A cartoonist’s wry and bloody romp through Roman history. A work of cartoon history with a touch of Edward Gorey’s dark wit, Et Tu, Brute? is an irreverent, illustrated compendium of the deaths of all the Roman emperors, from Augustus to Romulus Augustulus. Here in all their glory are Nero (stabbing himself in the throat), Tiberius (smothered in his sleep by his successor), Caligula (killed by his own praetorian guard), Claudius (fed poisonous mushrooms by his wife), Commodus (strangled by his wrestling partner), Antoninus (died of a surfeit of cheese), and many more.

'Then fall, Caesar!" -- Talking tyrannicide -- Caesar's murdered heirs -- Aftershocks.

Bestselling classical historian Barry Strauss delivers “an exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire…much of Ten Caesars reads like a script for Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)—a summation of three and a half centuries of the Roman Empire as seen through the lives of ten of the most important emperors, from Augustus to Constantine. In this essential and “enlightening” (The New York Times Book Review) work, Barry Strauss tells the story of the Roman Empire from rise to reinvention, from Augustus, who founded the empire, to Constantine, who made it Christian and moved the capital east to Constantinople. During these centuries Rome gained in splendor and territory, then lost both. By the fourth century, the time of Constantine, the Roman Empire had changed so dramatically in geography, ethnicity, religion, and culture that it would have been virtually unrecognizable to Augustus. Rome’s legacy remains today in so many ways, from language, law, and architecture to the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Strauss examines this enduring heritage through the lives of the men who shaped it: Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Diocletian, and Constantine. Over the ages, they learned to maintain the family business—the government of an empire—by adapting when necessary and always persevering no matter the cost. Ten Caesars is a “captivating narrative that breathes new life into a host of transformative figures” (Publishers Weekly). This “superb summation of four centuries of Roman history, a masterpiece of compression, confirms Barry Strauss as the foremost academic classicist writing for the general reader today” (The Wall Street Journal).

A professor of history and classics describes the actual events of March 15, 44 BC, when Julius Caesar was murdered during the Roman civil wars, and comparies them to those outlined by William Shakespeare in his famous play.--Publisher's description.

What actions are justified when the fate of a nation hangs in the balance, and who can see the best path ahead? Julius Caesar has led Rome successfully in the war against Pompey and returns celebrated and beloved by the people. Yet in the senate fears intensify that his power may become supreme and threaten the welfare of the republic. A plot for his murder is hatched by Caius Cassius who persuades Marcus Brutus to support him. Though Brutus has doubts, he joins Cassius and helps organize a group of conspirators that assassinate Caesar on the Ides of March. But, what is the cost to a nation now erupting into civil war? A fascinating study of political power, the consequences of actions, the meaning of loyalty and the false motives that guide the actions of men, Julius Caesar is action packed theater at its finest.

It is 44 BC. The streets of Rome are booming with activities, merrymaking, and revelries. The common citizens are rejoicing the triumphant return of their valiant Caesar. Caesar is returning after defeating Pompey’s sons, a decisive, monumental victory. The people are ecstatic and jubilant. They are so intoxicated in the celebration that they disregard their chores and engage in decorating Caesar’s statues all along the city. They garland his busts, they sing his praises, they are exhausting all means of expressing their admiration and regard for the charming and benevolent warrior. His victory in Spain meant more spoils, more money, more resources, and that meant Rome’s prosperity. Their merrymaking was not unfounded or unreasonable. But among the hullabaloo of the reveling commoners, two noble-dressed men seem to dislike all the commotion. They seem to be at unease, their furrows deepened, and their expression livid. When they could no longer stand the sight of honoring the most powerful man in Rome- the man who was just like them, the man who was physically crippled with sporadic bouts of epileptic fits, the man who was one among them but has now risen to such heights that he was beyond their reach- they split and castigate the commoners for the delinquency for such a frivolous purpose as to watch Caesar’s victory parade. Caesar had risen to such heights that his own senate was intimidated by the influence, power, and authority he wielded. They try to disperse the thronging crowd and remind them that Caesar’s victory was not a war won against an enemy but a fellow Roman, a Roman General who served in the Roman Army when Rome was helmed by the Dictator and Consul Sulla. Julius Caesar, the controversial Roman Emperor, the captivating speaker, the brave general, the benevolent dictator, the man who was the high priest of an extravagant cult, had been held a captive by notorious pirates, who seduced the enigmatic Egyptian princess Cleopatra, the man who had the audacity to seduce the wives of his political rivals, a rebel with a cause who was condemned by his own senate and finally was brutally stabbed to death by his own senators. The story of Julius Caesar is an extraordinary tale of resilience, struggle for survival, greed for power, betrayal, debauchery, and unbelievable chutzpah. The riveting tale of Caesar’s assassination on the fateful ides of March is both agonizing and heart-wrenching.

An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common—murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered. But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome's darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.