CLASSICS
JULIUS CAESAR
TIMELINE
JULIUS CAESAR TIMELINE
100 GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR born 13 July
85 Married Cornelia daughter of Cinna who opposed Sulla. Caesar is proscribed and told to
divorce his wife,
he refused and fled.
82 Daughter Julia was born
81-7 Caesar was appointed to the east. He approached the King of
Bythinia to ask for a fleet. He was ever after called the ‘queen of
Bythinia’
78 Julius Caesar supported Pompey in his eradication of the pirates.
Death of Sulla.
75 Caesar was captured by pirates and ransomed. He scorned them
for asking for 20 talents because
he thought he was worth 50. He returned and executed them.
74 Second war against Mithridates
72 Caesar became a tribune
71 Spartacus was slain.
70 Caesar became a quaestor in Spain. Crassus and Pompey were
consuls.
69 Funeral of his aunt Julia and Cornelia.
67 Caesar married Pompeia the granddaughter of Sulla. Pompey cleaned the pirates out of the
Mediterranean with Caesar’s support in the senate.
65 Caesar became aedile and borrowed huge sums from Crassus to put on games. Had an affair
with Pompey’s wife.
63 Caesar borrowed money to become Pontifex Maximus. Cicero was consul and was involved in
the
Catiline Conspiracy. Octavius was born.
62 Caesar became praetor and divorced Pompeia “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”
61 Caesar became propraetor in Spain.
60 A loose arrangement was made between Pompey, Crassus and Caesar called the First
Triumvirate.
59 Caesar became consul with opposition of Cato, his co-consul is Bibula. He married Calpurnia.
He
was appointed to a military command in Gaul. He continued to winter over in northern Italy to
keep an eye
politics.
58 Caesar defeated the Helvetii
57 Caesar defeated the Belgae. The Triumvirate was renewed at Lucca. Caesar’s command in Gaul
was
renewed. Crassus and Pompey were consuls. Pompey was appointed to Spain and Crassus to
Syria.
55-4 Caesar invaded Britain, twice.
54 Caesar’s daughter, Julia, died in childbirth. This tie to Pompey is broken.
53 Crassus was killed in Parthia, this broke a further tie with Pompey.
52 Revolts in Gaul led by Vercingetorix. Riots in Rome make Pompey ‘consul without colleague’
51 Caesar wrote seven volumes about his conquest of Gaul. Rome tried to stop Caesar being
Governor of Gaul, so he could be prosecuted. Caesar wanted to be elected as consul ‘in
absentia’
www.schoolhistory.co.nz
Page 1
11/03/2007
49
48
47
46
45
44
Caesar ‘crosses the Rubicon’ which means automatic civil war. Pompey’s troops were recalled
from Spain. Pompey and the senate retire to Brundisium and then headed east. Caesar
headed to Rome and declared himself as dictator and declared ‘clemency’. He headed to
Spain to stop Pompey’s troops saying; ‘ I am off to meet an army without a leader; when I
return I shall meet a leader without an army’.
Caesar challenged Pompey’s troops at Pharsalus in northern Greece. Pompey’s 46,000 men
were defeated by Caesar’s 21,000. Caesar pardoned all the men but Pompey fled to Egypt.
Caesar returned to Rome and was elected consul for five years, dictator for an unspecified
time and Tribune for life. October 2 Caesar landed in Alexandria and met Cleopatra aged 21.
While a civil war raged in Rome and around him in Egypt, Caesar was trapped in Cleopatra’s
palace. Then he cruised the Nile with her. Caesar left Egypt with Cleopatra on the throne. She
gave birth to a son called Caesarion. Caesar swept through Asia Minor defeating Pharnaces,
“I came, I saw, I overcame” “veni vedi veci”. He returned to Rome and went to Africa to defeat
the remianing Optimates, under Cato. Cato committed suicide.
Caesar, now with total victory, celebrated in Rome with four triumphs. He brought Cleopatra to
Rome. He was now dictator in fact and began a programme of reforms.
Caesar took troops to Spain to defeat two of Pompey’s sons. One he killed and one fled to
become a pirate leader. Caesar had a further triumph but this time over Romans. Caesar had
coins with his face on and had statues to himself put up.
Caesar was named ‘dictator perpetuus’ and wore his purple toga. Antony offered him a crown
which he refused. He prepared to leave to take revenge on the Parthians for killing Crassus.
th
March 15 sixty conspirators met Caesar and stabbed him to death 23 times, he fell at the
base of Pompey’s statue saying to Brutus; ‘et tu Brute’ “You too my child?”. A power vacuum
was left and the conspirators should have killed Antony.
www.schoolhistory.co.nz
Page 2
11/03/2007