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Secondary sourcePainting1606

The Murder of Julius Caesar

1606

A 1606 Dutch engraving imagining Caesar's death and the legend that he was transformed into a comet.

This 1606 print reimagines Caesar's death as a mythical transformation, showing how later artists reinterpreted his assassination.

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Engraving with a Latin caption reading 'Iulius Caesar Veneris beneficio in Cometam mutatur' (plate 150). A man in a laurel wreath, bare-chested and draped, is embraced by a standing figure and a woman with a star-shaped comet. A winged cupid flies at upper right, and a large cloud fills the background.
Dutch print, The Murder of Julius Caesar, 1606. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands.

About this source

What it is

This is a Dutch engraving from 1606 showing the murder of Julius Caesar by conspirators in the Senate, with a Latin caption. It is held today by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands.

Why it matters

Made over 1,600 years after Caesar's death, this print is not a historical record of the event but a work of art. Its Latin title refers to the legend that Caesar was transformed into a comet by the goddess Venus, showing how later generations mythologized his death rather than simply recording it. It tells us about how artists of the 1600s used classical myths to explore Roman history.

Look closer

  • Why is Caesar shown with a comet and a cupid instead of a dagger and blood?
  • What does the Latin caption tell you about how the artist wanted viewers to understand this scene?
  • How does this image differ from what you might expect a depiction of a murder to look like?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Julius Caesar on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page of Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, with a red-ink title line, a large illuminated initial C with gold and blue decoration, black Latin text in columns, a floral border with blue and red flourishes, a library stamp, and a coat of arms at lower right.Book

Primary source

Commentarii de Bello Gallico

Julius Caesar · c. 58-50 BCE (this copy 1469)

Engraving of a standing male figure in Roman armor with a draped cloak over one shoulder, a pleated leather-style skirt with decorative lappets, and sandals, resting on a plinth. His right arm is extended outward, left hand holds a small object. The caption below reads Julius Cesar. Monochrome line hatching on a striped background.Painting

Secondary source

Etched Portrait of Julius Caesar

F. Perrier

Engraved print of the murder of Julius Caesar. On the left, a bearded man with a crown and laurel-like headpiece is stabbed by a man lunging with a dagger; another figure raises a weapon behind. A radiant light and smoke rise above. On the right, an ornate colonnaded interior with a niche holding a statue and an arched doorway. Caption below reads 'Iulius Caesar in stellam' and page number 150.Painting

Secondary source

Murder of Julius Caesar in the Senate

Open book showing a title page on the right: 'C. Julii Caesaris Commentarii de Bello Gallico et Civili, Tomus I, Venetiis 1783', framed by ornate borders with a trophy of arms. On the left, an engraved frontispiece shows a seated Roman figure holding a tablet, with a standard and a city in the background.Book

Primary source

Commentarii de Bello Civili

Julius Caesar · 49-48 BCE

Black and white engraving of a Roman senate chamber with tall columns and rows of benches. Togaed men with raised daggers surround a figure lying on the floor at lower left. Statues stand at left, and a seated figure sits at right. Title below reads The Death of Caesar.Painting

Secondary source

The Death of Julius Caesar

J.C. Armytage after Jean-Léon Gérôme · 1800-1899

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