Beware the Ides of March

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Beware the Ides of March Tidings Bayshore Presbyterian Church March 21, 2014 Beware the Ides of March... Inside This Issue 1 Beware the Ides of March You may remember the soothsayer’s warning to Julius Caesar to 1 Goings On… “Beware the ides of March,” but the term didn’t originate with William Shakespeare. The earliest Roman calendar, which 2 Beware, cont. consisted of ten months beginning with Martius (March), was believed to have been created by 2 A Message From Pastor Kaaren King Romulus around 753 B.C. At that time, dates were expressed 2 From the PNC Chairperson... in relation to the lunar phase 3 of the month using three markers: Coming Attractions Kalends (Kal), Nones (Non) and 3 Messages , Notes and News Ides (Id). 3 Prayer List/Birthdays/Anniversaries The first phase of the moon, the 3 Just Another Day on the Bayshore new moon, was denoted by Kalends and signified the first day of the month; the first quarter moon fell 4 Volunteer List on either the fifth or seventh day of the month and was referred to as Nones; the full moon fell on either the 13th or 15th day of Goings On… the month and was referred to as Ides. The ides of March— March 15—initially marked the first full moon of a new year. This Sunday at Bayshore 9:30 am Sunday School During the late Roman Republic, a 10:30 am Regular Worship new year’s festival was held on the ides of March in which people *** See page 4 for volunteer list! would gather a mile outside of Rome on the Via Flaminia by the March 29 Paint up/clean up/fix up banks of the Tiber River. Participants celebrated with food, March 30 Special Musical Service wine and music and offered Baptism of Evelyn Hammer Meyer sacrifices to the Roman deity Anna Perenna for a happy and April 2 Lenten Dinner and a Movie prosperous new year. Between 222 and 153 B.C., the ides of March also signaled the beginning of the new consular year, in April 5 Paint up/clean up/fix up which two annually-elected consuls took office as leaders of the republic. April 13 Palm Sunday In 46 B.C., after consulting with the Alexandrian astronomer April 17 Maundy Thursday Seder Dinner Sosigenes, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar by adding ten days to the 355-day year, instituting January 1 as the April 19 Men's Breakfast first day of the new year (beginning in 45 B.C.) and introducing a leap year every four years. Shortly thereafter, he was granted April 20 Easter Sunrise and Regular Worship the title Dictator Perpetuus or “dictator for life.” Caesar, born into the Julii, an ancient but not particularly The Easter Sunrise Service will begin at 6:30 a.m. this distinguished Roman aristocratic family, began his political Easter, April 20th. Given last year’s attendance, we career in 78 B.C. as a prosecutor for the anti-patrician Popular are asking Bayshore members to car pool and park if Party. He won influence in the party for his reformist ideas and possible in nearby remote locations. This is to oratorical skills, and aided Roman imperial efforts by raising a encourage as many folks as possible to attend this private army to combat the king of Pontus in 74 B.C. He was an inspiring service. We also recommend an early ally of Pompey, the recognized head of the Popular Party, and arrival to minimize traffic congestion in our essentially took over this position after Pompey left Rome in 67 neighborhood. Thank you for considering this. B.C. to become commander of Roman forces in the east. In 63 B.C., Caesar was elected pontifex maximus, or "high priest," A Message From Pastor Kaaren allegedly by heavy bribes. Two years later, he was made governor of Farther Spain and in 64 B.C. returned to Rome, ambitious for the office It may have looked like a serene Sunday morning to folks of consul. The consulship, essentially the highest office in the Roman strolling down Bayshore Blvd. in front of the church on March Republic, was shared by two politicians on an annual basis. Consuls 2nd, but this particular Sunday was anything but calm and commanded the army, presided over the Senate and executed its quiet for the members of Bayshore Presbyterian Church. Inside ‘this old house’ and outside, life-changing events were decrees, and represented the state in foreign affairs. underway. Caesar formed a political alliance --the so-called First Triumvirate-- Members of the Pastor Nominating with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Committee were meeting to review the resumes of interested pastoral Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, and in 59 B.C. was elected consul applicants; the adult Sunday school Although generally opposed by the