Julius Caesar (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Julius Caesar was an ambition Roman general that became a powerful dictator of Rome. While in power he instituted many social and political reforms. His death (on March 15, the Ides Of March) lead to a civil war and the rise of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavius Caesar, who later became known as Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor.

The account of the assassination of Julius Caesar has been immortalized in the play, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare.

Within the Sandman Universe, Julius Caesar makes a very brief, but hauntingly memorable, appearance in August (Sandman # 30).

Octavius, who is also known as Emperor Augustus, and Lycius sit in the market pretending to be beggars and speak of personal legacy. They also speak of Julius Caesar.

Lycius tells Augustus that he wishes that he knew him. Augustus, who is the nephew of Julius, tells the dwarf that he remembers first meeting his uncle and describes him as having the eyes of a hero and that he remembered hearing about the assassination and was named as the heir to Rome. When Augustus returned to the city, he took his revenge on those who killed his uncle and became the first Roman Emperor.

Lycius says, to Augustus “You must have loved him very much,” to which Augustus replied “No. I hated him” and says nothing more of the subject.

After a day in the marketplace, the two men part and Augustus returns home. He removes the make up and goes to bed. That night he dreams, he dreams of a time past when he was sixteen and his uncle Julius Caesar rapes him in the middle of the night and he remembers this nighly ritual. This dream haunts him every time he closes his eyes.

Julius Caesar appears in Sandman # 30 on pages 8, 12, and 23.

Max was put in a difficult position of doing a portrait of a character that is not only based in history, but also a character that is not portrayed in the best of light in the published comic. He did a great job with this portrait. I like the line work on the character’s face and his thin hair matted against his forehead, similar to that in the comic. His eyes do not seem as fierce or as brutal as described in the comic, but there is still a coldness that is a little off-putting about him.

Here is Julius Caesar…