Alea iacta est is said to have been uttered in Greek (Ἀνεῤῥίφθω κύβος) and I also knew it in Latin of course (funnily enough, from the Asterix comics) but had to look the English one up. Also, am I the only one that thinks "vici" should be translated as "I won/was victorious"?
^ this is likely a myth - c-sections were being performed under the same name well before Caesar's birth and Caesar's mother was unlikely to have given birth to him by C-section as it is thought that she lived for another ~45 years after his birth (at the time C-sections always used to kill the mother).
Yeah, in Latin "caesar" means "to cut". The dictator was from the Caesar wing of the Julius family. Most likely they were named after an ancestor who had been delivered by c-sections, which as roleybob alluded to was a desperate measure the doctors only attempted when the mother had already died in childbirth.
from wikipedia: "The Ides of March was a day in the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts."
I wonder why the question about Cleopatra was phrased in that manner? - I thought that it is an undisputed fact that she had children by both Caeser and Marc Antony.
I have read probably 75% of Shakespeare's plays, and Julius Caesar is my favorite so far, by a wide margin. Mark Anthony's eulogy stands alone among thespian accomplishments.
Absolutely. I have always been so envious of people who got to see Daniel Day-Lewis or Anthony Hopkins do Shakespeare on stage, but at least we have Brando on film, and in one of Shakespeare's best roles (arguably his best, in my opinion). I also really love Damian Lewis's rendition of the speech.
Can't help it, but Great Britain is nog an island. It is a country spread over 2 islands. I'd asume that the part he invaded had it's own specific name, that one island.
You are incorrect. "Great Britain is an island separated from the European mainland by the English Channel and North Sea. It comprises the nations of England, Scotland and Wales."
If there are any other crossword fiends here, you should look up the weeklong crossword construction based on "the die is cast" that Patrick Berry did for the New York Times a few years ago. It's as close to artistry as crossword puzzles can get, and it's a staggering accomplishment.
And Brutus IS more famous. The term "Et tu Brute?" is often quoted when people speak of betrayal by close friends (I've done it myself). He doesn't say "Et tu Brute... and Cassius too?"
"... I conquered" is the common English translation of "vici", past of "vincere". Other translations of "vici" should be accepted, e.g. "won", "defeated", "vanquished", "overcame".
The most common translation of "iacta" is "thrown", although it is often rendered as "cast" in English. Source: https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/iactus#Latin
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or the UK for short, is the country.
Source: https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/vincere