Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar was one of ancient Rome's greatest generals and statesmen and became a brilliant military leader and helped make Rome the center of an empire that stretched across Europe. Caesar also won fame as an orator, politician, and writer. His victories in civil war helped him become dictator of the Roman people, but his power frightened many of his political opponents, and a group of them assassinated him.

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome from an aristocratic family. At age seventeen1 , he had married Cornelia, daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinne. Cinna had been an associate of Gaius Marius, a popular leader. Lucius Sulla, the aristocratic dictator of Rome, had ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia. After Caesar's refusal to divorce Cornelia, he went to Greece to study philosophy and oratory. "Sulla later pardoned Caesar, and had returned to Rome" (Tingay, Graham). Later on, Cornelia gave birth to Julia, daughter of Caesar. At about 68 B.C. Cornelia died.

After Cornelia's death, Caesar became highly interested in public affairs and tried to gain the favor of the people. 65 B.C. Caesar was elected to the office of aedile and organized public games. He won favor because he had spent so much money to provide some recreation for the people, whereas he went into debt to do so. 62 B.C. Caesar became praetor, office next in rank to consul.

"Catiline, being a dissatisfied Roman politician, plotted a revolt." (Erich S. Gruen) Figuring out his plot, aristocrats sought to disgrace the entire group of popular leaders, including Caesar, but they failed to hurt his political prospects.

In 60 B.C. Caesar allied himself with Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gnaeus Pompey in the "Future Triumvirate" an alliance that held considerable power in Rome. Crassus was a man of wealth and a lot of political ambition. Pompey had returned from Asia Minor in 62 B.C. as a great military leader and the idol of the people. They had gained a major victory when Caesar was elected a consul in 59 B.C. (Although most was through bribery and violence) and force to push through the triumvirate's program and won the hatred of the conservatives. He

was awarded the post of proconsul of three provinces north of Italy. The same year, 59 B.C., Caesar married Calpurnia, daughter of Lucius Piso of Rome. That same year Pompey married Caesar's daughter, Julia.

"By a lot of training, Caesar was a politician rather than soldier, although he knew that he needed military victories to gain grater fame" (Tigay, Graham). In 58 B.C. Caesar began a campaign to conquer Gaul, which is in France. It soon became clear that he was a military prodigy. During the nine years in Gaul, Caesar lost only two battles, both of which he took apart. Caesar conquered all territory east to the Rhine River, drove the Germans out of Gaul, and crossed the Rhine to show them what Rome could do. Caesar even invaded Britain twice in 55 and 54 B.C.

Although Caesar had done good with his victories, not everyone rejoiced over Caesar's conquests. Pompey became alarmed at Caesar's success and had growing suspicions of Caesar threw him into an alliance with the conservatives. In 49 B.C., the conservatives ordered Caesar to give up his army. With no intention to surrendering, he led five thousand soldiers across the Rubicon, a stream that separated his provinces from Italy. After this hostile act, there was no turning back. Caesar provoked, or had been provoked into Civil War.

As Caesar thwarted south, he met little opposition. Pompey's troops surrendered, forcing Pompey to flee to the Balkans. The conservatives who had ordered Caesar to give up his army fled with Pompey.

Within sixty days, Caesar became "master of Italy" (Yavetz, Zwi). But it took about five years to complete the conquest of Pompey and his followers. In 49 B.C., Caesar had himself appointed dictator and consul. He met Pompey's army in Greece where, at Pharsalus in 48 B.C., he defeated Pompey's forces. Pompey escaped to Egypt. Caesar followed Pompey to Egypt and found that his enemy had been murdered. There, Caesar met Cleopatra. Before returning to Rome, Caesar won the war he fought to make Cleopatra ruler of Egypt. Later he brought her to