The Career and Times of
Gaius Julius Caesar
We left off with the start of the First Triumvirate. Caesar had just been
elected consul after creating a fast friendship with two men – Pompey,
a successful general and Rome’s richest citizen; and Crassus, the
general who had put an end to Spartacus’ slave revolt….
EARLY LIFE & CAREER
 Caesar had been born in 100 BCE to a patrician family. His nomen, Julius,
tells us that he was part of the Julian Clan, who claimed descent from Iulus
 Caesar grew up quickly during the Social War, and at the age of 16 he
married Cornelia, Cinna’s daughter. He was also elected to be a High Priest of
Jupiter at that age
 Caesar was briefly disgraced at the end of the Social War. Sulla targeted
him because he was Marius’ nephew and had allied himself with Cinna
through his marriage. He lost his priesthood and had to go into hiding
 Caesar joined the military and fought abroad for two years, until Sulla’s
death in 80BCE. Then he returned to Rome where he began practicing
rhetoric and oratory
 He served as a military tribune during the war against Spartacus and was
elected Quaestor in 69 BCE. Cornelia died that year and Caesar married
Pompeia, Sulla’s granddaughter
RISE TO POWER
 In 63 BCE Caesar was elected Pontifex Maximus (Chief Priest
of the Roman State Religion) and the next year, 62 BCE,
Caesar served as a Praetor – that same year, he also divorced
his second wife Pompeia
 Upon finishing his praetorship, Caesar left immediately to
become governor of Hispania Ulterior – Pompey helped him
financially and he conquered two Spanish tribes, becoming
extremely popular
 In 59 BCE Caesar became consul, cemented his partnership
with Crassus and Pompey by letting Pompey marry his
daughter Julia, and remarried himself, this time to Calpurnia
 For the 5 years following his consulship, Caesar again left the
city to act as a governor, this time in Gaul and Illyricum
During the first year of his governorship, Caesar defeated the
Helvetii. During the second, he conquered the Belgic tribes in
the north. During the third, he beat the Venetii and Crassus
took over the Aquitani.. Almost all Gaul had fallen…
Continued Conquests & the End of an Alliance

In 55 BCE, the fourth year of his time in Gaul, Caesar held off the
Germans, defeated the last two tribes of Gaul and advanced on
Britain

When he first landed in Britain, he made very little progress and
was forced to return to Gaul for the winter. He returned in 54 BCE
and made more progress

While in Britain, Caesar’s daughter Julia (Pompey’s wife) died in
childbirth, he married again, to the daughter of one of Caesar’s
political opponents. This man became Pompey’s next co-consul

Meanwhile, Crassus was killed in battle in Parthia.. The First
Triumvirate had fallen
Final Pacification of Gaul


In 52 BCE, a particularly strong revolt began in Gaul. Although Caesar
had defeated most of the tribes individually, Vercingetorix, leader of
the Averni, managed to unite several of the tribes to challenge Caesar
Vercingetorix defeated Caesar several times, until they met at the
decisive battle of Alesia
Seige of Alesia

The entire civilian population of Alesia was barricaded into the city
walls along with 80,000 fighting men, food would not last long

In an attempt to save food for the fighters and in hopes that
Caesar would let them go, the men threw the civilian women and
children out of the city. Caesar ordered that nothing be done for
them, and nearly all starved to death alone between the city walls
and the circumvallations.

Despite increasing attacks from the inside (from Alesia) and
outside (Gallic Relief forces), Caesar won within about a month.
Vercingetorix was forced to surrender. Many were killed, most
were taken prisoner and Gaul soon became a true Roman
province
The Return to Rome




In 50 BCE, Caesar’s term ended and the senate ordered him to
return to Rome. Since Caesar had many enemies within the city
still, he was afraid he would be persecuted if he came back
without his army and without an office (he wasn’t allowed to run
for consul without coming to the city first)
So, in 49 BCE he crossed the Rubicon River (Italy’s northern
boundary) with a legion of soldiers under his command
“Alea iacta est”
Many of Caesar’s enemies (Optimates) fled South, some made a
stand, but without any significant fighting he won over most
towns – the people loved him (Populares)
Pompey fled by ship, so Caesar tracked down and defeated his
lieutenants, then engaged Pompey in battle in the east – at
Pharsalus
Battle of Pharsalus


After a few indecisive battles, Caesar’s smaller but veteran force
met Pompey’s at Pharsalus in Greece in June 48 BCE
Caesar briefly returned to Rome where he was elected dictator, a
position he gave up in favor of another term as consul
Alexandria


Pompey fled to Alexandria, where he was killed by a member of
Ptolemy XIII’s court
Caesar followed him and became caught up in an Egyptian Civil War
between Ptolemy and his sister Cleopatra. Caesar defeated
Ptolemy’s forces in 47 BCE and made Cleopatra queen
Continued Conquests

Caesar and Cleopatra celebrated their victory over her brother and
had a son together – Caesarion

From 47 BCE – 45 BCE Caesar
continued to campaign militarily
First, he traveled through the Middle
East to defeat King Pharnaces in
Turkey. He campaigned only 5 days
and won at the Battle of Zela, then
wrote home the famous phrase
“veni, vidi, vici”
Ending the Civil War - Thapsus




