Calpurnia Pisonis
Encyclopedia
Calpurnia Pisonis daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, sister of Lucius Calpurnius Piso
, "the Pontifex", was a Roman
woman
and the third and last wife of Julius Caesar
. Calpurnia was the great-granddaughter of a lieutenant of Lucius Cassius Longinus
, whose name was Lucius Piso. The grandfather of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesonius was killed by the Tigurini
during the Gallic Wars
, as was Lucius Cassius Longinus.
(March 15) of 44 BC
, Calpurnia delivered all Caesar's personal papers, including will and notes, and most precious possessions to Mark Antony
, one of the new leaders of Rome.
She did not remarry after the death of Caesar.
According to historical tradition, reflected in some ancient sources, Calpurnia had a premonition of her husband's murder and tried to warn him in vain. She also encouraged Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
to send word to the senate that Caesar was sick on the day of his death, but Caesar refused to lie.
Lucius Calpurnius Piso (consul 15 BC)
Lucius Calpurnius L. f. L. n. Piso Caesoninus was a prominent Roman senator of the early principate. He was the son of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and brother of Calpurnia Pisonis, wife of Julius Caesar. He became a confidante of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius...
, "the Pontifex", was a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
woman
Women in Rome
Freeborn women in ancient Rome were citizens , but could not vote or hold political office. Because of their limited public role, women are named less frequently than men by Roman historians. But while Roman women held no direct political power, those from wealthy or powerful families could and did...
and the third and last wife of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. Calpurnia was the great-granddaughter of a lieutenant of Lucius Cassius Longinus
Lucius Cassius Longinus
Lucius Cassius Longinus was the name of several ancient Romans of the gens Cassia.*Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla was a consul of the Roman Republic in 127 BC.* Lucius Cassius Longinus was consul in 107 BC....
, whose name was Lucius Piso. The grandfather of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesonius was killed by the Tigurini
Tigurini
The Tigurini were a pagus of the Celtic Helvetii. They crossed the Rhine together with the Helvetii to invade Gaul in 109 BCE...
during the Gallic Wars
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 51 BC. The Gallic Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the...
, as was Lucius Cassius Longinus.
Marriage and Caesar's demise
Caesar and Calpurnia married in late 59 BC. Calpurnia was a sixteen-year-old virgin. No children resulted from the union. Following Caesar's death on the Ides of MarchRoman calendar
The Roman calendar changed its form several times in the time between the founding of Rome and the fall of the Roman Empire. This article generally discusses the early Roman or pre-Julian calendars...
(March 15) of 44 BC
44 BC
Year 44 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Sunday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, Calpurnia delivered all Caesar's personal papers, including will and notes, and most precious possessions to Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
, one of the new leaders of Rome.
She did not remarry after the death of Caesar.
According to historical tradition, reflected in some ancient sources, Calpurnia had a premonition of her husband's murder and tried to warn him in vain. She also encouraged Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC and one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination...
to send word to the senate that Caesar was sick on the day of his death, but Caesar refused to lie.
Calpurnia in popular culture
- In ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's playJulius Caesar (play)The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, Calpurnia has a dream that a statue of Caesar was flowing with blood as many Romans wash their hands in the blood. She also saw in her dream that Julius Caesar would die in her arms.
- A version of Calpurnia was portrayed by Haydn GwynneHaydn Gwynne-Personal life:Born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex to father Guy Thomas Hayden-Gwynne, she played county level tennis before studying Sociology at the University of Nottingham, and is fluent in French and Italian...
in HBO's series RomeRome (TV series)Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
.
- Her character from Shakespeare's play was also portrayed by Sylvia LennickSylvia LennickSylvia Lennick, née Paige was a Canadian comedic actress. A supporting cast member of Wayne & Shusters television comedy troupe, she was most famous for her role as Calpurnia, with the famous catch phrase "I told him, Julie! Don't go!", in the Julius Caesar sketch "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga".In...
in Wayne and ShusterWayne and ShusterWayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. They were active professionally from the early 1940s until the late 1980s....
's comedy sketch "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga", parodied as a hysterical Italian-American housewife repeatedly wailing "I told him, Julie! Don't go!" in a Bronx accent.
- She was also been portrayed by British actresses Greer GarsonGreer GarsonGreer Garson, CBE was a British-born actress who was very popular during World War II, being listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top ten box office draws in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946. As one of MGM's major stars of the 1940s, Garson received seven Academy Award...
in the 1953 adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, by Joan SimsJoan SimsJoan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
in Carry on CleoCarry On CleoCarry On Cleo is the tenth film in the Carry On film series and was released in 1964. The website ICONS.a portrait of England cites the Carry On films as iconic of British cinema, and describes Carry On Cleo as "perhaps the best". Regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Charles...
, by Italian actress Valeria GolinoValeria GolinoValeria Golino is an Italian-Greek film and television actress. She is best known to English language audiences for the 1988 film Rain Man, and the Hot Shots! films...
in the 2002 made for TV movie Julius Caesar, by Gertrude MichaelGertrude MichaelGertrude Michael was an American film, stage and television actress....
in Cecil B. DeMilleCecil B. DeMilleCecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
's 1934 CleopatraCleopatra (1934 film)Cleopatra is a 1934 epic film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Paramount Pictures, which retells the story of Cleopatra VII of Egypt....
, and by Gwen Watford in 20th Century Fox's 1963 "Cleopatra."
- She is shown in Mist of Prophecies (part of the Roma Sub RosaRoma Sub RosaRoma Sub Rosa is the title of the series of mystery novels by Steven Saylor set in, and populated by, noteworthy denizens of ancient Rome. The series is noted for its historical authenticity. The phrase "Roma Sub Rosa" means, in Latin, "Rome under the rose"...
series by Steven SaylorSteven SaylorSteven Saylor is an American author of historical novels. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and Classics....
) taking part on solving a murder. She gets Gordianus the Finder to look into a threat to her husband in the latest book in this series,The Triumph of Caesar.
- In the motion picture The Addams FamilyThe Addams Family (film)The Addams Family is a 1991 American black comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams....
, there is a portrait of Calpurnia on the wall of the Addams'.
- In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia is portrayed as a maid and slave to to Atticus Finch, and a mother to both Jem and Scout Finch