Publius in Julius Caesar

Who is Publius?

Publius appears as a minor Roman figure present among the senators when Caesar goes to the Capitol and is slain. He has no recorded speeches or decisive actions in the recorded scenes; his presence establishes him as part of the political world surrounding Caesar. After the assassination, he reappears indirectly in the triumviral power struggles: when Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus draw up lists of those to be killed, Lepidus demands Publius’s death and Antony agrees, consigning him to be removed as the new regime consolidates power. Publius therefore functions as a political casualty—someone who wants to live and remain part of Roman public life but is swept aside by the violent reordering that follows Caesar’s murder.

Personality

Related to Antony

Act 4, Scene 1 identifies him explicitly as 'Mark Antony’s sister’s son.'

Vulnerable

In Act 4, Scene 1 Lepidus insists that Publius 'must not live,' and Antony immediately assents, exposing Publius’s helpless position.

Passive

In Act 3, Scene 1 he is only recorded as present among the senators during Caesar’s assassination, with no recorded speech or action.

Political casualty

His fate is determined by others in Act 4, Scene 1 when the triumvirs include him on the execution list without his involvement.

Character arc

Publius’s trajectory is minimal but meaningful: he moves from being one of the senators present at Caesar’s arrival and assassination to becoming a named victim of the post-assassination purge. At first appearance he is indistinct among the men surrounding Caesar—part of the civic crowd that witnesses a pivotal public crime. He does not act or speak, so he remains an emblem of ordinary Romans swept up in elite conflict. Later, when Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus compile lists of those to be executed, Publius is singled out by Lepidus and quickly condemned by Antony. He thus transitions from an anonymous presence in the crisis of the Ides to a target of the new power’s ruthless consolidation, illustrating how political instability reaches beyond the principals to harm peripheral figures.

Relationships

• Mark Antony Nephew (Mark Antony’s sister’s son); Antony consents to Publius’s death when Lepidus demands it.
• Lepidus An agent of the triumviral purge who insists that Publius 'must not live' and arranges his targeting.
• Octavius Caesar Member of the ruling trio whose council with Antony and Lepidus determines Publius’s fate.
• Caesar Publius is present among the senators when Caesar arrives and is assassinated, marking his proximity to the central event.
• The triumviral council (Antony and Octavius) Collectively they authorize lists of executions that include Publius, making him a victim of their consolidation of power.

Why Publius matters

Publius functions as a small but important indicator of the play’s larger themes: the collateral damage of political violence and the ruthless logic of power. Though personally insignificant in action, his naming for execution by the triumvirs shows how quickly legal and moral norms break down after Caesar’s death, and how consolidation of authority targets not only conspirators but also peripheral, vulnerable individuals. Publius’s fate highlights the cost to ordinary lives when elites settle scores through force.

Chapters with Publius

• Act 2, Scene 2
• Act 3, Scene 1
• Act 4, Scene 1

More Julius Caesar characters

• BrutusProtagonist
• CassiusAntagonist
• Mark AntonyAntagonist
• Julius CaesarProtagonist
• CascaMajor character
• LuciliusMajor character
• TitiniusMajor character
• Decius BrutusMajor character