Jay-Z used the term in his 2003 song “Encore”. You can also find allusions to the phrase in modern music. Upon the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the then Secretary of State said: “We came, we saw, he died.” Hillary Clinton alluded to Veni Vidi Vici in 2011. That roughly translated to “we came, we saw, God conquered”. The King of Poland at the time, Jan III, used the term Venimus, Vidimus, Deus vicit. Veni Vidi Vici has retained its use for describing military battles where the victor quickly and decisively ended the battle.įor example, the phrase was used after the Battle of Vienna that took place between July and September of 1983. But it’s also been used in popular culture for various allusions. This phrase is still used in its original format to describe a swift battle. Regardless of how those words made their way among the population, they’ve retained their meaning throughout history. When he returned to Rome, he displayed that tablet at the head of his Pontic triumph. According to his account, Caesar had the words inscribed on a tablet. The other source for this quote is the Lives of the Twelve Caesar’s, which was written by Suetonius. His short letter following the swift victory used those exact words to describe how they’d put down the uprising in a fast and conclusive way. Plutarch says that Caesar first wrote the words Veni Vidi Vici in a report to his friend Amantius. In Plutarch’s Life of Caesar, he describes how the phrase was first written down by Caesar himself. Veni Vidi Vici is attributed to Julius Caesar and his triumph at the Battle of Zela by two separate sources. It translates to “we came, we saw, we conquered”. It’s these characteristics of the Battle that led Caesar to coin the phrase Veni Vidi Vici. The Battle of Zela was quick and decisive. And yet, they won the battle in a five-day campaign. He had only three legions of men to help him at the Battle of Zela. Grossly outnumbered by Pharnaces 20,000-strong army, Caesar decided to battle. He had already caused problems for the leaders in Bithynia and Cappadocia in modern day-Turkey and was making moves toward Armenia. The King of Pontus, Pharnaces II, was responsible for the trouble. He had to attend to an uprising in Syria, where the Romans held land. From Egypt, Caesar left for Asia to put down the uprising. But before Cesar could meet his son, Cesar was called to battle. In May of 47 BCE, Caesar visited Cleopatra, who was pregnant with their child. It was while he was visiting Egypt and his pregnant mistress that the story of Veni Vidi Vici began. And one of his known mistresses was the Pharoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt.Ĭaesar and Cleopatra had a child together. The Story Behind Veni Vidi ViciĪlthough he lived in what is now known as one of the most romantic regions in the world, Caesar was n romantic. And the story behind it gives insight into the womanizing side of Caesar’s history that’s not so often recalled. While Veni Vidi Vici doesn’t appear in these chronicles, it’s one of his more famous sayings that has stood the test of time. He chronicled his military experiences and is regarded as an acclaimed author in his time. His death marked the falling of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.īeyond his political and military life, Caesar also has a place in history for his authorship. Several Senators conspired against Caesar and killed him before he could appear at a session of the Senate. In March 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March. However, in his later political career, he not only caused a brutal civil war, but he also became a brutal dictator. Under his rule, Rome’s territory was extended to the English Channel and the Rhine. Eventually, Julius Caesar himself made his way up the political ladder to become the Emperor of Rome.Ĭaesar is an infamous historical figure for both his statesmanship and his military conquests. He was born to a prestigious family that was involved in Roman politics. Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C on July 12 or 13. But do you know why Ceasar said these words and how we know about them today? Referenced in popular culture but also used as an illusion for military victory, this famous saying still holds the same meaning it did thousands of years ago. And around the time their child was born is when he first said the now-infamous words “Veni, Vidi, Vici”. Did you know that Julius Ceasar was married three times and had at least two well-known mistresses?Īmong the well-known mistresses of this famed Roman figure was Cleopatra.
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