Cao Cao vs Julius Caesar: villain, hero, or necessary ruler?

Still life of Han-era and Roman symbols split by a cracked stone surface, comparing Cao Cao and Julius Caesar

Some historical figures refuse to sit still. The more you read about them, the less comfortable the labels become. In Chinese cultural memory, Cao Cao is often introduced as a “villain” — clever, ruthless, and always one step ahead. In the Roman tradition, Julius Caesar is just as contested: to some, the destroyer of a […]