class continued their viewing of the majority of the Roman Senate, video series, From Christ to Caesar's land reforms won him Constantine; the women’s choir rehearsed; our video wrangler was popularity with many Romans. cueing up the projector with a film of In 58 B.C., Caesar was given four a 1960 report by Edward R. Murrow about Florida migrant Roman legions in Cisalpine Gaul and farmworkers in preparation for Sunday’s message from Dave Illyricum, and during the next decade Moore, Director of Beth-El Farmworker Ministries. demonstrated brilliant military talents as he expanded the Roman Empire All this while bags of food and and his reputation. Among other clothing for Beth-El were achievements, Caesar conquered all of coming in the front and side Gaul, made the first Roman inroads doors that would soon be into Britain, and won devoted stuffed into Elder Moore’s supporters in his legions. However, his truck, along with a check successes also aroused Pompey's for $416.00,for his return to jealousy, leading to the collapse of Wimauma. their political alliance in 53 B.C. Meanwhile, the church’s The Roman Senate supported Pompey and asked Caesar to give up storage shed was being reset his army, which he refused to do. In January 49 B.C., Caesar led his on a new foundation. This legions across the Rubicon River from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy, thus greatly appreciated renovation declaring war against Pompey and his forces. Caesar made early gains was the project for an Eagle in the subsequent civil war, defeating Pompey's army in Italy and Spain, Scout candidate Julian Velez but was later forced into retreat in Greece. In August 48 B.C., with from Troop # 53. Pompey in pursuit, Caesar paused near Pharsalus, setting up camp at Plans are being finalized for 2 clean up, paint up, fix up days a strategic location. When Pompey's senatorial forces fell upon Caesar's smaller army, they were entirely routed, and Pompey fled to (March 29 and April 5) as this congregation continues Egypt, where he was assassinated by an officer of the Egyptian king. preparing to welcome a yet to be named pastor. Caesar was subsequently appointed Roman consul and dictator, but With the receiving of new members, a Baptism, and a wedding on the calendar, this spring promises to be filled with joy, before settling in Rome he traveled around the empire for several years and consolidated his rule. In 45 B.C., he returned to Rome and was excitement, and a great new future! made dictator for life. As sole Roman ruler, Caesar launched ambitious Congratulations Bayshore!! What a wonderful testimony this programs of reform within the empire. past Sunday was to the work you have done this past year; to The most lasting of these was his your care for one another; your generosity for those whom you establishment of the Julian calendar, will never know; your tenacity to remain steadfast; and your which, with the exception of a slight outstanding sense of call to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Well modification and adjustment in the done, good and faithful servants. What an honor it is to be with 16th century, remains in use today. you. He also planned new imperial expan- sions in central Europe and to the east. Kaaren Shortly thereafter, he was granted the From the PNC Chairperson: title Dictator Perpetuus or “dictator for life.” Concerned with Caesar’s increasing power and monarchical leanings, a group of Roman senators stabbed the ruler to death on March 15, 44 B.C.—forever linking the ides of March with the assassination of Julius Caesar. The group of conspirators believed that his death would lead to the restoration of the Roman Republic. However, the result of the "Ides of March" was to plunge Rome into a fresh round of civil wars, out of which Octavian, Caesar's grand-nephew, would emerge as Augustus, the first Roman emperor, destroying the republic forever. Source: Ask.com COMING ATTRACTIONS MAUNDY THURSDAY Sunday, March 30th, 2014 Come to the Upper Room - where Jesus spent an evening of fellowship with his closest friends. He washed their feet, and they Special Musical Performance shared a meal that would be The Last Supper they would spend Pianist Grigorios Zamparas together. Step into that moment with your church family on Maundy th with selected students and Thursday, April 17 . Learn where our most cherished Sacrament a special duet with Carolyn comes from. Come to the Table. Heagey This special service will begin at 6:15 pm. Reserve your place at the Once again we welcome the concert pianist, who Table by contacting Kalliope at [email protected] RSVP performs both as a soloist and in chamber music DEADLINE: Sunday, April 6th.
