Julius Caesar's Last Words Weren't 'Et Tu, Brute?' Here's What He Really Said.

Everyone knows Julius Caesar's last words, right? As he lay dying on the Senate floor, betrayed by his closest friends, he looked at his protege Brutus and uttered the immortal line: **"Et tu, Brute?"** (You too, Brutus?). 😥

It's the ultimate mic drop of betrayal. It's in plays, movies, and TV shows. There's just one tiny problem...

**IT'S FAKE NEWS!** 😱

That famous line was written by **William Shakespeare** for his play *Julius Caesar* in 1599. It sounds dramatic, it's easy to understand, and it makes for great theater. But what the real Caesar said (or didn't say) is way more mysterious and, honestly, a lot more interesting.

So, What *Really* Happened?

To get the real tea, we have to go back to the ancient historians who wrote about the assassination. The two best sources are Suetonius and Plutarch. And they don't agree.

Possibility #1: He Said Nothing. 💀

According to the historian Suetonius, after the first stab, Caesar just **"drew his toga over his head and sank to the ground in silence."** That's it. No final words. Just the quiet, dignified acceptance of his fate as 23 daggers turned him into a human pincushion. This version is cold, brutal, and totally badass in a Stoic kind of way.

Possibility #2: The Greek Zinger. 🔥

Suetonius also mentions another story that was going around Rome. In this version, when Caesar saw Marcus Brutus coming at him, he didn't speak Latin. He spoke **Greek**.

He said: **"καὶ σύ, τέκνον;"** (kai su, teknon?)

This translates to **"You too, child?"**

WHOA. Let's unpack that. 🤯

• **Why Greek?** Because Greek was the language of the educated elite in Rome. Speaking Greek was like flexing your intellectual muscles. It was the language Caesar would have used with his inner circle.
• **"Child?"** Brutus wasn't Caesar's biological son, but his mother, Servilia, was Caesar's favorite mistress. Caesar had known Brutus his whole life and treated him like a son. So this could be a term of endearment, dripping with the pain of betrayal.
• **Or was it a curse?** Some historians think "You too, child?" was part of a longer Greek proverb that meant something like, "You too, my son, will have a taste of power." In this reading, it's not a question, but a **curse**—predicting that Brutus would also meet a violent end. (Spoiler: he did. 😬)

What About "Et Tu, Brute?"

Shakespeare knew his audience wouldn't speak Greek. So he translated the sentiment into Latin, the language everyone associated with Rome, and made it a simple, powerful question. It's less historically accurate, but it hits harder on stage.

So what were Caesar's real last words? We'll never know for sure. But the most likely answer is either **dignified silence** or a **chilling Greek question** that was both a personal cry of pain and a dark prophecy. Either way, it's a lot more complex and tragic than the famous line everyone thinks they know. 🏛️🔪

Sources & More Reading

1. Wikipedia - "Last words of Julius Caesar"
A deep dive into the historical sources and different interpretations of what was said.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_words_of_Julius_Caesar

2. Britannica - "What Were Julius Caesar's Last Words?"
A great overview of the debate between "kai su, teknon" and silence.
https://www.britannica.com/story/what-were-julius-caesars-last-words

3. Suetonius, "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars"
Read the original source! Suetonius's account of Caesar's death is where the "kai su, teknon" line comes from.
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#82