Terry Jones' Barbarians by Terry Jones

Author:Terry Jones [Terry Jones and Alan Ereira]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781409070429
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

He said he would have them crucified, and they all laughed.

Once his ransom was paid and he was freed, he hired a fleet, set out in hot pursuit and captured 'most of them'. After handing them over to the authorities, he personally arranged their crucifixion. Caesar then went on with his planned course of study.

The story he told about what happened shows how effectively he learnt the art of self-presentation. It may be that he had actually cut a deal with one or more of his captors to enable him to seize the rest. The story is designed to enhance his reputation in the very particular moral climate of Rome – showing not just that he was a young man of style and panache, but also that he was utterly without duplicity (therefore not like the Greeks who were teaching him) and completely ruthless.

The irony of the whole situation is that Rhodes' attempt to sell itself as a finishing school for the young brutes of Rome would finally finish off the island. In 44 BC Caesar was assassinated. One of the conspirators was familiar with the island for exactly the same reason as Caesar: Cassius too had gone there to learn rhetoric. After the assassination, he needed loot to strengthen his position as he jockeyed for power. Casting round for some easy way of replenishing his coffers without too much opposition, his eye lighted on his old alma mater. He knew exactly what was there, and that Rhodes had no capacity to resist him. His excuse for launching his attack was that his enemies – who were, of course, enemies of the Republic – might be helped by Rhodes' ships. So, in 42 BC, ignoring the desperate appeals of his old teacher, he simply walked in and ransacked the place.43 The Romans had always liked the stuff produced on the island, and Cassius sailed away with 3000 of its artistic masterpieces.

Rhodes never recovered.

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