CSI: Rome – The Assassination of Julius Caesar

Did Julius Caesar know he was going to be assassinated? Was there a single killer or were dozens of men involved? What were the reasons for the assassination? You will answer these and other questions as we look back at one of history’s greatest crimes. Using evidence gathered from the crime scene, testimony of those involved and later historical writings we will explain a 2,000 year old murder.

Instructions: 1. There are nine stations. At each station you will read a short summary from a witness and answer questions.

2. After you have completed all 9 stations you will answer conclusion questions. WARNING: If you answer these questions at the beginning you may find yourself doubting your own answer. Wait until you are finished!

Station 1

Station 1 – Senator Gistinius’ Testimony

“A few days ago we in the Senate offered the great Julius Caesar deification- we offered to make him a god! There was no greater honor we could possibly have given him. He had complete control of Rome and this honor would ensure that none in this world would ever challenge him.

However, when we presented him with this honor on the floor of the Senate, he refused to even stand from his chair to receive it! There is nothing one can imagine that would be more insulting. Here we were the senate of Rome, honoring this man and he would not even rise to acknowledge it. He gave us no reason for his refusal. What were we to think? Obviously Caesar has no interest in the Senate. Clearly he intends to rule without even consulting us. Rome has been a republic for centuries but he wants to return us to empire. This man wouldn’t even stand to recognize the honor we wanted to give him.”

Station 2

Station 2 – Plutarch, Roman Historian

Caesar’s refusal to stand up as the Senate entered led to great controversy. Caesar was suffering from a type of mental illness and when he realized how he had offended them he stood up, drew back his toga to show his neck and yelled “kill me now, I won’t resist!”

But afterwards he made his disease an excuse for his behavior, saying that those with his mental illness do not usually remain steady when they stand and speak to many people and that he would be greatly embarrassed if that happened. However, what he said was not true; actually he very much wanted to rise to receive the senate; but one of his friends, as they say, or rather one of his flatterers, Cornelius Balbus, stopped him, saying: "Remember that you are Caesar, and you should be seen as their superior.

Station 3

Station 3: Warnings to Ceasar

Warning from Calpurnia, Caesar’s Wife “My Lord! You must not go to the senate house today. I have had a terrible nightmare! In it you were lying dead on the floor. Please, I beg of you, stay home today.

Warning from Spurina, Fortune-Teller “The oracles tell of blood on this day, the Ides of March. Caesar, you must be careful today.”

Station 4

Station 4: Testimony of Augustus Caesar after the Assassination

Citizens of Rome, you have seen how corrupt and weak the senate has become. They have murdered my uncle, the great Julius Caesar. You know that everything he did was for the people of Rome! He protected us from the invaders while the senators bickered among themselves. They were simply jealous that he accomplished in a short time what they could not do in many years.

You have made the right decision in appointing me leader. Rome needs an emperor who will protect her! I will not wait for the senate to act. From now on decisions will be made quickly and with the authority that only a true emperor can provide! Never again will Rome be weak. There will always be a Caesar to lead her!

Station 5

Station 5: Testimony of Tyrannus, Caesar’s Bodyguard

Three days ago Caesar fired me along with his other bodyguards. He told us he would be traveling on his own. We insisted that he keep us around to protect him. I don’t know what he is thinking. Maybe he is beginning to believe that he truly is a god and nobody can hurt him or maybe he is just simply tired of being followed all the time. This is especially strange based of the threats that have been heard from Cassius.

One of the other guards told me he heard Caesar say that he didn’t want to live anymore because of his sickness. I don’t know if this is true or not but either way it seems very odd. If Caesar simply wants his privacy I hope he will stay home because of all the whispers of conspiracy going around.

Station 6

Station 6: Marcus Brutus

In the weeks before the assassination graffiti was found on the tombs of Marcus Brutus’ ancestors. While it is unclear who wrote the messages it is clear they were intended for Brutus. Brutus and Caesar were very close. Some people believe that Brutus may have been Caesar’s son. Brutus was a well respected Senator. If he chose to take part in the assassination it would gain a great deal of support.

Graffiti on Roman tomb:

Citizen Brutus, Your grandfather helped to create this great republic. Will you sit by while this man Caesar destroys it? You must stand against this tyranny. No man should be the sole leader of Rome. The senate is what makes us a republic! Like your grandfather you must stand up and take whatever means necessary to preserve your mother Rome. If that means Caesar must be killed then so be it!

Station 7

Station 7: Cassius

Yes, it is true that Caesar pardoned me after the war. We were fighting on opposite sides and he won. He “graciously” allowed me back into the senate to serve with him. At least, that’s what he wanted people to think. If Caesar truly had forgiven me I would not have been passed by for a promotion not once, but twice.

I know that he was simply trying to buy my support. He wanted to keep me on his side because he knows that my position is right. The republic should live, not an empire. If he thinks pardoning me will make me change my mind he is crazy. Caesar’s goal is to destroy the senate and live as a king. This is Rome! We have no king! He doesn’t care about the people, he cares only about himself.

