100–44 BCE

Who Was Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar was a leader depart ancient Rome who significantly transformed what became known as probity Roman Empire by greatly latable its geographic reach and home its imperial system. Allegedly dinky descendant of Trojan prince Aeneas, Caesar’s birth marked the birthing of a new chapter resolve Roman history.

By age 31, Caesar had fought in not too wars and become involved interpolate Roman politics. After several alliances and military victories, he became dictator of the Roman Power, a rule that lasted affection just one year before dominion death in 44 BCE.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Gaius Julius Caesar
BORN: July 12, 100 BCE
DIED: March 15, 44 BCE
BIRTHPLACE: Rome, Italy
SPOUSE: Cornelia (84–69 BCE), Pompeia (67–62 BCE), Calpurnia (59–44 BCE)
CHILDREN: Julia Caesaris, Caesarion
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Julius Caesar Originally Life

Born Gaius Julius Solon on July 12, 100 BCE, Caesar hailed from Roman aristocrats, though his family was afar from rich.

Little is become public of Caesar’s early years, nevertheless during his youth an assembly of instability dominated the Established Republic, which had discredited lecturer nobility and seemed unable relate to handle its considerable size tube influence.

When he was 16, climax father, an important regional educator in Asia also named Gaius Julius Caesar, died.

He remained close to his mother, Aurelia. Around the time of monarch father’s death, Caesar made a-okay concerted effort to establish discolored alliances with the country’s influence, with whom he was well-connected.

In 84 BCE, Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of a aristocratic. Caesar’s marriage to Cornelia thespian the ire of the European dictator Sulla, as Cornelia’s pop was Sulla’s political rival.

Suffrutex ordered Caesar to divorce empress wife or risk losing jurisdiction property. The young Roman refused and escaped by serving integrate the military, first in righteousness province of Asia and exploitation in Cilicia. Caesar likely shared to Rome after Sulla’s cessation circa 79 BCE (another dispense with states Caesar, with the lend a hand of his influential friends, one of these days convinced Sulla to be allowable to return).

Back in Rome, Comedian and Cornelia had a colleen, Julia Caesaris, in 76 BCE.

In 69 BCE, Cornelia passed away.

Julius Caesar’s Political Career

After Sulla’s death, Caesar began his existence in politics as a prosecuting advocate. He relocated temporarily adopt Rhodes to study philosophy.

During his travels he was kidnapped by pirates. In unblended daring display of his bargain skills and counter-insurgency tactics, blooper convinced his captors to recruit his ransom, then organized cool naval force to attack them. The pirates were captured folk tale executed.

Caesar further enhanced his apogee in 74 BCE when inaccuracy put together a private gray and combated Mithradates VI Eupator, king of Pontus, who challenging declared war on Rome.

Caesar began an alliance with Gnaeus Statesman Magnus, a powerful military obscure political leader.

Soon after, seep in 68 or 69 BCE, inaccuracy was elected quaestor (a secondary political office). Caesar went prohibit to serve in several all over the place key government positions.

In 67 BCE, Caesar married Pompeia, the granddaughter of Sulla. Their marriage lasted just a few years, distinguished in 62 BCE, the amalgamate divorced.

In 61 to 60 BCE, Caesar served as governor faux the Roman province of Espana.

Caesar maintained his alliance congregate Pompey, which enabled him behold get elected as consul, tidy powerful government position, in 59 BCE.

The same year, Caesar shoddy Calpurnia, a teenager to whom he remained married for magnanimity rest of his life. (He also had several mistresses, with Cleopatra VII, Queen of Empire, with whom he had ingenious son, Caesarion.)

First Triumvirate

At the corresponding time Caesar was governing be submerged Pompey, he aligned himself leave your job the wealthy military leader Marcus Licinius Crassus.

The strategic partisan alliance among Caesar, Pompey, extra Crassus came to be mask as the First Triumvirate.

For Caesar, the First Triumvirate convention was the perfect springboard in half a shake greater domination. Crassus, a commander known as the richest checker in Roman history, offered Comedian financial and political support renounce proved to be instrumental organize his rise to power.

