Gaius Julius Caesar

1
Gaius Julius Caesar

• Caesar had more than a mere name and military
  reputation his energy could never rest and his
  one disgrace was to conquer without war. He was
  alert and headstrong his arms answered every
  summons of ambition or resentment he never
  shrank from using the sword lightly he followed
  up each success and snatched at the favor of
  Fortune, overthrowing every obstacle on his path
  to supreme power, and rejoicing to clear the way
  before him by destruction. --Lucan, Bellum Civile
  I, 143-150

2
The Early Years

• Born to a not-so-well-off patrician family in 100
  BC in a plebeian neighborhood of Rome.
• After a civil war, Caesar was left penniless and
  almost lost his life while still a teenager.
• He joined the army at age 18 and serves for four
  years.

3
The (Legal) Rungs of Power

• Was elected a Senator at age 30.
• At age 34 he was put in charge of public
  entertainments. He spent lavishly, and won great
  popularity.
• Was elected Pontifex Maximus at age 36. This
  post was for life, and brought power, wealth, and
  prestige (plus a big house in the Forum!)
• At age 39, then became military governor in
  Spain, where he earned his reputation as a
  general.
• Was elected Consul, the highest office in Rome,
  at age 41.

4
The First Triumvirate

• Wealth, popularity, military commands are all
  creating new and great opportunities for personal
  power.
• Marcus Licinius Crassus the Richest man in Rome
• Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus the most successful
  General of the time
• Caesar up-and-coming, popular, and Consul

5
Gaul

• After his Consulship, Caesar makes sure hes
  appointed governor of Illyricum, Italian Gaul,
  and then Gaul-across-the-Alps.
• This gives him the opportunity to command troops
  again, and to conquer territory.
• This also gives him the opportunity for great
  wealth.

• Through his Commentaries of the war, published
  back in Rome, he gains even greater celebrity.

6
Risking All

• Crassus dies in battle in Parthia.
• The Senate convinces Pompey to oppose Caesar
  rather than work with him.
• Caesar, after eight years in Gaul, is ordered to
  surrender his armies and return to Rome (to stand
  trial!).
• Caesar invades Italy with his Legions.

Alea iacta est! The die is cast.--Caesar,
crossing the Rubicon into Italy with his army.
(Suetonius, Life of Caesar)
7
Civil War--Again!

• Pompey and the leading Senators flee to Greece to
  ready their army.
• Caesar easily takes Italy, Rome, and Spain.
• Outnumbered two to one, he faces Pompey in
  Greece, and crushes him.
• Pompey flees to Egypt.

8
Caesars Coins

• Caesar was the first Roman to have his face put
  on a coin while he was still alive
• The Romans believed only ancestors and gods could
  be pictured
• Caesar was equating himself with gods and Eastern
  kings

9
Ego sum Caesar

• He has himself appointed Dictator-for-Life.
  Caesar now rules alone, using friends, freedmen,
  and slaves to govern--ignoring the Senate. Was
  Caesar a KING?
• Starts wearing an all-purple toga the garment of
  a triumphal general representing the god Jupiter.
  Was Caesar a GOD?

10
CLEOPATRA

• Became Queen of Egypt at the age of 17
• Joint Ruler of Egypt with her brother Ptolomy XII
• Egyptian custom meant that she had to marry him
• Ptolomy was aged 12
• He died aged 18

11
Ptolomy

• Ptolomy and Cleopatra did not get along.
• Ptolomys advisors drove Cleopatra out into the
  desert so Ptolomy XIII could rule alone.
• Pompey fled to Egypt after being defeated by
  Julius Caesar
• Ptolomy had Pompey beheaded and presented his
  head to Julius Casar

12
Ptolomys Mistake

• This was a big miscalculation Pompey was still
  Consul of Rome and Julius Caesars son-in-law
• Julius Caesar demanded that Pompeys assassins be
  handed over to him
• Ptolomy refused
• Julius Caesar fought against Ptolomys army.
• Ptolomy, weighted by his armor of gold, drowned
  in the River Nile
• Cleopatras third brother Ptolomy XIV becomes
  joint ruler

13
Julius and Cleopatra

• Julius Caesar had Cleopatra restored to the
  throne of Egypt
• Cleopatra became Caesars mistress
• Cleopatras son Caesarean was probably Caesars
  son
• She and Caesarean lived in Rome with Julius.
• Caesar refused to recognize Caesarean as his heir

14
The Julian Forum

• Julius Caesar created the Julian Forum. (named
  after himself)

The Forum was needed because the old forum had
become to small to deal with the amount of people.
15
The Ides of March

• A group of over fifty Senators decide that enough
  is enough--they are not ready to relinquish power
  and control of Rome to one man.
• They conspire to murder Caesar on March 15, 44
  BC.
• They invite him to be crowned and declared King
  of Rome. He arrives to find 50 Senators with
  knives hidden in their togas. They promptly
  stabbed him to death.

This coin, issued by Brutus, commemorates
Caesars assassination. Brutus had hoped he and
the other conspirators would be seen as heroes
liberating the Republic from a tyrant.
16
The Aftermath

• Caesars body is cremated in a massive public
  demonstration in the Forum. A temple is built to
  Divine Julius in that spot.
• The conspirators are forced to flee.
• Civil war again breaks out, with Caesars
  right-hand-man, Marc Antony, and his heir,
  Octavian, conquering the armies of Brutus,
  Cassius, and the Senators.

17
Caesars Lasting Impact

• Caesar provided a blueprint for rising to
  absolute power in Rome--a blueprint both Octavian
  and Antony followed.
• His name became one of the titles for the Roman
  emperors. The more modern Czar and Kaiser
  derive from his name too.
• Caesar began the practice of granting Roman
  citizenship to conquered peoples. This helped to
  prolong the expansion and maintenance of the
  Roman Empire.

18
Caesars Lasting Impact

• His Commentaries are one of the great pieces of
  Latin literature.
• He inspired one of Shakespeares most celebrated
  plays.
• His reform of the calendar has been changed very
  little over the past two millenia.
• The month July is named for him.