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. His life was spared, but Sulla stripped Caeser of all his wealth.
Despite the reprieve, Caesar left Rome, joined the army and earned the prestigious Civic Crown for his courage at the Siege of Mytilene in 80 BC. After Sulla’s death in 78 BC Caesar returned to Rome and became a successful prosecutor widely known for his oratory skills.
Political Rise of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar's political career began in earnest when he became a quaestor (public official) of a Roman province in 69 BC. His wife Cornelia died in 67 BC and the same year married Pompeia, a granddaughter of Sulla to form an political alliances The marriage did not last long as he had to divorce Pompeia in 67 BC due to a major scandal. At the same time Caesar was burdened with debts as a result of his lavish lifestyle upon becoming a Magistrate in 65 BC.
In 61 BC Caesar became the governor of Spain. His tenure was successful enough to find support from Gnaeus Magnus Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Pompey was also a prominent general known for his victories in Spain and Crassus was one of the wealthiest men in Rome.
A combination of wealth and fame from both his allies helped Caesar in getting elected as senior Roman consul in 59 BC.
Caesar, Crassus and Pompey soon formed an informal alliance (strengthened by the marriage of Caesar’s daughter Julia to Pompey) known as the First Triumvirate.
Such a union terrified the Roman Senate as an alliance of three powerful men would grow to be unstoppable. They would be proved right in the coming years as the triumvirate effectively controlled Rome. But the delicate balance of power between the three would topple soon.
Conquest of Gaul The first step on the road to the fall of the Triumvirate came in 58 BC when Julius Caesar was appointed the governor of Gaul (comprising modern day France, Austrian and Belgium). Knowing that starting a war would bring him wealth and glory, Caesar embarked on a campaign to subjugate the entire region.
His success earned him the reputation of a formidable and ruthless military leader.
Caesar even crossed into Britain and Germany, and such a success only made his partners burn with envy. Crassus desiring military victories of his own would depart to the east, towards Parthia (the middle east and Iran)
As Caesar would complete his conquest of Gaul, the political system in Rome became untenable. Crassus met his death at the hands of the Parthians in 53 BC. This left Pompey as the sole consul and soon began to work against Caesar. After the death of Julia in 54 BC, Pompey made alliances with Caesar's opponents in the senate and ordered him to give up the command of his army and return to Rome.
Caesar refused and with his army crossed the river Rubicon near Rome. This was significant as the Rubico was the boundary of the city and crossing it with an army, whether Roman or otherwise, was a declaration of war.
The Civil war that broke out between Caesar and Pompey fractured the republic. Caesar overwhelmed Pompey in the battle of Carrhae in Greece.Pompey then fled to Egypt with Caesar in pursuit. However Ptolemy VIII executed Pompey. Ptolemy VIII sought to gain favour and alliance with Caesar in order to fight his own war against his sister Cleopatra. Caesar was horrified at this because despite their animosity, Pompey was his erstwhile son in law and a counsel of Rome.
Caesar soon found himself in the middle of a civil war between Ptolemy and Cleopatra. Caesar became her lover and partnered with her to overthrow Ptolemy and make her ruler of Egypt. The pair never married but their long-term affair produced a son, Ptolemy XV Caesar, known as Caesarion.
Caesar spent the next few years wiping out his enemies and what remained of Pompey’s supporters in the Middle East, Africa and Spain.
Assaination of Julius Caesar In 46 BC , Julius Caesar became the dictator of Rome for 10 years. This did not go down well with his political opponents. Regardless he began making several reforms that improved the lives of the common citizenry.
Caesar declared himself dictator for life in 44 B.C. However, his crusade for absolute power didn’t go over well with many Roman politicians. Fearing he would become king, a group of senators conspired to end his life.
On March 15, 44 BC senators led by Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, stabbed Caesar 23 times, ending both his reign and his life as he fell bleeding onto the Senate floor at the feet of a statue of Pompey.
Caesar’s assassination at age 55 made him a martyr and incited a cycle of civil wars resulting in the downfall of the Roman Republic and the rise to power of his grandnephew and heir Gaius Octavius (Octavian) — later known as Augustus Caesar — to emperor of the Roman Empire.
Legacy of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is seen as the main example of Caesarism, a form of political rule led by a charismatic strongman whose rule is based upon a cult of personality, whose rationale is the need to rule by force, establishing a violent social order, and being a regime involving prominence of the military in the government.
Other people in history, such as the French Napoleon Bonaparte and the Italian Benito Mussolini, have defined themselves as Caesarists. He is also famous for creating the Julian calendar that was in use until the slightly modified Gregorian Calendar came into existence in the 16the century Facts about Julius Caesar ● His Last words ‘Et tu brute’ (You as well Brutus) originally attributed to him and made popular by William Shakesphear is historically inaccurate. He originally is supposed to have said “You as well my child”. ● He is considered the father of the ‘Leap year’ ● Caesar was the first Roman to become sanctified. Upon Caesar’s death, a comet flashed in the sky, this made many Romans believe it was a symbol of Caesar’s divine ascension to heaven. Caesar was the first Roman to become deified in history.