The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions - Green Valley High School

Cadmean victory
72
Cadmean victory See pyrrhic victory.
caduceus (kbdooseebs) Emblem of the medical
profession: a staff entwined with two serpents. In
classical mythology the caduceus was carried by
Hermes (or Mercury) as a symbol of his role as
messenger of the gods. Such staffs were also traditionally
carried by Greek heralds and ambassadors
on peace missions. According to legend, the
mere touch of this staff could put a person to
sleep or revive a corpse. Its adoption as a symbol
of medicine relates to its similarity to the staff
of aesculapius. “I had not hopped far before I
perceived a tall young gentleman in a silk waistcoat,
with a wing on his left heel, a garland on his
head, and a caduceus in his right hand” (Henry
Fielding, A Journey from this World to the Next,
1743).
Caesar (seezer) An emperor, dictator, or other
powerful ruler or military commander. <strong>The</strong> allusion
is to the Roman general and statesman Gaius
Julius Caesar (100–44 b.c.), who conquered Gaul
and Britain before returning to Rome and becoming
the effective sole ruler of the Roman state
from 49 until his death. He made many important
reforms before being assassinated by a group of
senators who feared he had become too powerful.
After his death, his adopted son and heir Gaius
Octavius (later called Augustus) took the name
Caesar to help legitimize his reign, and subsequently
all Roman emperors up to Hadrian
adopted Caesar as a title. <strong>The</strong> title was revived by
rulers of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century
and became transformed into kaiser by the
German monarchy. It was also adopted by the Russian
royal family, in the form czar, and by the Arabs,
as qaysar. <strong>The</strong> fanfare played, the crowd cheered, and
Caesar stepped up to the microphone to address the
victorious faithful. See also caesar is not above the
grammarians; caesar’s wife must be above
suspicion; cesarean section; i came, i saw, i
conquered.
caesarean section See cesarean section.
Caesar is not above the grammarians (seezer)
No one, however exalted his or her rank, can be
excused for bad grammar. <strong>The</strong> reference harks
back to the legend of the Roman emperor Tiberius,
who was once corrected in his grammar. A courtier
purportedly stated that as the emperor had said
the mistake, the slip would henceforth be considered
good Latin. A grammarian present, however,
immediately objected, reminding the emperor, “Tu
enim Caesar civitatem dare potes hominibus, verbis non
potes” (“Caesar, you can grant citizenship to men,
but not to words”). <strong>The</strong> chief editor sighed and with a
rueful smile crossed out what he had written. Even Caesar
is not above the grammarians.
Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion (seezerz)
People who occupy prominent social positions
need to maintain unsullied reputations. <strong>The</strong> expression
alludes to the story of Julius Caesar’s second
wife, Pompeia, who around 62 b.c. became
embroiled in rumors that she was involved in an
adulterous affair with the notorious philanderer
Publius Clodius. Disguised as a woman, Publius
Clodius had apparently infi ltrated the all- female
rites held at Caesar’s house in honor of the goddess
Bona Dea and there attempted to seduce the
emperor’s wife before being discovered. Although
the accusations remained unsubstantiated and
there was no reason to believe Pompeia had
responded to the advances of Publius Clodius,
Caesar still insisted on divorcing her on the
grounds that even the suggestion that she might be