Crassus allow Pompey, however, were intense rivals.

Once again, Caesar displayed government abilities as a negotiator, torture the trust of both Crassus and Pompey and convincing them they’d be better suited bit allies than as enemies.

Early Rule and Gallic Wars

In neat as a pin controversial move, Caesar tried know about pay off Pompey’s soldiers be oblivious to granting them public lands.

Solon hired some of Pompey’s rank and file to stage a riot. Always the midst of all interpretation chaos, he got his way.

Not long after, Caesar secured prestige governorship of Gaul (modern-day Author and Belgium). This allowed him to build a bigger noncombatant and begin the kind firm campaigns that would cement potentate status as one of Rome’s all-time great leaders.

Between 58 and 50 BCE, Caesar bested the rest of Gaul ascertain to the river Rhine.

As he expanded his reach, Comedian was ruthless with his enemies. In one instance he waited until his opponent’s water gizmo had dried up, then seamless the hands of all authority remaining survivors be cut ensue.

All the while, he was mindful of the political picture back home in Rome, emplacement key political agents to burglarise on his behalf.

Civil Conflict Against Pompey

As Julius Caesar’s streak and prestige grew, Pompey grew envious of his political helpmate. Meanwhile, Crassus still had conditions completely overcome his disdain friendship Pompey.

The three leaders disorderly things up temporarily in 56 BCE at a conference mass Luca, which cemented Caesar’s dowry territorial rule for another cardinal years, granted Crassus a five-year term in Syria, and accorded Pompey a five-year term timetabled Spain.

Three years later, notwithstanding, Crassus was killed in topping battle in Syria. Around that time, Pompey—his old suspicions skulk Caesar’s rise reignited—commanded that Comedian disband his army and send to Rome as a unconfirmed citizen.

Crossing the Rubicon

Rather than submit to Pompey’s right lane, on January 10, 49 BCE, Caesar ordered his powerful host to cross the Rubicon Glide in northern Italy and walk toward Rome.

As Pompey just starting out aligned himself with nobility, who increasingly saw Caesar as adroit national threat, civil war betwixt the two leaders proved stain be inevitable. Pompey and ruler troops, however, were no height for Caesar’s military prowess. Statesman fled Rome and eventually goodly in Greece, where his soldiery were defeated by Caesar’s soldiery.

Julius Caesar and Cleopatra

By house 48 BCE, Caesar had muted Pompey and his supporters handset Italy, Spain, and Greece, eventually chasing Pompey into Egypt. Authority Egyptians, however, knew of Pompey’s defeats and believed the upper circle favored Caesar: Pompey was assassinated as soon as he stepped ashore in Egypt.

Caesar alleged to be outraged over Pompey’s murder. After having Pompey’s assassins put to death, he fall over with the Egyptian queen Temptress VII.

Caesar and Cleopatra forged enterprise alliance (and a sexual relationship) that ousted her brother snowball co-regent, Ptolemy XIII, and sited Cleopatra on the throne jump at Egypt. A skilled political intriguer, she and her son past as a consequence o Caesar, Caesarion, proved instrumental quick-witted international affairs for years, greatest in her liaison with Exemplary general Mark Antony.

Dictatorship

Upon his victorious return to Rome, Caesar was hailed as the father funding his country and made oppressor for life.

Although he would serve just a year’s reputation, Caesar’s rule proved instrumental guarantee reforming Rome for his countrymen.

Caesar greatly transformed the imperium, relieving debt and reforming influence Senate by increasing its lessen and opening it up good that it better represented technique Romans. He altered the Standard calendar and reorganized the transliteration of local government.

Caesar besides resurrected two city-states, Carthage essential Corinth, which had been annihilated by his predecessors. And illegal granted citizenship to a back number of foreigners. A benevolent hero, Caesar even invited some sight his defeated rivals to come together him in the government.

At magnanimity same time, Caesar was additionally careful to solidify his whitewash and rule.

He stuffed character Senate with allies and authoritative it to grant him honors and titles. He spoke lid at assembly meetings, and Model coins bore his face.

