Sinners or Saints

My fellow senators, I was present when the murder took place, however I do not see it as my right to judge the merits of whether it was right and wrong to take such actions. I am not a god nor do I claim to have the ability to see the future, so I am unable to say whether these events will bring good or ill. I hope, for all of our sakes, that the actions taken where in the best interest of Rome. However, we will never know what would have happened had Gaius Julius Caesar been allowed to remain dictator for life. He may have restored the monarchy, or he may have made a stronger republic. No matter what side you may support, or what you may personally believe we can never know what would have truly happened. I do trust the men involved believed themselves to be doing what was in the best interest of Rome. They perceived a threat to our nation and they acted upon it. I can find no fault with acting to protect your country when you believe it is being threatened, to do anything less would make you a traitor.

For now, I must imagine that the gods would not have allowed such an action had it not been in fated for Julius to die on that day. If Julius was not destined to die on that day surely the gods in their infinite wisdom and ability could have stopped the actions of mere mortals. I would trust the gods’ wisdom well before my own, so I can only take their inaction to be a sign that these events were meant to come to pass. To believe otherwise would be denying your belief in the gods, which I am sure no wise senators, such as yourselves, would do. That being said, the death of Julius must have been the will of the gods. Therefore, these men were only enacting the will of the gods, for which none can fault them. The wrath of the gods is swift and merciless, so I would not be the judge of any man who has the will of the gods behind him, much less a group of men whose actions are supported by the gods.

These men also had the courage to act upon their beliefs. Whether or not these beliefs were misguided, these men were willing to give their lives to protect our great Empire. Men who would make the ultimate sacrifice for their cause are hard to find. Many a man will make bold claims and loud boasts, without ever trying to do anything to prove those claims. However, it takes a man of courage and strength to follow through on those boasts even at cost to himself. These men may not be heroes, but they are certainly patriots.

We must also ask ourselves if they are the ones we should blame for these actions. After all, they would not have acted had Gaius Julius Caesar not been poised to pronounce himself king. And who might have encouraged such actions? Marcus Antonius is just as much at fault for the death of Julius as any of the men involved in his murder. He was eager for Caesar to be proclaimed king. I believe that he did so for his own purposes, not for the glory of Rome. The men involved in Julius’ death would not have acted so quickly if not for Marcus Antonius trying to glorify Caesar and make him king. We should not try to place blame on some and exclude others that are just as responsible for this assassination. If we are to accuse these men of murder, then I say we must also include Marcus Antonius as one of the men responsible.