Recommended publications
  • The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina
    The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina Abstract The Roman calendar was first developed as a lunar | 290 calendar, so it was difficult for the Romans to reconcile this with the natural solar year. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, creating a solar year of 365 days with leap years every four years. This article explains the process by which the Roman calendar evolved and argues that the reason February has 28 days is that Caesar did not want to interfere with religious festivals that occurred in February. Beginning as a lunar calendar, the Romans developed a lunisolar system that tried to reconcile lunar months with the solar year, with the unfortunate result that the calendar was often inaccurate by up to four months. Caesar fixed this by changing the lengths of most months, but made no change to February because of the tradition of intercalation, which the article explains, and because of festivals that were celebrated in February that were connected to the Roman New Year, which had originally been on March 1. Introduction The reason why February has 28 days in the modern calendar is that Caesar did not want to interfere with festivals that honored the dead, some of which were Past Imperfect 15 (2009) | © | ISSN 1711-053X | eISSN 1718-4487 connected to the position of the Roman New Year. In the earliest calendars of the Roman Republic, the year began on March 1, because the consuls, after whom the year was named, began their years in office on the Ides of March.
    [Show full text]
  • The Late Republic in 5 Timelines (Teacher Guide and Notes)
    1 180 BC: lex Villia Annalis – a law regulating the minimum ages at which a individual could how political office at each stage of the cursus honorum (career path). This was a step to regularising a political career and enforcing limits. 146 BC: The fall of Carthage in North Africa and Corinth in Greece effectively brought an end to Rome’s large overseas campaigns for control of the Mediterranean. This is the point that the historian Sallust sees as the beginning of the decline of the Republic, as Rome had no rivals to compete with and so turn inwards, corrupted by greed. 139 BC: lex Gabinia tabelleria– the first of several laws introduced by tribunes to ensure secret ballots for for voting within the assembliess (this one applied to elections of magistrates). 133 BC – the tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus, who along with his younger brother, is seen as either a social reformer or a demagogue. He introduced an agrarian land that aimed to distribute Roman public land to the poorer elements within Roman society (although this act quite likely increased tensions between the Italian allies and Rome, because it was land on which the Italians lived that was be redistributed). He was killed in 132 BC by a band of senators led by the pontifex maximus (chief priest), because they saw have as a political threat, who was allegedly aiming at kingship. 2 123-121 BC – the younger brother of Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Gracchus was tribune in 123 and 122 BC, passing a number of laws, which apparent to have aimed to address a number of socio-economic issues and inequalities.
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar of Roman Events
    Introduction Steve Worboys and I began this calendar in 1980 or 1981 when we discovered that the exact dates of many events survive from Roman antiquity, the most famous being the ides of March murder of Caesar. Flipping through a few books on Roman history revealed a handful of dates, and we believed that to fill every day of the year would certainly be impossible. From 1981 until 1989 I kept the calendar, adding dates as I ran across them. In 1989 I typed the list into the computer and we began again to plunder books and journals for dates, this time recording sources. Since then I have worked and reworked the Calendar, revising old entries and adding many, many more. The Roman Calendar The calendar was reformed twice, once by Caesar in 46 BC and later by Augustus in 8 BC. Each of these reforms is described in A. K. Michels’ book The Calendar of the Roman Republic. In an ordinary pre-Julian year, the number of days in each month was as follows: 29 January 31 May 29 September 28 February 29 June 31 October 31 March 31 Quintilis (July) 29 November 29 April 29 Sextilis (August) 29 December. The Romans did not number the days of the months consecutively. They reckoned backwards from three fixed points: The kalends, the nones, and the ides. The kalends is the first day of the month. For months with 31 days the nones fall on the 7th and the ides the 15th. For other months the nones fall on the 5th and the ides on the 13th.
