Et tu, Brute?

This has got to be one of the most pathetic last words I have ever heard of. One of the most. It was said by Julius Ceaser.

Et tu, Brute? literally means, "And you, Brutus?" but my history textbook translated it as "You too, Brutus?"

I don't really like Julius Ceaser, but, then again, I'm not big on dictators. Anyway, though, I can't help pitying him in his last moment when he'd just been stabbed by his countrymen, including Brutus, who had been his friend. And that's probably number two or three on my list of the most pathetic last words you can say. Of course, if one were dying of cancer and suddenly looked up at me and said, "Et tu, Brute?" or the English equivalents, I would have to ask a nearer relation, "Has so-and-so been a little out of his mind lately?" Actually, I knew someone who was dying of cancer once, and, when the conditions got really bad, going to see him in the hospital was basically going to talk to his family and hope that that labored breathing didn't stop when we were around. I'm not callous, I just knew that that would really scare me. We once went to visit someone in the hospital and when we got there it was too late. They drew the curtain so I couldn't see, but I saw him all white and pale, lying there like he was sleeping. But I get spooked looking at dead bodies. How did I get on this subject? Oh, yes--if one's last words were to be "Et tu, Brute?" and there was nobody named Brutus in the room, the only pathetic part would be that they were obviously not clear-minded enough to have coherent last words. But, if someone has been killed or betrayed by a friend, last words of the "Et tu, Brute?" variety would be really pathetic. It's the situation, not the actual last words.

Well, slightly diverging from the subject, I don't know Latin at all. The reason I knew what the title of the weblog is, translated literally, is that I knew what "et" meant, and the automatic translator (can't find it at the minute) confirmed my suspicions about "tu". The only other smidgen of Latin I know is "Dona nobis pacem". It's slightly more useful than "Et tu, Brute?", especially because I don't intend to play Julius Ceaser with Susie anytime soon.

Don't laugh. This is supposed to be a serious post. Unfortunately, some people think that teeny tiny commands of Latin and obsessing about the last words of some guy in ancient Rome is funny. It's not! I am dead serious on all of this (no pun intended). I would make a list of the most pathetic last words one can say (if they're direct quotes, then obviously I would be talking the scenario more than the last words). I would also make a list of the best last words I'd heard...or at least, the non pathetic ones, like...oh, I won't go into that now.

So...I don't know anything else to say right now. So goodbye. Until I think of something else to write.
Saro

P.S. Some of my family will know of another "Et tu, Brute?" incident of the sort. I'd point that out, but this post is getting too long already.