What Language Did Julius Caesar Speak? (Find Out!)

Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman that lived from 100 BC to 44 BC, perhaps best known for his assassination at the hands of his followers. While his primary language was Latin, he likely spoke Greek in everyday life.

Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of Indo-European languages.

The language was spoken for over 1,300 years from the 7^th century BC to the 8^th century AD in a variety of forms.

Such forms include Old Latin, Classical Latin and Vulgar Latin.

After this, native speakers of the language died out and it survived in the forms of Medieval Latin, Renaissance Latin and New Latin. In the modern day it exists through Contemporary Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin.

The language originated as a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then named Latium) around Rome. Through the power of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant language in the Italian region and subsequently throughout the Roman Empire.

In This Article

How Many Languages Did Julius Caesar Speak?

Julius Caesar spoke Classical Latin. By the time he came to power, the language was already spoken in Italy, France and Spain.

It is certain that Caesar was at the very least bilingual and spoke Greek.

This was a widely spoken language at the time and would have been important for Caesar to know.

The Roman historian, Suetonius, asserted that Caesar in fact spoke mainly Greek as was the case with patricians of the time.

What Were Caesar’s Real Last Words?

It isn’t wholly clear what Caesar’s last words were, if he said anything at all, in his final moments.

Suetonius says that when Brutus stabbed him, he spoke the Greek words “Kai su, teknon?” which translates as “You too, my son?”

Plutarch maintains that Caesar, in fact, didn’t say anything.

In Shakespeare’s the Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Caesar’s last words were the Latin, “Et tu, Brute?” translating as, “And you, Brutus”.

It is generally accepted that Suetonius’s version of events is closest to the truth.

What is a dead language?

Linguistically speaking, a dead language is a language that is still in use and can be spoken although there are no native speakers left.

Thus, even though Latin is still hugely popular and prevalent in society through medicine, law, social culture and language, it is considered a dead language.

A language becomes extinct when there is no one else who can speak it.

When did people stop speaking Latin?

While Latin remained an integral part of society for over a millennium following its demise and still features wildly in modern society, it is estimated that people stopped speaking it in the 8^th century AD following the fall of the Roman Empire.

What is the Use of Latin in Today’s World?

Latin is still all around us and plays a massive role in society.

It is still listed as an official language of the Vatican City and is integral to the Catholic faith.

Latin is widely used in science in naming organisms, body parts and chemicals.

Many legal terms are come from Latin, and this is known as Law Latin or derisively as Dog Latin.

As Latin was the language of science up to the beginning of the 18^th century, all medical texts were written in the language.

Many terms used in modern day medicine are derived from Latin.

Many Latin phrases are still used in English today. Some have been listed below.

Latin Phrase	Meaning
Ad hoc	When necessary or needed
Ad nauseam	Refers to something being done repeatedly to the point where it is tiring or boring
Bona fide	Genuine or real
Caveat emptor	Let the buyer beware
Circa	Around or approximately
De facto	In fact
Ergo	Therefore
Per	For each
Per annum	For each year
Per capita	For each person
Status quo	Existing state of affairs
Versus	Against
Vice versa	The other way round

The Latin language also acts as a fantastic gateway to helping learn the Romance languages which stemmed from it.

These languages include Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.

What was the Most Famous Work of Latin Literature?

The most famous work of Latin Literature is Virgil’s Aeneid published in 19 BC.

The text chronicles the epic journey of Aeneas who fled following the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy where he became the ancestor of the Romans.

Other great Latin works include Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Horace’s Odes and Cicero’s On His Life and Times.

Old Latin texts include works from the founder of Roman drama, Lucius Livius Andronicus such as the Gladiolus and Ludius.

What is the Latin Alphabet?

The Latin alphabet takes its origins from the Old Italic alphabet used by the Etruscans.

The first Archaic Latin alphabet had 21 letters with a Z instead of a G.

This evolved into the Old Latin alphabet where the Z was replaced by G.

Other missing letters from the modern-day English alphabet were J, U, W, Y, Z.

After the Roman conquest of Greece in the 1^st century BC, Latin adopted the Greek letters Y and Z.

Gaius Julius Caesar spoke two languages, Latin and Greek.

While Latin might be considered his native language, he would have mainly spoke Greek as was common with patricians at the time.

Today Latin is a dead language, however it is still widely used in everyday language through such terms as ad hoc, versus and status quo.

It was written in the Latin alphabet which had 21 letters.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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