    [Show full text]
  • Caesar As an Imperialist Author(S): A
    Caesar as an Imperialist Author(s): A. N. Sherwin-White Reviewed work(s): Source: Greece & Rome, Second Series, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Mar., 1957), pp. 36-45 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/641011 . Accessed: 21/08/2012 09:51 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Cambridge University Press and The Classical Association are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Greece & Rome. http://www.jstor.org CAESAR AS AN IMPERIALIST By A. N. SHERWIN-WHITE SO much is written nowadays about the propagandistelement in Caesar's Commentaries, and his supposed misrepresentation of his own actions, that it is almost forgotten that he provides the only con- temporary narrative of a major Roman imperialist war, and that by its principal agent. The obscure record of the wars of Augustus has been subjected to a severe scrutiny, and the most diverse and recondite theories propounded about his purposes. But this long and detailed account of the greatest single extension of the Roman Empire has hardly been examined seriously for the things that its author was not concerned to conceal-the springs and purposes and means of that new form of imperialism that under Pompey, Caesar, and Augustus converted the Roman dominion from a suzerainty over a maritime fringe of Mediter- ranean provinces into a solid and broad-based continental empire.
    [Show full text]
  • First King of Rome Romulus Calendar 753 BC Martius (31 Days)
    First King of Rome Second King of Rome Julius Caesar Pope Gregory XIII God and Jesus Christ Romulus Calendar Numa Calendar Julian Calendar Gregorian Calendar New Jerusalem Calendar 753 BC 715 BC 45 BC 1582 AD (The Present) Martius (31 days) Martius (31 days) Ianuarius (31 days) January (31 days) New Year Day 0/0 Leap Day 0/1 Aprilus (30 days) Aprilus (29 days) Februarius (28/29 days) February (28/29 days) March (30 days) Maius (31 days) Martius (31 days) March (31 days) Maius (31 days) April (31 days) Iunius (29 days) Aprilus (30 days) April (30 days) Iunius (30 days) May (31 days) May (30 days) Quintilus (31 days) Maius(31 days) June (30 days) Quintilus (31 days) June (30 days) Sextilus (29 days) Iunius (30 days) July (31 days) Sextilus (30 days) July (31 days) September (29 days) Iulius (31 days) August (30 days) August (31 days) September (30 days) October (31 days) Augustus (31 days) September (30 days) September (30 days) October (31 days) November (29 days) September (30 days) October (31 days) October (31 days) November (30 days) November (30 days) December (29 days) October (31days) November (30 days) December (30 days) December (30 days) Ianuarius (29 days) November (30 days) December (31 days) January (31 days) Winter day period Februarius (28 days) December (31 days) February (30 days) Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: At some point between Year of Confusion in Martius (March) the Although the Gregorian On the New Jerusalem first month. New Year 715 BC and 45 BC the 46 BC had 445 days.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    INTRODUCTION Livy the Historian Livy , or in full Titus Livius, was born at Patavium in northern Italy (Padua today) in 59 bc, and so lived through the turbulent years of the fall of the Roman Republic into the calm and politically controlled era of one-man rule under Augustus and his successor Tiberius. 1 According to St Jerome’s Chronicle he died in ad 17. He seems not to have held public offi ce or done any military service. Apart from some essays, now lost, on philosophy and rhetoric, he undertook in his late twenties to compose an up-to-date history of Rome drawing on mostly Roman but also some Greek predecessors. He entitled it From the Foundation of the City ( Ab Urbe Condita ): to all Romans their City was unique. The history eventually amounted to 142 books, taking Rome’s history from its traditional foundation-date of 753 bc down to the year 9 bc — a colossal achievement, much lengthier than Gibbon’s Decline and Fall , for instance. Of it only the fi rst ten Books and then Books 21–45 survive. Books 6–10 take the story of Rome from 390 bc down to the year 293. Evidence in the work indicates that Livy began writing in the early 20s bc, for around 18 bc he reached Book 28. A subheading to a surviving résumé (epitome) of the lost book 121 states that it was published after Augustus’ death in ad 14: some- thing that probably held true, too, for those that followed. The his- tory ended at the year 9 bc.
