The Decree of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
 Main Idea:
 Military hero Julius Caesar seized power and created massive reforms
within Rome…but how did he do it?
Julius Caesar
 Did you know that George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Dwight
D. Eisenhower all commanded armies before becoming President…
 Lets learn about the famous Roman who made a similar jump from military
leader to political leader.
Julius Caesar
 After Sulla left office, different Roman leaders battled for power, supported
by their loyal armies.
 In 60 B.C.E. three men were on top of the Roman government: Crassus,
Pompey and Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar
 Crassus was a military leader and one of the richest men in Rome.
 Pompey and Caesar were not as rich, but both were very successful
military men.
Julius Caesar
 Drawing on their wealth and power, they formed the first Triumvirate
(Tri-um-vu-rut)
 Triumvirate – is a political alliance of three people.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 The members of the Triumvirate each had military command in a
remote area of the Republic.
 Pompey was in Spain…
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Crassus was in Syria…
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Caesar was in Gaul (Modern Day France)
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 While in Gaul, Caesar battled foreign tribes and invaded Britain…he became
the hero to Rome’s lower classes.
 Senators and others back home in Rome feared that Caesar was becoming
too popular and might seize power like Sulla had done.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 After Crassus was killed in battle in 53 B.C.E., the Senate decided that
Pompey should return to Italy and rule alone…breaking up the Triumvirate.
 A few years later the Senate made a very wild request, they ordered Caesar
to give up his military and return to Italy.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Caesar faced a difficult choice, he could obey the senate and perhaps face
prison or death at the hands of his rivals, or he could march on Rome with
his army and risk a civil war!!!
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Caesar decided to hold on to his loyal 25,000 soldiers.
 He marched into Italy by crossing the Rubicon, a small river at the southern
boundary of his command area.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 By doing this, Caesar knew that he was starting a civil war and that there was no
turning back.
 The phrase “Crossing the Rubicon” is used today to mean making a decision that you
cannot take back…(Column of Julius Caesar, where he addressed his army to march on
Rome and start the Civil War, Rimini, Italy)
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Pompey tried to stop Caesar, but Caesar was just the better general.
 He drove Pompey’s forces from Italy, pushing them all the way to
Greece, where Caesar completely destroyed the entire army.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Pompey had moved the Roman Senate to Greece, assuring them that he
could protect them against a Caesar attack.
 However, The Battle of Pharsalus took place on August 9, 48 B.C.E. and
was the decisive engagement of Caesar's Civil War…commanding only 23,000
soldiers against Pompey’s 52,000 soldiers.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 The Battle of Pharsalus only cost Caesar between 200 and 1,200
casualties while Pompey suffered between 10,000 and 15,000.
 Additionally Caesar reported capturing 24,000 of Pompey’s men
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 With his army destroyed, Pompey fled to Egypt seeking aid from King
Ptolemy XIII.
 Shortly after arriving at Alexandria, he was murdered by the Egyptians...
pursuing his enemy to Egypt, Caesar was horrified when Ptolemy
presented him with Pompey's severed head.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Questions:
 1) Who was Julius Caesar?
 2) What is a Triumvirate?
 3) Where was Caesar and his army stationed?
 4) What small river did Caesar cross to start his civil war?
 5) What country did Caesar push Pompey to and fight the final battle of the
Civil War?
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
 Questions:
 1) Who was Julius Caesar?
 Successful military general who was not rich.
 2) What is a Triumvirate?
 A political alliance of three people.
 3) Where was Caesar and his army stationed?
 Gaul, modern day France.
 4) What small river did Caesar cross to start his civil war?
 Rubicon.
 5) What country did Caesar push Pompey to and fight the final battle of the
Civil War?
 Greece
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 In 44 B.C.E. Caesar had himself declared dictator of Rome for life…where
do you think this is going???
 This broke with the Roman tradition that allowed dictators to hold power
for only short periods of time.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 To strengthen his hold on power, Caesar filled the Senate with all new
members, who where all loyal to him.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 As the same time, Caesar knew that reforms were needed.
 He granted citizenship to people living in Roman territories outside of the
Italian peninsula.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 He also started new colonies to provide land for the landless and created work for
Rome’s jobless people.
 He ordered landowners using slave labor to hire more free workers and to free their
slaves…these measures made Caesar very popular with Rome’s poor.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Caesar also created a new calendar with 12 months, 365 days and a leap year.
 The Julian Calendar, as it was called, was used throughout Europe until 1582 C.E.,
when the Gregorian Calendar was created.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 The Gregorian Calendar was modified slightly and is based around the
birth of Christ.
 This calendar has been used in the United States since the beginning
and is used by most countries in the world today.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Caesar found that many Romans supported him, however, there was a
group that opposed him.
 His supporters believed he was a strong leader who brought peace and
order to Rome, something that was missing before.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 His enemies, however, feared that Caesar wanted to be king.
 These opponents, led by senators Brutus and Cassius, plotted to kill him.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Caesar ignored a famous warning about his death that states, “Beware
of the Ides of March”… The Ides of March is the name of the 15th day
of March in the Roman calendar.
 On that date in 44 B.C.E., Caesar’s enemies surrounded him and stabbed
him to death.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Basically a group of senators led by Brutus and Cassius laid in wait on the
Ides of March as Caesar approached the Senate they stabbed him to
death…23 stab wounds were found on the body.
 The crazy thing is that Brutus was Caesar’s friend, Caesar had actually
pardoned Brutus for crimes against Rome when he was younger…Caesars last
words were, “even you, my son” (referring to Brutus).
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Questions:
 6) What tradition did Caesar break when he declared himself dictator for
life?
 7) What was the Gregorian Calendar?
 8) What were the “Ides of March”?
 9) Who led the murder of Julius Caesar?
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Questions:
 6) What tradition did Caesar break when he declared himself dictator for
life?
 Dictators could hold power for only short periods of time.
 7) What was the Gregorian Calendar?
 Calendar based around the birth of Christ.
 8) What were the “Ides of March”?
 March 15th and the day that Caesar was murdered.
 9) Who led the murder of Julius Caesar?
 His friend Brutus and Cassius.
Caesar’s Rise to Power
 Reading Response: Answer the following questions in a well written
paragraph…
 Do you think that the murder of Julius Caesar was justified?
 Should the Senate have handled it differently?
 What do you think is going to happen to Rome without Caesar in control?