The Ides: Caesar’s Murder and the War for Rome
About this audiobook
Sixty killers, wearing the purple-trimmed togas of Roman senators, unsheathed their hidden daggers to stab the most feared and powerful man in the Empire. Hundreds of their colleagues ran screaming from the Theater of Pompey the Great, proclaiming the bloody deed to the thousands of citizens who clogged the streets outside. It was the most public of crimes. Yet, two millennia after the murder of Julius Caesar, many questions remain unanswered. Was Brutus a treasonous villain or a hero of Rome? Were the killers motivated by noble sentiment or venality? Why did so many of Caesar's formerly loyal lieutenants take part in the murder?
InThe Ides, celebrated author and classical researcher Stephen Dando-Collins transports listeners to the streets, palaces, and gathering places of ancient Rome to experience a richly detailed, convincingly accurate, and stunningly suspenseful account of Caesar's final days. He traces the conspiracy that brought the conqueror down, from a surprising holiday meeting between Cassius and Brutus to its chaotic conclusion and beyond.
Drawing deeply from ancient manuscripts, Dando-Collins documents Caesar's campaign to persuade the Senate, which had already declared him a "living god," to appoint him king of Rome before his planned departure on a military mission on March 19, 44 BC. He reveals why many Romans already considered Caesar a tyrant and why Brutus, who may well have been Caesar's illegitimate son, felt a special obligation to depose this man who would be king.
This compelling history follows the mercurial Cassius and even-tempered Brutus as they carefully feel out potential coconspirators, knowing that one wrong choice could be their last. It reveals the dramatic lengths to which Brutus' wife Porcia went to prove he could trust her with his secret; why Caesar, even as the killers paced in restless anticipation of his arrival, canceled the Senate session he had called—and how a close associate convinced him to change his mind.
Complete with a thoughtful analysis of why the plotters failed in their aim to restore the Republic and a chilling account of the deadly power struggles that continued for years after Caesar's death,The Idesis a must-have for anyone fascinated with the Roman Empire, military history, and an incredible story well told.
About the author
Stephen Dando-Collins is the award-winning author of 40 books, including children's novels and biographies. The majority of his works deal with military history ranging from Greek and Roman times to American 19th century history and World War I and World War II. Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages including Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Albanian and Korean. Considered an authority on the legions of ancient Rome, his most recent work on the subject, 2012's Legions of Rome, was the culmination of decades of research into the individual legions of Rome. With all his books, Dando-Collins aims to travel roads that others have not, unearthing new facts and opening new perspectives on often forgotten or overlooked people and aspects of history. Australian-born, he has a background in advertising, marketing and market research. His latest book is Mr Showbiz, the first ever biography of international music, stage and movie mogul Robert Stigwood, who managed the Bee Gees, Cream, Clapton, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber among many others, and produced Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Saturday Night Fever and Grease.
Bronson Pinchot is an Earphones and Audie Award–winning narrator and Audible’s Narrator of the Year for 2010.