Good Romans, we cannot allow this man to destroy what our fathers have built. He must be stopped.

Station 8

Station 8: Testimony of Roman Citizen before the assassination

Dude, let me tell you, Caesar is THE MAN. He got all us poor people some serious cash. Those punk senators were all like “he’s only doing that so the people will make him emperor” and stuff but I’m like, no way, Caesar is just cool like that. All those senators do is sit around and argue all day. How about those lazy fools try getting a real job and then see what’s up? I work all day and I still ain’t got enough to feed my kids.

Things are tough around here these days. These dang barbarians are always attacking and causing problems. I can’t wait for Caesar to do his thing. He is the only one who can possibly keep us safe and get Rome back on track.

Station 9

Station 9: Testimony of Luciano Garafano, Investigator

I have conducted multiple simulations of Caesar’s murder. We know from the autopsy that he suffered 23 knife wounds but strangely only 5 are described in detail. It is also interesting to note that Marcus Brutus was also wounded in the attack.

We began by testing with 23 attackers. This led to complete chaos. There was simply no way for all 23 men to strike Caesar at the same time. So, this of course led to the question of how they might have timed their attacks to make it work. Were there waves of attackers perhaps with only a few men attacking at once and then more coming in? Or, possibly, was the conspiracy smaller than we believed?

If only a few were directly involved perhaps the others were used to hold back the rest of the senators. This would make some sense as many of the senators had been appointed by Caesar and would have wanted to protect him. It is also possible, however, that with only 5 attackers things could have simply happened so fast that no one had a chance to stop it. However, if Brutus was involved in the attack personally this would imply many attackers as the confusion may have led to his hand wound.

 

 

 

Julius  Caesar  –  the  Assassination    

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Station  1  Senator  Gistinius    _____1.    How  did  he  feel  toward  Caesar?  a.    happy   b.    angry   c.    glad     d.    unconcerned    _____2.    Why  was  he  upset  with  Caesar?  a.    he  had  fired  them  from  their  jobs  b.    he  told  them  they  were  crazy  c.    he  didn’t  stand  to  receive  their  honor  d.    he  told  them  he  didn’t  want  their  honor    _____3.    What  did  the  Senate  want  to  do  for  Caesar?  a.    disgrace  him  by  firing  him  b.    honor  him  with  deification  c.    honor  him  with  a  statue  d.    create  a  holiday  for  him    _____4.    Do  you  think  he  would  be  willing  to  kill  Julius  Caesar?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____5.    What  does  deification  mean?  a.    make  a  god     b.    fire     c.    reward  with  a  prize     d.    honor  with  gifts      Do  you  think  Gistinius  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  2  Plutarch  the  Historian    _____1.    Why  did  Caesar  not  stand  at  the  Senate  meeting?  a.    he  had  mental  illness  b.    he  did  not  like  them  c.    he  was  too  tired  d.    he  wasn’t  paying  attention    _____2.    Did  Caesar  really  want  to  stand  at  the  meeting?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____3.    Who  influenced  Caesar  to  stay  seated?  a.    Cornelius  Balbus          b.    Plutarch                c.    Marcus  Brutus          d.      Gistinius    _____4.    Which  do  you  believe  Plutarch  thinks  is  true?  a.    Caesar  is  mentally  ill  b.    Caesar  listened  to  the  wrong  advice    

