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Julius Caesar In Medieval France: The Textual Sources And Iconography Of The Faits Des Romains, Mark M. Nelson

Honors Papers

The Julius Caesar of Shakespeare's day was a figure who believed that fame transcended mortality. Long after Caesar the man was dead, Caesar the legend lived on. It was a legend which in many ways was an analogue of the man. The legend maintained all of Caesar's stubborn persistence, and to some extent his power, his influence, and his ability to provoke controversy. This legend was borne across the Middle Ages by a mere handful of literary manuscripts. Just as the historical Caesar had survived the many pitfalls of his career, these manuscripts somehow escaped the numerous fates that could …