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Julius Caesar- as famous as Jesus?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Paraphrasing John Lennon's famous 1965 remark that 'the Beatles are more popular today than Jesus' to a British journalist, and speaking strictly historically only with no offence to the son of God or religion, which people from the world's past are as famous as Jesus (the man, not the deity's son)?
  
  I think that, historically, Julius Caesar might come close- a man became a 'dictator' of a World power, still has a month named after him, created the leap year, invaded two parts of the [then] feared & unknown world (Germania and Brittania), effectively won Gaul in 9 years, paved the way for the Roman Empire and has a legacy of such stature that most folk on the planet have probably heard of him, even today?
  
  The above Lennon offhand comment was taken totally out of context by US journalists and radio stations in 1966, months after he uttered the words in a long interview about how Beatlemania was crazy and eclipsing churchgoing, just before their ill-fated and fear-filled last ever US tour, where right-wing extremists staged protests outside stadia, made veiled death threats and burned Beatles records etc (sound familiar?)
  
  Are there many such historical people we can look at retrospectively? Or is he just another famous historical character who achieved great things in his time?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by islanddawn (U7379884) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Yes, I agree with JC (Caesar not Jesus Christ! Even the initials are the same....) would come close. Like Jesus, he was also deified after death.
  
  Alexander the Great could be another. Caesar admired Alexander greatly and tried to emulate him, although I'm not sure if JC ever felt that he had. Another reason for his planned invasion of Persia just before his assassination possibly?

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  Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Lol, yes JC! The 'Not the 9 O'clock News' team were great in the early 80's!
  
  Alexander certainly ranks up there, but as he 'stuck to soldiering' (and very well!) Caesar, thanks to his own very self-conscious spin doctoring, leaves us with the legacy which goes that bit further than his hero, whether his generalship and battles did or not?

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  Posted by somewhatsilly (U14315357) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  If we leave out religious figures such as Mohammed or the Buddha, I'd suggest that the name and as, if not more, importantly today the face most widely recognised would be that of Hitler. Fame and infamy become confused with time, Caeser's name would once have sparked as much fear and revulsion as admiration I'd expect.
  

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• Message 5

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  Posted by somewhatsilly (U14315357) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Damn,
  
  Caesar.
  Caesar.
  Caesar.
  Caesar.
  Caesar.
  
  J G Caeser wouldn't have impressed anyone!

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Vizzer aka U_numbers (U2011621) on Friday, 7th October 2011

  Lol, yes JC! The 'Not the 9 O'clock News' team were great in the early 80's!Β 
  Our Lord John Cleese?
  

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