Caesar’s comet

E256658

Caesar’s comet is the bright celestial phenomenon of 44 BC that was interpreted by Romans as a sign of Julius Caesar’s deification and became a powerful political and religious symbol in the early Roman Empire.

All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Caesar’s Comet 5
Comet of 44 BC 2
Caesar’s comet canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf astronomical object ⓘ
comet ⓘ
historical astronomical event ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Comet of 44 BC ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet

Julian Star ⓘ
Sidus Iulium ⓘ
appearedAfterEvent assassination of Julius Caesar ⓘ
appearedDuringReignOf no reigning emperor (late Roman Republic) ⓘ
appearedInYear 44 BC ⓘ
associatedWithDeity Divus Julius ⓘ
linked to: Divus Iulius
associatedWithPerson Julius Caesar ⓘ
category Roman political propaganda ⓘ
Roman religious symbols ⓘ
comets in historical records ⓘ
coinIconography star above a portrait of Julius Caesar ⓘ
star with rays ⓘ
culturalRole political symbol in the early Roman Empire ⓘ
religious symbol in the early Roman Empire ⓘ
depictedOn Roman coins ⓘ
era late Roman Republic ⓘ
historicalSignificance earliest well-documented comet in Western historical records ⓘ
influenced development of the imperial cult ⓘ
interpretedAs omen ⓘ
sign of Julius Caesar’s deification ⓘ
linkedToCult Imperial cult of Julius Caesar ⓘ
linkedToEvent Ludi Victoriae Caesaris ⓘ
linkedToTitle Divus Iulius ⓘ
mentionedInSource Cassius Dio’s Roman History ⓘ
Pliny the Elder’s Natural History ⓘ
Suetonius’s writings ⓘ
linked to: Suetonius
name Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
observedBy Romans ⓘ
observedFrom Rome ⓘ
relatedTo Augustan ideology ⓘ
Imperial cult of Rome ⓘ
linked to: Roman imperial cult

Julius Caesar’s apotheosis ⓘ
symbolicMeaningInRome cosmic confirmation of Caesar’s apotheosis ⓘ
divine approval of Julius Caesar ⓘ
symbolized Julius Caesar’s soul ascending to the heavens ⓘ
timeOfAppearance after Julius Caesar’s funeral games ⓘ
usedBy Octavian ⓘ
linked to: Augustus
usedFor legitimizing Octavian’s political authority ⓘ
usedInPropagandaBy Augustus ⓘ
visibility daytime visible ⓘ
visibilityDuration about seven days ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Temple of Divus Julius → symbol → Caesar’s comet ⓘ
Caesar’s Comet → name → Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
subject linked to: Caesar’s comet
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Caesar’s Comet → alsoKnownAs → Comet of 44 BC ⓘ
subject linked to: Caesar’s comet
linked to: Caesar’s comet
deification of Julius Caesar → associatedWith → Comet of 44 BC ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Sidus Iulium → hasAlternativeName → Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Julian Star → alsoKnownAs → Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Julian Star → alsoKnownAs → Comet of Julius Caesar ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Ludi Victoriae Caesaris → associatedWith → Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Ludi Victoriae Caesaris → notableEvent → appearance of Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet
Divus Iulius → associatedPhenomenon → Caesar’s Comet ⓘ
linked to: Caesar’s comet