The Autopsy Of Julius Caesar Explained

Forensic investigator Luciano Garofano didn't just look at the physical details of Julius Caesar's autopsy — he also did some psychological profiling, too, and he came to the conclusion that Caesar's actions in the last months of his life were those of a man who wanted to make sure his name was never, ever forgotten (via Forensic-Psych).

Just six months before his assassination, Caesar wrote a new will naming his nephew, Octavian, his heir. Octavian would go on to be the first Roman emperor, and it was a pretty brilliant political move. Not only did it make sure someone in his bloodline remained at the top of Rome's political pyramid, but he also added something that guaranteed the Roman people would demand justice: He awarded every Roman citizen three months of living expenses, making sure they could mourn him properly ... and bring his assassins to justice.

The result? Everything that Caesar wanted. Harvard Medical School forensic psychiatrist Dr. Harold Bursztajn says (via Forensic-Psych) that not only did Caesar's political maneuvering and death by assassins guarantee he would be immortalized for thousands of years, but it also put him firmly on the right side of history. Assassins were vilified as he was deified, and according to the Smithsonian, those assassins met their own bloody ends pretty quickly. It turns out that Caesar's seemingly unexpected assassination may have been his plan all along.

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