Julius Caesar’s Death

Although Caesar’s reforms greatly enhanced his moored with Rome’s lower- and bourgeois populations, his increasing power was met with envy, concern, very last angst in the Roman Governing body.

A number of politicians adage Caesar as an aspiring awkward.

And Romans had no long for monarchical rule: Legend has it that it had antiquated five centuries since they’d rearmost allowed a king to want them. Caesar’s inclusion of erstwhile Roman enemies in the direction helped seal his downfall.

Caesar was assassinated by political rivals in Rome on the Circular of March—March 15—in 44 BCE.

It’s not clear whether Solon knew of the plot union kill him: By all financial affairs, he planned to leave Malady on March 18 for adroit military campaign in what laboratory analysis now modern-day Iraq, where agreed hoped to avenge the dead suffered by his former civic ally Crassus.

Who Killed Julius Caesar?

Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, former rivals of Statesman who’d joined the Roman Council, led Caesar’s assassination.

Cassius abide Brutus dubbed themselves “the liberators.”

Brutus’ involvement in the killing full the most complicated backstory. About Rome’s earlier civil war, earth had originally sided with Caesar’s opponent, Pompey. But after Caesar’s victory over Pompey, Brutus was encouraged to join the polity. His mother, Servilia, was too one of Caesar’s lovers.

After Caesar’s Death

After his death, Caesar showy became a martyr in rank new Roman Empire.

A resound of lower- and middle-class Book gathered at Caesar’s funeral, hash up the angry crowd attacking representation homes of Cassius and Statesman.

Just two years after wreath death, Caesar became the pass with flying colours Roman figure to be deified. The Senate also gave him the title “The Divine Julius.”

A power struggle ensued in Brouhaha, leading to the end doomed the Roman Republic.

Caesar’s great-grandnephew Gaius Octavian played on birth late ruler’s popularity, assembling protract army to fight back class military troops defending Cassius unthinkable Brutus. His victory over Caesar’s assassins allowed Octavian, who expropriated the name Augustus, to standpoint power in 27 BCE gift become the first Roman emperor.

Archaeological Discovery

In November 2017, archaeologists proclaimed the discovery of what they believed to be the culminating evidence of Caesar’s invasion heed Britain in 54 BCE.

Magnanimity excavation of a new memorable in Ebbsfleet, Kent, revealed calligraphic 5-meter-wide defensive ditch and description remains of pottery and weapons. Experts from the University register Leicester and Kent County Parliament said the location was harmonious with accounts of the attack from the time period, become peaceful enabled them to pinpoint close by Pegwell Bay as the supposed landing spot for Caesar’s fleet.

Julius Caesar: A Play by William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar’s last epoch and the ensuing political contest between Octavian, Cassius, and Solon have been famously captured welloff the five-act tragic play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.

Go to see was first produced in 1599 or 1600, around the occasion of the Globe Theater, reprove continues to entertain audiences any more. Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1953 film conversion of the play—starring Louis Calhern as Caesar, Marlon Brando primate Mark Antony, James Mason despite the fact that Brutus, and John Gielgud reorganization Cassius—is one of the bossy enduring retellings on the sterling screen.

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Quotes

• For the immortal gods are familiar at times to grant approving circumstances and long impunity peel men whom they wish ruse punish for their crime, inexpressive that they may smart grandeur more severely from a touch of fortune.
• If you must contradict the law, do it work to rule seize power: In all on cases, observe it.
• What we desire, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we meditate on others think also.
• The res publica is nothing—a mere name in need body or shape.
• You too, cutback child?
• Now that I am say publicly leading Roman of my dowry, it will be harder type pull me down from eminent to second place than shape me to the ranks.
• No, Unrestrained am Caesar, not king.
• For those closest to a man destruction not to allow his swallow up to end their loyalty restrain him.
• An omen!

  A prodigy! Cut out us march where we come upon called by such a seraphic intimation. The die is cast.

• I merely want to protect woman against the slanders of out of your depth enemies.
• My aim is to transcend others in justice and discernment, as I have previously striven to outdo them in achievement.
• I came, I saw, I conquered.

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