Caesar next set out to destroy the senators and others who had
supported Pompey
First, in Africa, at the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BCE, he faced many of the
well known Optimates including Metellus Scipio and Cato the Younger.
They fought with 40,000 men and 60 war elephants
Caesar’s maneuvering won the day – in particular, his archers targeted
the elephants who trampled many of the Optimates, then some of their
allies deserted them. Many wanted to surrender to Caesar, but he
ordered them killed
Pompey’s sons and a few others escaped to Spain, Caesar pursued
them
Ending the Civil War – Munda

After being defeated at Pharsalus
and at Thapsus, Pompey’s
supporters fled to Munda in
Southern Spain

After a very hard fought battle,
confusion took over the
Optimates, many of whom tried
to flee and were slaughtered. At
the end of the day, 30,000 of
Pompey’s supporters were killed,
while only 1,000 of Caesar’s men
died.

Many of his enemies were
executed, including one of
Pompey’s sons. This was the end
of serious resistance to Caesar’s
rule
Return to Rome & Political Career





Throughout these campaigns,
Caesar continued to be elected
Consul at Rome (4 terms total)
In 45 BCE, he was elected to his
fourth consulship without a
colleague
He had become very popular,
particularly because he had
pardoned nearly all his enemies
except those that insisted on
fighting at Thapsus and Munda
Games and Celebrations were
held to honor his victory, and he
finally returned to Rome in 45
BCE
Upon his return he filed his will,
naming his nephew Gaius
Octavius as his successor. If
anything happened to Octavius,
Marcus Junius Brutus would be
his heir
Political & Social Policies

Caesar remained very popular
publicly, particularly because he
looked out for the interests of Rome’s
people

He made arrangements for land to be
distributed to his veterans and
changed the system by which grain
was given out at a reduced price.
Now, if you could afford to buy your
own grain at market, you were not
allowed to buy it at a reduced price,
leaving more for those who really
needed the help
Other Public Works and Reforms

Caesar reformed the calendar.
He created a 365 day year with
12 months and an added day
every four years (leap years) –
This was called the Julian
Calendar

He also added on to the Roman
forum, naming the new section
after himself, the Forum of
Caesar

In the forum, he built a temple
to Venus Genetrix (mother)
Growing Tension within the Senate

In 45 – 44 BCE Caesar received a serious of increasing honors from the
senate

He was given the title “pater patriae”, named dictator for ten years, and
was named “prefect of morals” for three years, giving him the powers of a
censor

Finally, he was named “dictator for life”

In 44 BCE a delegation from the senate came to tell Caesar about the new
honors they had voted him. He met them in the Temple of Venus
Genetrix, but did not stand to meet him, instead he stayed sitting. The
senators took offense, and some ancient writers claim this incident was
their final motivation to plot against him!

The people loved Caesar and although he openly refused the title of King
several times, his association with royalty had become too much for the
senators to bear
The Plot!

Brutus and Cassius led the conspirators.. They planned together
and swore that if their plans were discovered they would all turn
their knives on themselves instead!
“The conspirators never met openly, but they assembled a few at a
time in each other's homes. There were many discussions and
proposals, as might be expected, while they investigated how and
where to execute their design. Some suggested that they should
make the attempt as he was going along the Sacred Way, which
was one of his favorite walks. Another idea was for it to be done
at the elections during which he had to cross a bridge to appoint
the magistrates in the Campus Martius; they should draw lots for
some to push him from the bridge and for others to run up and
kill him. A third plan was to wait for a coming gladiatorial show.
The advantage of that would be that, because of the show, no
suspicion would be aroused if arms were seen prepared for the
attempt. But the majority opinion favored killing him while he sat
in the Senate, where he would be by himself since only Senators
would be admitted, and where the many conspirators could hide
their daggers beneath their togas. This plan won the day.”
The Assassination

The senatorial conspirators had asked Caesar to meet with them to review
a petition to return power to the Senate – but it was a fake

They had him enter a portion of the Theater of Pompey where the Senate
often met and as he began to read, one of the conspirators, tore his tunic.
Caesar cried “This is violence!” (ista quidem vis est!

Then, Casca, another conspirator, slashed at him with his dagger. Caesar
caught him and yelled “Casca, you villain, what are you doing?”, at which
point Casca yelled “Help, Brother!” in Greek, and the rest of the senators
fell on him

Caesar was stabbed 23 times, though only one blow to his chest was later
judged to be fatal

Upon seeing his close friend Brutus among his attackers, Shakespeare
reported his last words to be “et tu, Brute?”

The historian Suetonius, however, said that many people reported his last
words as “kai su, teknon?” – Greek for “you too, child?”
The Assassination
The Aftermath

The Conspirators fled the building and marched to the Capitol
announcing that the People of Rome were now free

The middle and lower classes had loved Caesar fiercely and were
enraged. His friend and general, Mark Antony, took advantage of
this and gave a dramatic eulogy, allying himself with the people
who supported Caesar and against the Senate/Optimates

A series of civil wars were kicked off by the assassination of
Caesar – wars which would lead to the end of the Roman Republic

First, Antony would have to face off against Brutus, Cassius and
the Optimates in his bid for power

However, another opponent lay in the wings, Gaius Octavius,
whom Caesar had named as his sole heir