    [Show full text]
  • A Fork in the Road: the Catilinarian Conspiracy's Impact
    A Fork in the Road: The Catilinarian Conspiracy‘s Impact on Cicero‘s relationships with Pompey, Crassus` and Caesar Jeffrey Larson History 499: Senior Thesis June 13, 2011 © Jeffrey Larson, 2011 1 But concerning friendship, all, to a man, think the same thing: those who have devoted themselves to public life; those who find their joy in science and philosophy; those who manage their own business free from public cares; and, finally, those who are wholly given up to sensual pleasures — all believe that without friendship life is no life at all. .1 The late Roman Republic was filled with crucial events which shaped not only the political environment of the Republic, but also altered the personal and political relationships of the individuals within that Republic. Four of the most powerful, and most discussed, characters of this time are Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC), Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (106 BC – 48 BC), Marcus Licinius Crassus (c. 115 BC – 53 BC), and Gaius Julius Caesar (c. 100 BC – 44 BC). These men often crossed paths and some even had close friendships with each other. Other than Pompeius, better known as Pompey, all the aforementioned individuals were involved, or reportedly involved, in one event which had profound effects on the personal and political relationships of all four individuals. This event is known as the Catilinarian Conspiracy of 63 BC. The Catilinarian Conspiracy was a pivotal episode in the politics of the Late Roman Republic that damaged both the political and personal relationships of Cicero, Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar. Politics in the Roman Republic was dominated by a small number of members of the senatorial class.
    [Show full text]
  • 0 Contents.Qxd
    Chronology Chart 1-6 Roman Calendar Explanation At the time of Christ, the Roman calendar and dating system were used throughout the Roman Empire. The calendar derived from the old lunar calendar of the Etruscans, which was designed to keep record of times for religious observances and festivals, and which retained as principal days of the month the kalends (first), nones (fifth or seventh), and ides (thirteenth or fifteenth), based originally on the phases of the moon. The months had been restructured by the Romans into a solar calendar of twelve months with several intercalary days at the end of February. March was the first Roman month, making September the seventh, October the eighth, etc. These names derive from the Latin words for seven (septem), eight (octo), and so on. The Roman calendar was reformed by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C., which version operated in New Testament times and still forms the basis of our own modern calendar today. Roman years were numbered ab urbe condita, “from the founding of the city.” The year we call 753 B.C. was the Roman year 1, the year that Rome is believed to have been established. References John F. Hall, “March Gods and the Etruscan New Year,” in By Study and Also By Faith (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1990), 1:643–58. A. K. Michels, The Calendar of the Roman Republic (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967). Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Roman Calendar Kalendae First day of the month Named for Mars, Martius the god of the New Year Named for Aprilia, Aprilis Idus The fifteenth of March, a goddess of spring May, July, and October, but the thirteenth of all Named for Maia, other months.
    [Show full text]
  • The Argei: Sex, War, and Crucifixion in Rome
    THE ARGEI: SEX, WAR, AND CRUCIFIXION IN ROME AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Kristan Foust Ewin, B.A. Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2012 APPROVED: Christopher J. Fuhrmann, Major Professor Ken Johnson, Committee Member Walt Roberts, Committee Member Richard B. McCaslin, Chair of the Department of History James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Ewin, Kristan Foust. The Argei: Sex, War, and Crucifixion in Rome and the Ancient Near East. Master of Arts (History), May 2012, 119 pp., 2 tables, 18 illustrations, bibliography, 150 titles. The purpose of the Roman Argei ceremony, during which the Vestal Virgins harvested made and paraded rush puppets only to throw them into the Tiber, is widely debated. Modern historians supply three main reasons for the purpose of the Argei: an agrarian act, a scapegoat, and finally as an offering averting deceased spirits or Lares. I suggest that the ceremony also related to war and the spectacle of displaying war casualties. I compare the ancient Near East and Rome and connect the element of war and husbandry and claim that the Argei paralleled the sacred marriage. In addition to an agricultural and purification rite, these rituals may have served as sympathetic magic for pre- and inter-war periods. As of yet, no author has proposed the Argei as a ceremony related to war. By looking at the Argei holistically I open the door for a new direction of inquiry on the Argei ceremony, fertility cults in the Near East and in Rome, and on the execution of war criminals.
