And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Until they stabbed him. Beware the ides of March! But then the Roman senate was owned by every other emperor thereafter. The republic was dead, and the empire was born. Perhaps a lesson for modern times?
You're getting your emperors mixed up. Julius was stabbed on the floor of the Senate and left to bleed out over about two hours. Octavian was emperor for over 50 years. He crushed Mark Anthony at Philippi to become Imperator and then went and dealt with Cleopatra separately -- but she met the snake first.
I was referencing Julius Caesar, who I thought you meant when you noted that he owned the senate. It was all that "owning" that got him stabbed because everyone was afraid of him. After all, the conqueror of Gaul and his army were pretty intimidating. Good thing we don't have armies that are more loyal to their generals than to the Republic. Instead, we have giant bureaucracies who think they own the country.
Octavian's Pax Romana built so much and led to so much - but the Senate was "owned" by Caesar.
ReplyDeleteUntil they stabbed him. Beware the ides of March! But then the Roman senate was owned by every other emperor thereafter. The republic was dead, and the empire was born. Perhaps a lesson for modern times?
DeleteYou're getting your emperors mixed up. Julius was stabbed on the floor of the Senate and left to bleed out over about two hours. Octavian was emperor for over 50 years. He crushed Mark Anthony at Philippi to become Imperator and then went and dealt with Cleopatra separately -- but she met the snake first.
DeleteI was referencing Julius Caesar, who I thought you meant when you noted that he owned the senate. It was all that "owning" that got him stabbed because everyone was afraid of him. After all, the conqueror of Gaul and his army were pretty intimidating. Good thing we don't have armies that are more loyal to their generals than to the Republic. Instead, we have giant bureaucracies who think they own the country.
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