Professor Catherine Steel

Well, thank you for having me again. Always reassuring to get a second invitation.

Well, thank you for having me again. Always reassuring to get a second invitation.

Well, thank you for having me again. Always reassuring to get a second invitation.

It's not. It's not. We mustn't forget that brilliant anecdote that Plutarch tells us about Caesar weeping because at the age of 33, I think, when he's comparing himself with Alexander and basically saying, I've accomplished nothing.

It's not. It's not. We mustn't forget that brilliant anecdote that Plutarch tells us about Caesar weeping because at the age of 33, I think, when he's comparing himself with Alexander and basically saying, I've accomplished nothing.

It's not. It's not. We mustn't forget that brilliant anecdote that Plutarch tells us about Caesar weeping because at the age of 33, I think, when he's comparing himself with Alexander and basically saying, I've accomplished nothing.

And part of the context for that, I'm sure, is he was looking at Pompey the Great, his slightly older contemporary who had achieved massive, completely unprecedented things by the time that Pompey was that age.

And part of the context for that, I'm sure, is he was looking at Pompey the Great, his slightly older contemporary who had achieved massive, completely unprecedented things by the time that Pompey was that age.

And part of the context for that, I'm sure, is he was looking at Pompey the Great, his slightly older contemporary who had achieved massive, completely unprecedented things by the time that Pompey was that age.

So Caesar's career, his early career, arguably there's nothing particularly remarkable about it, or at least nothing particularly remarkable given that it was a pretty turbulent time at Rome. And I think I probably want to suggest that the first time that Caesar really begins to look as if he might be something a bit different, is the year 63, right?

So Caesar's career, his early career, arguably there's nothing particularly remarkable about it, or at least nothing particularly remarkable given that it was a pretty turbulent time at Rome. And I think I probably want to suggest that the first time that Caesar really begins to look as if he might be something a bit different, is the year 63, right?

So Caesar's career, his early career, arguably there's nothing particularly remarkable about it, or at least nothing particularly remarkable given that it was a pretty turbulent time at Rome. And I think I probably want to suggest that the first time that Caesar really begins to look as if he might be something a bit different, is the year 63, right?

When he's elected Pontifex Maximus and when he contributes so remarkably to the debate on the Catanarian conspirators.

When he's elected Pontifex Maximus and when he contributes so remarkably to the debate on the Catanarian conspirators.

When he's elected Pontifex Maximus and when he contributes so remarkably to the debate on the Catanarian conspirators.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think that up until that point, you can tell a story that fits in much more happily within a pretty conventional narrative about building a career as a politician at Rome. Not without some oddities, sure, but a much more conventional story.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think that up until that point, you can tell a story that fits in much more happily within a pretty conventional narrative about building a career as a politician at Rome. Not without some oddities, sure, but a much more conventional story.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think that up until that point, you can tell a story that fits in much more happily within a pretty conventional narrative about building a career as a politician at Rome. Not without some oddities, sure, but a much more conventional story.

Of course, who in the historiography of Caesar becomes an important point of comparison. It's Caesar with whom Alexander is paired in Plutarch's Parallel Lives, for example. That becomes a fairly standard comparison, yes.

Of course, who in the historiography of Caesar becomes an important point of comparison. It's Caesar with whom Alexander is paired in Plutarch's Parallel Lives, for example. That becomes a fairly standard comparison, yes.