Ulixes Roberson September 24, 2011 Latin 1 Biography of Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July

12 or 13 (no one can say which for certain) in the year 100 BC. His family was a part of the original Roman aristocracy, called Patricians. Caesar's family was not particularly rich, nor did they hold any noteworthy political power (the title of Patrician met little in this aspect). His family was said to have been started by Aeneas himself. In 86 BC, Caesar became Flamen Dialis with the aid of his uncle, Gaius Marius.This was a position of archaic priesthood, and granted Julius no political power. To be a Flamen Dialis means to be a priest of Jupiter. In the year 84 BC, Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna. They were married for only two years, until Lucius Cornelius Sulla ordered that he divorce Cornelia. Caesar refused, and with the help of his family, was founded not guilty. Caesar next traveled East, to Asia and Cilicia, for military service. He became an honored and respected soldier, and earned several rewards, including a laurel wreath, Korona Vita, as an award for his valour. He finally returned to Rome in 78 BC, when Sulla had died. Next Julius became a Prosecuting Advocate, starting his political career. He went to Rhodes, so he could study Rhetoric. On his journey to Rhodes, he was captured by a group of pirates. He convinced his captors to ransom him back to Rome, and after forty days, the ransom was paid. He went back to Rome, built a fleet, and begun a war against the pirates. Caesar won, and had all the pirates crucified. Julius proceeded to get elected Quastor, in 69 BC. His wife died not long after, so he married Pompea, a relative of Pompey. The marriage helped him to become a closer ally to Pompey. Caesar continued to climb in rank until 62 BC, the same year that he divorced Pompea, due to a scandal. In 62 BC, Caesar became the governor of Farther Spain. He spent a year governing Spain, during which he led a military campaign in Gaul. During that campaign, he acquired enough revenues to pay all of his soldiers, pay off his debts, and keep a great deal of money for himself. Caesar used his new wealth to ally himself with Pompey and Crassus. Pompey married Julius's only daughter, Julia. During this time, Caesar

became a Consul of Rome. During that same year (59 BC), he became governor of Roman Gaul. While Caesar was governing Roman Gaul, he decided to lead a military campaign against Gallic Gaul. His motivation for this act was to gain as much money as he could. First he took Germany, because the Germans were also at war with Gaul, and he wanted no competition. Next, he cut a swath through modern-day Northeastern France, and went into Britain. He swiftly conquered Britain, and returned to Roman Gaul. The remarkably short and brutal campaign took only seven years. Over the course of the war, Caesars men developed an almost religious respect and loyalty to Julius, and regarded him as a military genius. In 49 BC, Pompey was elected Soul Console. Caesar was ordered to lay down all command. Caesar refused, and made a decision that would change Roman history. He led his men across the river Rubicon, into Italy, initiating the Roman Civil War. In three months, Caesar had forced Pompey to flea Rome to escape his armies. Caesar pursued Pompey all the way into Egypt, where he was caught and killed. Caesar decided to stay the winter in Egypt, where he dallied with Cleopatra. Caesar returned to Rome for eleven days, where he was elected Consul. From here he aimed to conquer the entire world. In 47 BC, he traveled to Africa, where he conquered the kingdom known as Piemont. When describing this conquest, Caesar uttered the immortal words Vini Vidi Vici, meaning I came, I saw, I conquered. In 46 BC, he revisited Spain to defeat a resistance. A year later, in 45 BC, he returned to Rome to organize his territory. In 44 BC, after having been elected Consul five times and Dictator three times, Caesar was elected Dictator for Life. In 42 BC, Caesar was declared to be a god. He would be known as Divus Iulius. Caesars two closest friends were Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus. With his help, they both gained positions of great political power. The power Caesar had given them would eventually, however, lead to his death. In the year 44 BC, a plot emerged to murder Caesar. On the Ides of March, a group of 60 senators, led by (ironically) Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, attacked Caesar in the senate house with knives. Caesar was stabbed 23 to 27 times in the chest. As he died, he spoke the famous last words Et tu, Brutus?, meaning and you, Brutus?. The reason that they had wanted Caesar dead was that they could not stand the knowledge that all of there success was because of him, and they did not want this to become public knowledge.