_____5.    What  did  Plutarch  do?  a.    he  was  a  historian     b.    he  was  a  Senator     c.    he  was  a  King    Do  you  think  Plutarch  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  3  Warnings    _____1.    How  many  people  warned  Caesar?  a.    1                          b.    2                                      c.  3     d.    4    _____2.    What  happened  to  Calpurnia?  a.    she  had  a  nightmare  b.    she  had  a  vision  c.    she  saw  a  ghost  d.    someone  told  her  a  rumor    _____3.    What  did  Calpurnia  see?  a.    Caesar  with  a  knife  in  his  back  b.    Caesar  in  a  bloody  bed  c.    Caesar  dead  in  the  floor  d.    Caesar  wearing  a  red  mask    _____4.    What  did  Spurina  see?  a.    Death  on  the  Ides  of  March  b.    Blood  on  the  Ides  of  March  c.    Blackness  on  the  Ides  of  March  d.    Tears  on  the  Ides  of  March    _____5.    What  did  Spurina  and  Calpurnia  want  Caesar  to  do?  a.    stand  up  against  the  Senate  b.    Run  away  and  hide  c.    Quit  his  job  d.    Be  careful    Do  you  think  Calpurnia  and  Spurina  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  4  Augustus  Caesar    _____1.    Who  did  Augustus  blame  for  killing  Caesar?  a.    the  Senate  b.    Brutus  c.    Cassius  d.    Tyrannus    _____2.    How  did  Augustus  say  the  senate  felt  toward  Julius  Caesar?  a.    angry  b.    jealous  c.    sad  d.    happy    _____3.    How  was  Julius  related  to  Augustus?  a.    He  was  his  uncle  b.    He  was  his  father  c.    He  was  his  brother  d.    He  was  not  related    _____4.    What  kind  of  authority  does  he  say  he  will  use?  a.    the  authority  of  a  king  b.    the  authority  of  a  servant  c.    the  authority  of  a  father  d.    the  authority  of  an  emperor    _____5.    Augustus  said  Rome  will  always  have  who  to  lead  her?  a.    A  king  b.    A  Caesar  c.    the  Senate  d.    an  Emperor    Do  you  think  Augustus  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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 Station  5  Tyrannus    _____1.    What  did  Caesar  do  to  his  bodyguards?  a.    fire  them  b.    promote  them  c.    make  them  senators  d.    send  them  on  vacation    _____2.    Who  did  Tyrannus  say  had  threatened  Caesar?  a.    Cassius  b.    Brutus  c.    Augustus  d.    no  one    _____3.    What  does  Tyrannus  say  he  hopes  Caesar  will  do?  a.    fight  the  senate  b.    fire  the  senate  c.    stay  home  d.    take  a  trip    _____4.    Do  you  think  Tyrannus  was  angry  with  Caesar?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____5.    Do  you  think  Tyrannus  wanted  to  see  Caesar  get  more  control?  a.    Yes     b.    No    Do  you  think  Tyrannus  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  6  Marcus  Brutus    _____1.    What  had  been  found  on  Brutus’  ancestors  tombs?  a.    poetry  b.    paintings  c.    dirt  d.    graffiti    _____2.    Were  Brutus  and  Caesar  enemies?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____3.    What  government  job  did  Brutus  have?  a.    King  b.    Senator  c.    Emperor  d.    None    _____4.    The  person  who  wrote  on  the  tomb  was  asking  Brutus  to  do  what?  a.    Protect  Caesar  b.    Fire  Caesar  c.    Save  Caesar  d.    Kill  Caesar    _____5.    What  does  the  writer  on  the  tomb  say  makes  Rome  a  republic?  a.    Caesar   b.    the  people                                c.    the  Senate     d.    Brutus    Do  you  think  Brutus  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  7  Cassius    _____1.    Were  Cassius  and  Caesar  friends?  a.      Yes     b.    No    _____2.    Was  Cassius  angry  with  Caesar?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____3.    What  had  happened  to  Cassius?  a.    He  had  been  promoted  in  the  Senate  b.    He  had  been  demoted  in  the  Senate  c.    He  had  been  passed  over  for  a  promotion  three  times  d.    He  had  been  passed  over  for  a  promotion  twice    _____4.    Who  does  he  say  Julius  Caesar  cares  for?  a.    Rome  b.    The  Republic  c.    The  Senate  d.    Himself    _____5.    What  did  Julius  Caesar  want?  a.    Republic     b.    Empire      Do  you  think  Cassius  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  8  Citizen    _____1.    Did  the  citizens  like  Julius  Caesar?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____2.    Did  the  citizens  like  the  Senate?  a.    Yes     b.    No    _____3.    How  did  Caesar  help  poor  people?  a.    gave  them  new  jobs  b.    gave  them  new  homes  c.    gave  them  money  d.    gave  them  food    _____4.    Who  is  attacking  Rome?  a.    Barbarians  b.    Senators  c.    Republicans  d.    Julius  Caesar    _____5.    Do  the  citizens  think  Caesar  wanted  to  be  emperor?  a.    Yes     b.    No      Do  you  think  the  citizens  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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Station  9  Garafano    _____1.    How  many  wounds  did  Caesar  have?  a.    5     b.    10     c.    15     d.    23    _____2.    What  other  person  besides  Caesar  was  wounded  in  the  attack?  a.    Brutus  b.    Cassius  c.    Augustus  d.    no  one    _____3.    Why  would  some  senators  not  want  to  be  involved?  a.    they  were  afraid  of  Brutus  b.    they  were  angry  with  each  other  c.    Julius  Caesar  had  appointed  them  to  their  jobs  d.    they  wanted  a  chance  to  become  emperor    _____4.    How  many  wounds  were  described  in  detail?  a.    5     b.    23    _____5.    Would  it  have  been  possible  for  23  men  to  attack  Caesar  at  the  same  time?  a.    Yes     b.    No    Do  you  think  Garafano  could  be  guilty  of  the  crime?    Why  or  why  not?  ______________________________________________________________________________  

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CONCLUSION:  Based  on  the  information  you’ve  read,  what  do  you  think  is  the  best  answer  for  the  following  questions? (Answer in complete sentences!)

1. Why do you think Caesar was assassinated? ______________________________________________________________________________  

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2. How many senators do you think were involved? Why? ______________________________________________________________________________  

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3. Who took over as a result of the assassination? Would this make the person be more likely to be guilty of the crime….why or why not?

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