HISTORYHISTORY — ROME The Rise of Caesarism The weakened Roman Republic was crushed by Julius Caesar, a charismatic military leader who exploited his popularity with a Roma n people who desired security above all else. by Steve Bonta and had spread their depredations over the som of 20 talents. He told them they had entire Aegean Sea. By 75 B.C. they appar - no idea whom they had captured and in- This is the seventh installment in a se- ently enjoyed the sponsorship of Rome’s structed them to ask for 50 talents instead. ries of articles on the rise and fall of the sworn enemy Mithridates, king of Pontus, The pirates readily agreed to his bold de - Roman Republic. who, having already lost one debilitating mand, and Caesar dispatched most of his war with Rome, still sought to undermine entourage back to Italy to round up the he Cilician pirates in the early first Roman power any way he could. Some - ransom money. In the meantime, Caesar century B.C. were the scourge of time in that year, a group of Cilicians cap - more or less took command of the pirates’ T the eastern Mediterranean. They tured a vessel carrying a young Roman camp, insisting on preferential treatment, commanded huge fleets and immense aristocrat named Julius Caesar. writing letters and essays, and deriding the amounts of wealth from their strongholds According to the story, the young Caesar illiterate pirates as ignorant savages. He along the southeast coast of Asia Minor laughed at his captors’ demand for a ran - also laughingly promised the pirates that he would crucify every last one of them. The Cilicians, unsure what to make of this cheerful, powerfully built young man with the emotionless eyes, played along with what they assumed were foolish jests by a spoiled socialite who hadn’t grasped the full peril of his situation. After a lapse of little more than a month, Caesar’s friends returned with the ransom money, and the Cilician pirates set him free. It was the last mistake they were to make. Julius Caesar went directly to the nearest port, Miletus in Asia Minor, and assembled a small fleet of mercenaries. He then sailed back to the island where his erstwhile captors were still encamped. His forces quickly defeated and captured the pirates, and Caesar ordered them all crucified. However, in a fit of magnanim - ity to the condemned, he ordered their throats to be cut, to spare them the full agony of death by crucifixion. After all, he reminded them, they had treated him well in captivity. This was the personality of the man who dominated his age like no other before or since, saving only One who came into the world a few decades later to preach the coming of a very different kind of king - dom from that espoused by Caesar and his confederates, and who had nothing in com - mon with Julius Caesar except his initials. Gaius Julius Caesar — military genius, charismatic leader of men, author, dema - gog ue, consummate politician — was one Adoring fans: Julius Caesar basking in the admiration of his soldiers. Caesar’s rise to power of the most contradictory characters ever owed much to the fierce loyalty of the fighting men who served under him. to occupy the stage of history. He shared 34 THE NEW AMERICAN • ANUAR 10, 2005 Sulla’s lust for dominion, but lacked his in Asia Minor. While there, bloodthirsty vindictiveness. Capable of he is said to have developed In an age that produced a constellation of ruthlessness beyond measure, Caesar also an indecent relationship with frequently displayed calculated clemency. the king of Bithynia, a pow- luminaries — Cicero, Pompey, and many He understood, where Marius, Sulla, and erful kingdom in northern others — Caesar outshone all the rest. Yet Cinna had not, that the path to supremacy Asia Minor. Homosexuality lay in patronage and flattery, not in po- at the time was still taboo in in spite of his extraordinary assets, Julius groms. His personal assets — a keen wit, Rome (in stark contrast to Caesar was a tragic man who, more than powerful intellect, decisiveness, and an ancient Greece), and Cae- athletic physique hardened by years of sar’s political enemies were any other Roman leader, was responsible discipline — won him instant allegiance quick to amplify the rumors for the downfall of the republic. among the men he commanded and al- of Caesar’s moral miscon- lowed him to ingratiate himself with the duct. masses. In an age that produced a constel- In spite of the scandal, Caesar, return- between the rival despots Marius and lation of luminaries — Cicero, Brutus, ing to Rome after Sulla’s death, was able Sulla, was rewarded by the latter with his Cato, Pompey, Crassus, and