Public Opinion In Rome And The Shaping Of Caesar's Images

From the time of Caesar's assassination(March 44 BC)to the time when Antony was officially declared an enemy of the people(April 43 BC),this was a crucial period in shaping the image of Caesar.By examining the public opinion in the Rome during this period,we can find that they played a key role in shaping Caesar's images.This paper explores the memory of Caesar by ordinary people after his assassination.A year after Caesar's death,the public opinion preferences of ordinary people affected the shaping of Caesar's image by the leaders of different factions and the resulting political practice.Taking the political activities in Romanum Forum as an example,this paper examines the formation of public opinion and the channels through which public opinion spread,and specifically analyzes the information disseminated in Rome by the assassin of Caesar and Octavian,a newcomer to the political arena,different ways of shaping the image of Caesar.Octavian and Caesar's assassin compete for public support in nonpolitical events,such as games.Octavian's use of information,and his use of it to his advantage,has caused panic in Antony,who fears a challenge to his position as leader of the Caesarian.The huge public reaction to the comet incident and Antony's setback in the Senate made Antony realize the power of Caesar's memory and begin to change his moderate attitude in political practice.At the same time,the two leading leaders of the Caesarian were divided over the ownership of Caesar's memory.Cicero saw an opportunity to reorganize public opinion and began to address the Senate's contradictions in public political activities,such as the Senate and civil assemblies,and build a new political consensus based on a positive image of Caesar.