thoughts on the matter and on what to do with his body.

Many of you have made the argument that Caesar should be treated as a criminal. That he is undeserving of a funeral oration in the Forum; and as such, that the Roman state should under no circumstance pay the cost of such a funeral. You, and in some cases rightfully so, point to the regal powers that Caesar possessed as the reason why he was and should be treated as a tyrant. By this time last year, your attitudes toward Caesar began to shift. The fact that Caesar dressed as a king and, admittedly, claimed to be a descended of the Alba Kings only further increased your distaste of him. And Marc Anthony's attempt to place a golden crown on his head during the celebration of Lupercalia seemed to be one of the last straws.

Yet others recall that during that incident Caesar refused to accept the offer of the crown. More importantly, many of you recall the glory that Caesar brought to Rome. I, myself, looking only to bring peace and resolution for the Roman people, have been able to work with and negotiate with Caesar. During his conflict with Pompey he wanted me to act as a mediator between the two sides. Just as I have brought glory to Rome by commanding fleets so has Caesar through his campaigns through Gail and Britannica. And finally, I would like to mention that some time ago I have personally reconciled my differences with him.

Whether Caesar was a tyrant or a criminal is irrelevant to me at this point in time. My interests only side with those that look our for the Roman people first.
Therefore, I want to express my agreement with a previous proposal that Caesar's body should neither be thrown in the river nor given an illustrious funeral. Rather, his immediate family should be allowed to bury him in a private function.

Letter From Lucius Cornelius Cinna on the fate of the Liberators

O Conscript Fathers, it pains me to see that some of you allow yourselves to be puppets of the tyrant Julius Caesar even now. I fear that you have abandoned your wisdom for folly, thereby endangering the Roman Republic and the liberty of its people. You vehemently condemn the actions of us, the liberators of Rome, as if Caesar himself still held your leash. Open your eyes! The tyrant has been thrown down and this body, with the guidance of the Republicans, must now lead the restoration of the Republic. Do not allow yourselves to be deceived by Mark Antony, who denounces the opponents of his dear Caesar, for he himself was the tyrant’s lap dog. Though he claims he wishes to lead Rome in a “new” direction, he and others only aspire to replace Caesar with their own tyranny. Antony claims that the Republic is out dated, but I ask what ways are better than the Old? Are we to believe that democracy and liberty are no longer relevant?! Was Rome not marvelous before Caesar? Furthermore, allowing a man, such as Antony, to take power will undoubtedly ignite civil war, with others just as power hungry vying for authority. Do we truly wish to endure the horrors of war as we did in 49? Even though Caesar has been removed, it is clear that new enemies already seek to take his place in attacking the liberty of all Romans. We who dared to challenge Caesar are labeled as criminals, condemned as traitors, and many of you desire our lives be taken in revenge of the tyrant. But we are liberators I say, not seeking personal gain or glory, but only the preservation and prosperity of the republic and this sovereign body that represents it. When Caesar sacrificed the Republic for his own power we renounced any loyalty that we previously felt toward him and threw him down for Rome! I implore you Senators, do not allow yourselves to be manipulated by false leaders, do not impose your wrath upon those who have so nobly stripped Rome of its shackles, join them in pledging your lives to the Republic once more, pledging your service to the people. Let not the Rome’s liberators be smote, but rather those who would seek to replace the bonds that were broken.