many others to build a creditable career as an advocate daughter’s hand in marriage. Pompey was — Caesar outshone all the rest.Yet in spite and gained a reputation as an unusually only too happy to divorce his first wife to of his extraordinary assets, Julius Caesar powerful and persuasive orator. become the Roman dictator’s son-in-law. was a tragic man who, more than any Caesar had two great rivals in Rome After his marriage, he was dispatched to other Roman leader, was responsible for for power and prestige: one, Pompey, Sicily to quell the remnants of the Marian the downfall of the republic. eclipsed him in military exploits and the resistance there. In Sicily, Pompey earned other, Cicero, in rhetorical skill. Although a reputation as a capable but ruthless mili- Early Life friends from youth, Pompey and Cicero tary leader noted for his severity in dealing Caesar was born in 100 B.C. and as a were completely different in background with opposition. Sicily was a major source young man married Cornelia Cinnilla, the and temperament. Pompey came from a of Roman grain, and its strategic position daughter of Cinna, the leader of the Mari- wealthy, well-connected family, whereas in the mid-Mediterranean made it an asset an faction. He found himself on the wrong Cicero came from what would now be that could not be squandered. “Stop quot- side of Rome’s first civil war when the vic- styled the middle class, lacking the pedi- ing laws,” Pompey reputedly told the re- torious Sulla began his purge of all of Mar- gree for automatic promotion and patron- fractory Sicilians, “we carry weapons.” ius’ supporters. Caesar fled from Rome age. Pompey, who sided with the Sullan Following his success in bringing Sicily and enlisted in the military to campaign faction in the great civil war that arose to heel, Pompey was dispatched to North 59 B.C. Julius Caesar 55 B.C. 63 B.C. elected consul Caesar 49 B.C. Exposure of and First invades Caesar’s Catilinarian Triumvirate Britain for forces invade Conspiracy formed rst time Italy 42-31 B.C. 509 B.C. From Founding of Republic to the Republic Empire CONSPIRACY AND THE RISE OF CAESARISM 753 B.C. Founding of Rome 58 B.C. 53 B.C. 62 B.C. Caesar’s Crassus’ 48 B.C. 44 B.C. Defeat and Gallic defeat and Defeat of Assassination death of campaigns death at Pompey at of Julius Catiline begin Carrhae Pharsalus Caesar THE NEW AMERICAN • ANUAR 10, 2005 35 HISTORYHISTORY — ROME He was then elected consul timated by his enemies. He recognized The Senate ordered Caesar to disband his for the first time, in 70 B.C. Pompey and Crassus, two of Rome’s Pompey’s profile grew wealthiest men and most celebrated mili- army. He chose instead, to the everlasting still further during the next tary leaders, as indispensable allies. In regret of history, to risk all for the sake of decade. In 67 B.C., in spite 59 B.C., Caesar, having managed to get of bitter debate in the Senate, himself elected consul for the first time, his ambition and cast aside forever the Pompey was given unprec- forged an informal, semi-secret political brittle husk of the old republic. On January edented power — absolute alliance with these two men. This, the so- authority over the Mediter- called First Triumvirate, was very much a 10, 49 B.C., Caesar led his army across ranean Sea and all coastal marriage of convenience. Pompey needed the Rubicon River and marched on Rome. territory extending 50 miles Caesar’s political support for his project of inland — in order to conduct conferring state lands on veterans who had a campaign against the Cili- served under his command, and Crassus cian pirates. The campaign coveted the authority to launch a military was brief and exterminated expedition against Parthia, a powerful the pirates as a military Persian state in Mesopotamia. Pompey threat. Instead of returning and Caesar agreed to set aside their quar- to Rome, however, Pompey rels, and the former even married Caesar’s departed for Asia Minor, daughter Julia to cement the alliance. where he helped another The following year, 58 B.C., Caesar was general, Lucullus, defeat made proconsul over Roman Gaul, where Mithridates for the second he promptly launched his famous war of and final time. He then led conquest in Gaul and Britain. The Gallic Roman forces into Arme- campaigns, generally considered the great- nia, Syria, and Palestine, est military feat since the conquests of Al- including Jerusalem itself, exander the Great, were a turning point in all of which he annexed for the history of Rome and of the Western Rome. He returned to Rome world. They not only brought most of what in late 61 B.C.