Wednesday, December 1, 2021

The months July and August honour them. Where can you see the temples of Julius Caesar and Augustus in Italy, and online?

The huge Forum in Rome, Italy. The Julius Caesar memorial is on the left, under a wide low roof.


Close up of Julius Caesar area.

Map marked to show sites of temples and memorials to Caesar, August and other Famous Romans, in Rome, Italy

Computer generated model

This is a derivative work of a 3D, Computer generated image of the Temple of Caesar by the model maker, Lasha Tskhondia - L.VII.C.[1]. Variations to the original model include shadows, adjusted for good lighting as well as the file being adjusted for color and contrast.


Long gone, but not forgotten. Flowers left in modern times in Rome for Roman Julius Caesar.

What did the Romans do for us? Roman numerals, for a start. Our English language desk calendars have the words July and August. Named after Romans Julius Caesar and Augustus. 

However, when you watch the play of Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare, at school or in the theatre as a child, you might feel Julius Caesar is from the long distant past, irrelevant, as I did then. I thought that Caesar died centuries ago and has no bearing on life today.

But of course, we all use the word July through the month of July and much of the year. The name is much the same in other European languages too. Caesar also gave us the word Caesarian, although, like so much in history and language, the debate as to whether it is true can keep you entertained for hours. 

Meanwhile, what of the real Julius Caesar? He did rise to great heights. He was betrayed. And after he died, his honour and memory were restored, and he was edified to be a Roman God. (Which makes me think that the fact that Romans called Jesus on the cross, the God of the Jews, was to portray Jesus as an enemy of Rome.)

If you want to see the site of Julius in Rome, it is still there. Reproductions of the original building honouring him are on old Roman coins.

Julius Caesar life, or a myth based on it, appears not only in English lessons, but in history, as well being taught in Latin lessons. Julius Caesar supposedly fell when climbing out of the boat onto the beach when he arrived in England. But, with a piece of smart verbal recovery, he announced, 'Veni, vidi, vici!' That means: I came, I saw, I conquered. 

As a child, I found it distasteful to learn the Caesar had been stabbed to death. I was equally shocked recently, reading a list of Roman leaders, to find that a huge number of them came to power by assassinating somebody, and/or died by being assassinated by somebody else. Very few lived to a ripe old age and died of natural causes. 

If we were to ban statues of Romans who were not saints, and who did not own slaves, we would lose many of the historical sights and tourist attractions. 

After July, comes August. Here is the mausoleum of Augustus.

Mausoleum of Augustus. Campus Martius. Rome. Italy.


Useful Websites 

Overview

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Caesar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Augustus

More photos

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Temple_of_Iulius_Caesar_(Rome)


About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including: Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts. 

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