De-Nesting Diaries: Friday, March 15th

Talent develops in tranquillity, character in the full current of human life. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832) 

Galus Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar, one of the greatest military commanders in history, was assassinated on the Ides of March. In February 44 BC, one month before his assassination, he was appointed dictator for life. He was not assassinated solely by Brutus nor with the cry of "et tu, Brute," -- a line penned by Shakespeare -- but by twenty three dagger strokes from a crowd of sixty led by Tillius Cimber, a victim of the harsh rivalries and merciless political maelstrom of ancient Rome. Only one of the twenty three strokes was fatal. Caesar's dead body lay where it fell on the Senate floor for nearly three hours before other officials arrived to remove it.

'As soon as Caesar took his seat, the conspirators crowded round him as if to pay their respects. Tillius Cimber, who had taken the lead, came up close, pretending to ask a question. Caesar made a gesture to put off his request to some other time, but Cimber caught hold of his toga at both shoulders. 'This is outrageous,' Caesar exclaimed, and at that moment one of the Casca brothers stabbed him from one side just below the throat. Caesar grasped Casca's arm and ran it through with his stylus. He was leaping up when another dagger caught him in the chest. Confronted by a ring of drawn daggers, he drew the top of his toga over his face, and at the same time with his left hand drew the lap of his toga down to his feet, so that he would die decently, with the lower part of his body covered. Twenty three dagger thrusts went home. Caesar did not utter a sound after the first blow, though some have recorded that when he saw Marcus Brutus coming at him, he said 'kai su, teknon' [Greek for 'you too, child'].

"There is a debate about what kai su, teknon (note: not et tu, Brute) implies. Some Romans did indeed think that Brutus was Caesar's illegitimate son -- Caesar was a notorious lady's man -- but this is unlikely. One tempting interpretation is that the words are not a cry of astonishment or despair but an aggressive 'And the same to you, kiddo!' Caesar, in other words, remained defiant to the end. This is attractive. Caesar was a man of iron determination, never one to admit defeat -- even in death."

Hi Giggabyte!

Think around 4:00pm would be a good time to start. Let me know if you are able to stay for dinner as well. I'm off to run some errands shortly. Cheers, Il Conduttore! 

See you at 4:00. Won't stay for dinner, thx. G 

Hi Corinne & Patrick, I am going to be out in Vancouver from evening April 10 to morning April 16 and am wondering if there is a time in there that might work for a get together.  Hope to hear from you, best, Ann

Ever try this shot?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/mar/13/squash-james-willstrop-video

  It would help my standing with the Festival Board if you get them through me :-) I'm running into a sales problem as many of my library contacts will be in Winnipeg for CLA. I'll put them through as individual sales and each person paying will get a tax receipt.

    But as they say, whatever as long as people come. Cheers....Paul 

Upcoming trip to Vancouver:

Hi Corinne & Patrick, I am going to be out in Vancouver from evening April 10 to morning April 16 and am wondering if there is a time in there that might work for a get together.  Hope to hear from you, best, Ann