Next Man Up

Plutarch's Lives -- Marcus Brutus

Was Cassius' influence on Brutus detrimental to his chances of succeeding Julius Caesar?

If so, why?

And, why did Caesar think favorably of Brutus, and want him to become 'the First Man in the Commonwealth' after him?

Ubi non errabis? (Where did I go wrong?)

Marble bust of Brutus, at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in the National Museum of Rome
(Wikipedia)

"...and having slightly reproved them for having fallen upon the enemy in disorder without the word of battle or command,he promised them, that if they behaved themselves bravely in the next engagement, he would give them up two cities to spoil and plunder, Thessalonica and Lacedaemon. This is the one indefensible thing of all that is found fault with in the life of Brutus; though true it may be that Anthony and Caesar were much more cruel in the rewards soldiers after victory;..."
(Plutarch 604)

This passage displays the difference between a "good" man and a "great" man. Plutarch is not particularly interested in the moral capacity of his subjects, but thir ability to lead. even though he notes the destruction caused by Caesar and Anthony, Plutarch considers Brutus to have this major flaw, because he had to make the reward of plunder an incentive for good behavior from his troops, rather than a reward for a job well done.

Hate for the Tyrant or Hate of Tyranny?

Did Brutus actually kill Caesar for the betterment of the Republic? If so did he actually believe this was right? Or were his actions a Oligarchical power move?

Me Myself & I

Brutus displays leadership characteristics of a self-centered guy who believes its either "his way or the highway."He does not seem to be a guy who takes criticism well or advice from anyone. When he pairs up with Caesar is the best thing that could happen to him because Caesar centers Brutus. Brutus being a short-fused leader could learn a lot and become a more positive leader like Caesar who not only leads but also partakes in the "grinding" when it comes to accomplishing tasks. Both Caesar and Brutus are effective leaders, however they are effective in their own ways. There is not one way to lead!

SAVAGE

Plutarch's Marcus Brutus pg. 596-597--

"A terrible and strange appearance... of a ... body... [says] 'i am your evil genius...' to which Brutus, not at all disturbed, replied, 'then i shall see you.'"

This struck me as very bold of him.  There is this unrecognizable figure in front of him telling him he is "his evil genius" and he basically nonchalantly says "i don't give a fuck".  This is unusual, i feel, due to the way he seemed to be very interested and invested in things he did or was a part of. (pg.582)

 
i dont fuck with you

Caesar: big ego or actual want for love?

Why does Caesar feel the need to make everyone like him? He is obviously a very powerful leader, particularly in the military, so why does he want common people to genuinely like him rather than just rule them by fear? Is it because of his ego or does he feel there is actually a true advantage to the common people genuinely liking who he is?

Caesar, The GOAT

“there was no danger to which he did not willingly expose himself, no labour from which he pleaded an exemption.” (Plutarch 210)

I believe this quote is important because it shows Caesar as a fearless, and brave leader. It goes along with a general theme of the text that Caesar was a leader, and not just some guy who bossed everyone around without getting his hands dirty.

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives of Illustrious Men. The J.C. Winston Co., 1908.

In Your Weakness You Find Your Strength

"But he did not make the weakness of his constitution a pretext for his ease, but rather used war as the best physic against his indispositions "( Plutarch, 210).

Plutarch, et al. Plutarch's Lives of Illustrious Men. The J.C. Winston Co., 1908

I chose this quote because it shows that Caesar did not let any shortcomings stand in the way of his quest for power. He used his weaknesses as a drive to fight harder, rather than have them hold him back and limit him.

Man of Power and the People

       A large part of Caesar's life, as presented by Plutarch, centers around his drive for power. In multiple instances, he uses his wit and cunning to win over the people, and they rally around him in times of need. They become tools in his quest for position and power, yet he treats them with the utmost of respect even beyond simple 'winning over'. He was generous and honorable to his soldiers: "All he gave to deserving soldiers as so much increase to his own riches...there was no danger to which he did not willingly expose himself, no labor from which he pleaded an exemption" (Plutarch, 210).
      After reading about Caesar's life, what type of man can we conclude him to be? What are instances where he sides with the people only to gain their favor, and how does that later assist him in his rise to power and his impressive exploits as a leader? How does his relationship with the people (particularly the commoners, not the nobility) coincide with his power?

From the movie Little Caesar.

https://lassothemovies.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/little-caesar-1931.jpg

Caesar West-Video response

For my musical response I chose to compare Plutarch's Life of Caesar, to Kanye West's song Power. In the music video for his song, Kanye is pictured as a god. As he stands at the center of what appears to be heaven, the camera slowly pans out to reveal demi-god like beings that represent some of the vices that come along with his power. These include lust, greed and people trying to kill him. This song was made after Kanye had become an established artist in the hip-hop industry, and describes his personal experience with what fame, and thus power, has brought him. I feel like much of what Kanye experienced is similar to Caesar experience after he became the Emperor of Rome. Power brought him riches, women and enemies.

Plutarch on Caesar

Does Caesar act like a dictator?