Ancient FAQ – Part I

This series examines some of the popular questions about ancient history and ancient civilizations. Although this topic is broad, we aim to answer some of the questions people have. Here’s the first part of our Ancient FAQ series.

1. Who killed Julius Caesar?
2. Where is Julius Caesar buried?
3. How does Christianity differ from the ancient Roman religion?
4. What language was spoken in ancient Rome?
5. What type of government did the Roman Empire utilize?
6. What does SPQR mean?
7. How did the Romans bring fresh water to their cities?
8. How did Titus die?
9. Who was the last King of Rome?
10. What does ‘crossing the Rubicon’ mean?

There were at least 60-70 senators who conspired to kill Julius Caesar. This was quite a dangerous move that required the combined efforts of all of these men to accomplish their plan. Not only were there men needed to kill Caesar, but men who helped plan the assassination and men were also needed to keep watch. Part of the conspiracy required someone to distract Mark Antony, who was by Caesar’s side before entering the Curia of Pompey.

Among those who struck Caesar were Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Publius Servilius Casca, Servilius Casca (brother of Publius), Bucilianus, and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus. He was struck a total of 23 times.

As was customary at the time, the bodies of the dead were cremated, so there is no grave of Julius Caesar. Shortly after his death, there was confusion about where the funeral procession would occur. He was put on a funeral pyre, and amidst the chaos, two men set it alight, and the fire quickly took hold. Those citizens in attendance added whatever they could find to fuel the fire.

There is a small mound at the end of the Roman Forum, next to the ruins of the Temple of Caesar, that is said to be where Caesar’s funeral pyre was located—and, therefore, where Julius Caesar was cremated. People still leave flowers and other objects at what is now a memorial site.

We have very little information on his ashes’ whereabouts. Like most other important Roman figures who were cremated, they were likely lost throughout time.

The Romans practiced Paganism, a polytheistic religion that meant worshipping multiple gods. The Romans had dozens of gods and goddesses responsible for different facets of people’s lives. You had the God of war, the God of fortune, the God of wine, and the Goddess of fertility. You name it, they had a god for it. Christianity, on the other hand, only has the one God who oversaw everything.

The Paganism of the Romans seemed to value glory and honor as the Romans always wanted to impress the Gods, whereas Christianity valued piety and sacrifice.

Paganism (along with other ancient religions) allowed for an emperor or a chosen individual to be deified, whereas Christianity only allowed one God.

The short answer is Latin. The long answer adds more detail and context.

From as far back as we can see, the Romans spoke Latin. However, some of the earliest rulers of Rome during the regal period spoke the Etruscan language. It is unknown if Etruscan was spoken more widely during Rome’s infancy or if it was just its rulers. The evidence so far points to the latter.

Greek was also widely spoken in the Roman Empire, though it was less prominent in Rome itself. However, the higher classes and the more educated in Roman society quite often spoke both languages as the Greek states came under Roman control in the second century BC.

The Romans respected much of Greek history, knowing that it was intertwined with their own in some ways. Some level of respect was shown towards the Greeks; hence, it was spoken by many Romans within the empire.

The type of government the Roman Empire utilized was a dictatorship or autocracy. It was ruled by one man, the emperor. Dictators were not unknown to the Romans, who elevated people to the role of dictator for a period of six months (or longer in case of war) if there was a crisis at hand during the period of the Roman Republic.

However, the declaration by Julius Caesar that he would be a dictator for life directly led to his assassination. Thus, a civil war ensued, and the move from a republic to an empire.

There was a senate that the emperor worked with. Still, they could easily circumvent them if they wanted to, and quite often did, particularly if they had widespread support among the troops and the plebs.

SPQR stands for Senatus Populusque Romanus or the Senate and People of Rome.

While the actual dating of the term is uncertain, it denotes the period that saw the birth of the Roman Republic after the overthrow of the last Roman king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Rome was made up of the senate and the people, and it was no longer lorded over by kings or Etruscans.

The Romans at first relied on local rivers and streams for water. When this was not sufficient, the Romans turned to building aqueducts.

These structures were covered channels that were erected and connected water supplies from mountains to the city that needed the water supply. These mountains were sometimes multiple miles away, but such was the quality and the advanced nature of Roman engineering that they were able to supply their towns with fresh water daily. Rome itself had several aqueducts servicing the city.

Emperor Titus is said to have died from a fever in AD 81 after having only been emperor for two years. However, quite often in ancient history, these events are shrouded in mystery.

Speculation began that he was poisoned by his brother – future Emperor Domitian, who wanted to be emperor. Other theories have been floated but there’s no way of knowing conclusively.

The last King of Rome was Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (or Tarquin the Proud). He was Rome’s seventh king during the regal period and was overthrown in dramatic circumstances. His overthrow led to the formation of the Roman Republic. You can find out more information about Lucius Tarquinius Superbus here.

An irrevocable decision. A decision that cannot be reversed.

The Rubicon is a river north of Rome that marked the boundary between Rome and the provinces of Cisalpine and Transalpine Gaul in northern Italy.

It was customary for a returning general to disband his army before crossing the river on his way back to Rome. This was to confirm that a general was not leading his army to take over Rome itself. But this is precisely what Caesar did and this is where the term is derived – crossing the Rubicon with his troops meant he set into motion the events that would lead to a civil war. The decision showed his intent, and there was no going back.