Ali Khan

Period 6

3/30/14

Topic: Julius Caesar

I.

Introduction A. Early Life B. Personal Experiences C. Thesis

II.

Body A. Rise to military might B. Dictatorship C. Assassination

III.

Conclusion A. Aftermath of Assassination B. Legacy C. Bibliography

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Period 6

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Gaius Julius Caesar was born 12 July 100 BCE. His father, also Gaius Julius Caesar, was a Praetor who governed the province of Asia and his mother, Aurelia Cotta, was of noble birth. Both held to the Populare ideology of Rome which favored democratization of government and more rights for the lower class as opposed to the Optimate factions claim of the superiority of the nobility and traditional Roman values which favored the upper classes. It should be understood that the Optimate and the Populare were not political parties in conflict with each other but, rather, political ideologies which many people shifted toward and from, regardless of class in society. The concept of appealing to the people for support, rather than seeking approval from the Roman Senate or the other Patricians, would work well for Caesar later in life.

When Caesar was sixteen he joined the army. He proved himself an effective soldier, even being awarded the civic crown for saving a life in battle, and was promoted to the staff of the military legate to Bithynia to secure a fleet of ships. In this, as in his time as a soldier, Caesar was successful and, when Sulla died, he decided to return to Rome and become an orator. In this, too, he proved a success and became well known as an eloquent speaker. In 75 BCE, while sailing to Greece, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. In keeping with the high opinion he had of himself, it is said that when the pirates told him he would be ransomed for twenty talents, Caesar claimed he was worth at least fifty. While he was held captive by them, Caesar was treated well and consistently maintained a friendly relationship with the pirates. Caesar is said to have repeatedly told the pirates that, upon his release, he would hunt them down and have them crucified for the affront to his family and personal dignity

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and this threat the pirates understood as a joke. Upon his release, however, Caesar made good on that threat. He had the pirates throats slit before crucifixion, however, in a show of leniency owing to their easy treatment of him in captivity. This determination of Caesars, to do exactly what he said he would do, became one of his defining characteristics throughout his life. An analysis of Julius Caesars life shows the bravery, courage and valor he showed in his political achievements and military adventures.

Caesars rise to military might was due to his political savvy. He was appointed governor of Farther Spain. This was a lucrative position, because it offered him the chance to plunder the local inhabitants at will. He returned to Rome in 60 BC and, the following year, was elected consul, the highest office in the republic. Now holding real power, Caesar allied himself with two key people, Pompey and Crassus. Pompey was a war hero who had been badly treated by the Senate, while Crassus was a multimillionaire. The two men were rivals but Caesar was able to bridge the gap between them and the three men formed the powerful first triumvirate. On his return to Rome, where he was now tribune of the people and dictator, he had four great triumphs and pardoned all his enemies. He set about reforming the living conditions of the people by passing agrarian laws and by improving housing accommodations. He also drew up the elaborate plans (which Augustus later used) for consolidating the empire and establishing it securely. In the winter of 46 B.C.45 B.C. he was in Spain putting down the last of the senatorial party under Gaeus Pompeius, the son of Pompey. He returned to Rome in Sept., 45 B.C., and was elected to his fifth consulship

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in 44 B.C. In the same year he became dictator for life and set about planning a campaign against Parthia, the only real menace to Rome's borders.

His dictatorial powers had, however, aroused great resentment, and he was bitterly criticized by his enemies, who accused him of all manner of vices. When a conspiracy was formed against him, however, it was made up of his friends and protgs, among them Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and Marcus Brutus. On the Ides of March (March 15), 44 B.C., he was stabbed to death in the senate house. It is said that his last words were Et tu, Brute? which translates to And you, Brutus? His will left everything to his 18year-old grandnephew Octavian. The assassins, however, made the mistake of neglecting to plan what they would do following Caesars death and, in so doing, mistakenly allowed Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony), Caesars cousin and right-hand man, to live. Mark Antony turned the tide of Roman popular opinion against the conspirators and, allied with Octavian, defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE.

Mark Antony later allied himself with Cleopatra VIII of Egypt following the victory and, Octavian thought, presented a substantial threat to Rome. In time, the former allies went to war and met in final battle. Cleopatras and Antonys forces were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE and they killed themselves a year later. After Octavian consolidated his power as the first emperor of Rome, he had Caesar deified and, as his adopted heir, proclaimed himself a son of god and took the name

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Augustus Caesar, Emperor. In doing so, he initiated the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. Although his own rule was unremarkable, his victory in the civil war replaced a republic, ruled by the consuls and the Senate, with an empire, reigned over by emperors and their hereditary successors. It was the start of a brand new age for Rome.

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Bibliography

Wikipedia, . N.p.. Web. 30 Mar 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar PBS, . N.p.. Web. 30 Mar 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/julius_caesar.html>. Caesar, Julius. Gallic Wars. Dover Thrift Editions . Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition, 2006. 224. Print. N.p.. Web. 30 Mar 2014. <http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/caesar-julius-rise-topower.html>.