Demagogue, Conqueror, Dictator: Receptions of Julius Caesar in the Cold War Years 1945-65

This thesis will investigate how images of Julius Caesar have been used to influence and facilitate discussions of power in the present, particularly in the years 1945-65, from the end of the Second World War to the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam. This period marks the beginning of the Cold War and witnesses a number of notable cultural and political developments, including the prominence of democratic and Republican politics in the West, a general opposition to large-scale global warfare, and an increasing concern for cultural and gender equality. This unique context influences the use of Caesar in this period.Each chapter of this thesis will focus on a common trope of Caesar which appears frequently in film, literature, and popular culture. Namely, Caesar as a demagogue, or popular Republican politician, a conqueror, and a dictator. Wherever possible the case studies included in these chapters will draw on Caesars from a range of genres and locations in order to provide a well-rounded view on the overall use of Caesar in this period. The texts analysed in this thesis include epic films such as Spartacus (1960) and Cleopatra (1963), peplum films including Caesar against the Pirates (1962) and Caesar the Conqueror (1962), and works of literature and popular culture such as Rex Warner’s Young Caesar (1958), Jules Archer’s Twentieth Century Caesar: Benito Mussolini (1963), and early editions of The Adventures of Asterix. \ua0By highlighting the broad international – though predominantly western - use of these tropes, this thesis will argue that different images of Caesar were employed to promote a range of national, political, and cultural causes during this period. These images of Caesar are used to comment on ideal leadership and to criticise recent or contemporary leaders. Caesar, therefore, becomes an element for understanding and questioning the Cold War. He is upheld as a pillar of Western culture and is often intrinsically linked with issues of national identity. Further, this thesis will demonstrate how different images of Caesar were used to express national, political, or cultural power in these spheres