    [Show full text]
  • Roman History the LEGENDARY PERIOD of the KINGS (753
    Roman History THE LEGENDARY PERIOD OF THE KINGS (753 - 510 B.C.) Rome was said to have been founded by Latin colonists from Alba Longa, a nearby city in ancient Latium. The legendary date of the founding was 753 B.C.; it was ascribed to Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the daughter of the king of Alba Longa. Later legend carried the ancestry of the Romans back to the Trojans and their leader Aeneas, whose son Ascanius, or Iulus, was the founder and first king of Alba Longa. The tales concerning Romulus’s rule, notably the rape of the Sabine women and the war with the Sabines, point to an early infiltration of Sabine peoples or to a union of Latin and Sabine elements at the beginning. The three tribes that appear in the legend of Romulus as the parts of the new commonwealth suggest that Rome arose from the amalgamation of three stocks, thought to be Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan. The seven kings of the regal period begin with Romulus, from 753 to 715 B.C.; Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, from 534 to 510 B.C., the seventh and last king, whose tyrannical rule was overthrown when his son ravished Lucretia, the wife of a kinsman. Tarquinius was banished, and attempts by Etruscan or Latin cities to reinstate him on the throne at Rome were unavailing. Although the names, dates, and events of the regal period are considered as belonging to the realm of fiction and myth rather than to that of factual history, certain facts seem well attested: the existence of an early rule by kings; the growth of the city and its struggles with neighboring peoples; the conquest of Rome by Etruria and the establishment of a dynasty of Etruscan princes, symbolized by the rule of the Tarquins; the overthrow of this alien control; and the abolition of the kingship.
    [Show full text]
  • The Monthly Gazette
    March 2021 Th e Monthly Gazette “Welcome, O March! Whose kindly days and dry make April ready for the throstle’s song, thou first redresser of the winter’s wrong!” ~ from the poem “March” by William Morris Animal of the Month – Canary Special Days The canary is a small songbird in the finch family. The little Women’s Day yellow bird gets its name March 8 from its place of origin, the Macaronesian Islands, which Daylight Saving includes the Azores, Canary, Time Begins and Madeira Islands. Canaries March 14 were first domesticated in the 17th century and soon became the past, canaries were used by St. Patrick’s Day popular among the royal courts miners to detect toxic gases in March 17 of England and Spain, which in mining tunnels. These endearing turn drove popularity among the birds are celebrated at canary First Day of Spring general public across Europe. shows held throughout the world. March 20 These birds are prized for their The cartoon character Tweety lovely song as well as their Bird is a canary. Police informants Passover Begins sweet appearance. In addition are said to “sing like a canary,” March 27 to the tell-tale yellow and green alluding to the bird’s tendency to Palm Sunday hues, canaries come in other sing (beautiful) elaborate songs, colors, including white, red, just like informants do when March 28 black, orange, and brown. In ratting out fellow criminals. Flower – Daffodil Birthstone – Aquamarine When the green stems of the March’s birthstone, aquamarine, is daffodils shoot up toward the a gorgeous, pale blue gem that is sky, it’s official—spring has found in the western United States, finally sprung! Though most Brazil, Siberia, and Myanmar.
    [Show full text]
  • Julius Caesar.Docx
    Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was a renowned statesman, military leader and politician who ultimately became the linchpin for the Roman Republic's transition to the Roman Empire. His cognomen (third name) was subsequently adopted as a synonym for "Emperor"; the title "Caesar" was used throughout the Roman Empire, giving rise to modern cognates such as Kaiser and Tsar. The information from this article will be useful in the World History Segment of the IAS Exam Early Life of Julius Caesar Gaius Lulius Caesar was born on July 13 100 BC. His father was also Gaius Julius Caesar and his mother Aurelia Cotta. Julius Caesar was also the nephew of Gaius Marius, who was instrumental in reforming the Roman army Although Ceaser traced his family back to the mythical Aeneas, said to be the ancestors of Romulus and Remus (founders of Rome), his family was neither wealthy nor influential in Roman politics. His father died in 85 BC, which made Caesar the head of his family at the age of 16. It was at this time that his uncle was in a civil war with Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a dictator who ruled Rome. In 84 B.C., he married Cornelia, the daughter of an ally of Marius. Caesar and Cornelia had one child, a daughter named Julia. Sulla won the civil war in 82 BC and began to exact vengeance on whoever sided with Marius, including immediate family members. He ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia. Upon Caesar's refusal, Sulla ordered his execution. Caesar's family intervened and pleaded for clemency.
    [Show full text]