De corpore Caesaris.

I stand before you, Fathers of the Senate, as a former consul and censor and the father-in-law of Gaius Julius Caesar. I remain, as I always have, a simple moderate who wishes only the very best for our glorious Rome. As called upon by Marcus Aemelius Lepidus, the issue I will regretfully address to you concerns the burial of Gaius Julius Caesar.

The horrific bloodshed that took place in the Hall of Pompey has left my beloved daughter, Calpurnia, a widow. It is a terrible disgrace to have my son-in-law disposed of in such an atrocious form of vengeance. Therefore, I demand a proper burial to respect and honor the family of our deceased leader. I yearn for the opportunity to pay my deepest regards. I am prepared to retrieve the will from the Vestals and embark on the necessary funeral arrangements for a man of his rank and honor, which I shall now propose.

The body of Gaius Julius Caesar is resting safely in the home that he shared with my daughter for viewing by friends and family. After the recommended eight days, the public funeral procession must occur. A pyre should be erected in the Campus Martius near the tomb of Julia. In the tradition of a man of such illustrious rank, the body should be transported through the forum to the rostra on a lectica covered in gold and purple. The honor of carrying his body may be left to your discretion. Skilled musicians should accompany this march to praise our deceased with funeral songs and mournful strains. Those who wish may wear the ancestral masks of the Julii. Gaius Julius Caesar was an accomplished general, and his military rewards should be paraded to honor his grandeur. The public will naturally aspire to present offerings and gifts and we should allocate a befitting location for this. Funeral games should be held to accommodate those in mourning. Lastly, a grand public banquet should be held in celebration of the accomplishments and descent of this renowned ruler of Rome.

I am fully aware that those who collaborated with the appalling assassination will not support a legitimate funeral. Let me remind you, conscript fathers, that favored or not, Gaius Julius Caesar was a leader of Rome. It would be barbaric to treat him as a mere condemned criminal and toss his body into the Tiber. What would our enemies think? How will the people, most of whom loved Gaius Julius Caesar, respond? As you may remember, the people shouted king at him when he was coming into the city from Alba, although he was quick to correct them. As displayed in recent history, the citizens of Rome do not take kindly upon those who deny the rights of a distinguished man to a competent funeral. Need I insinuate the action that took place after the death of Clodius Publius Pulcher? Gaius Julius Caesar showed his enemies, many of whom are sitting before me, great clemency after treacherous deeds were made against him. His rivals should be prepared to show the same clemency to his body after death. We must honor his noble character as the sovereign of Rome with a grand funeral procession worthy of an established leader.