Rise of Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar’s full name was Gaius Julius Caesar. He was a renowned Roman general as well as a statesman, the conqueror of Gaul (58–50 BCE), who won the civil war of 49 to 45 BCE. As a member of the First Triumvirate, he led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating Pompey in a civil war. Also, he governed the Roman Republic as a dictator from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC. 

Caesar is said to have changed the course of the entire history of the Greco-Roman world decisively as well as irreversibly. The Greco-Roman society has been extinct for so long that most of the names of its remarkable men mean little to the average, educated modern person. Likewise, Alexander’s name, Caesar’s name continues to be on people’s lips throughout the Christian and Islamic worlds. 

However, people who recognize nothing of Caesar as a historic persona are familiar with his family name as a title indicating to a ruler who's in some sense ideal or supreme -the meaning of Kaiser in German, tsar in the Slavonic languages, and qayṣar in the languages of the Islamic world.

Here, we will understand how the rise of Julius Caesar changed the direction of history and the interesting facts on his entire life from his role as a dictator, and how did Julius Caesar die?

Family and Background of Caesar

Caesar’s people, the Julii, were patricians - i.e., members of Rome’s original aristocracy, which had united in the 4th century BCE with some of the chief plebeian (commoner) families to make the Aristocracy that was the governing class in Rome since then. By Caesar’s time, the number of surviving patrician gentes was less; and in the gens Julia the Caesares appear to have been the only surviving family. 

Though some of the most powerful noble families were patrician, patrician blood was now no longer a political advantage; it was simply a handicap since a patrician was debarred from keeping the para-constitutional however, powerful office of tribune of the plebs. The Julii Caesares dates back their lineage to the goddess Venus, but the family was not snobbish or conservative-minded. It was additionally not wealthy or influential or even distinguished.

Dictatorship: Rise of Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar became a Roman general and politician who named himself dictator of the Roman Empire, a rule that lasted less than twelve months before he was famously assassinated through political opponents in 44 B.C.

Caesar was said to be born on 12th or 13th of July in 100 B.C. He was said to be born to a noble family. During his youth, the Roman Republic was in commotion. Seizing the opportunity, Caesar was superior in the political system and briefly became governor of Spain, a Roman province. 

Returning to Rome, he formed political alliances that helped him turn out to be governor of Gaul, an area that included what is now France and Belgium. His Roman troops won over Gallic tribes by exploiting tribal rivalries. Throughout his eight-year governorship, he accelerated his military power and, more importantly, acquired plunder from Gaul. When his rivals in Rome demanded he return as a private citizen, he used these riches to help his army and marched them throughout the Rubicon River, crossing from Gaul into Italy. This sparked a civil conflict between Caesar’s forces and forces of his leading rival for power, Pompey, from which Caesar emerged victoriously.

Coming back to Italy, Caesar merged his power and made himself dictator. Additionally, he wielded his power to enhance the senate, created needed government reforms, and reduced Rome’s debt. At the same time, he was also said to have sponsored the building of the Forum Iulium as well as rebuilt also city-states - Carthage & Corinth. He additionally granted citizenship to foreigners residing in the Roman Republic.

Ultimately, in 44 B.C., he declared himself dictator for life. His growing power and extraordinary ambition agitated many senators who feared Caesar aspired to be king. Only a month after Caesar’s declaration, a group of senators, amongst them Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar’s second choice as heir, and Gaius Cassius Longinus assassinated Caesar in worry of his absolute power.

The History of Julius Caesar From Dictatorship Till Death

Few Romans might have chosen young Julius Caesar (ca 100–44 B.C.) as the person most in all likelihood to prevail on a grand scale and dominate their world. But when he led his troops across the Rubicon River in defiance of the Roman Senate, he prominent himself for ages and set Rome on a direction of transformation from republic to empire.

Caesar framed the political prime time at an age of 40 by casting the First Triumvirate with Pompey the Great, noted general and statesman, and Marcus Licinius Crassus, one of Rome’s richest men. Caesar was said to be appointed consul in 59 B.C.

He knew he wanted an extraordinary military victory to win lasting glory past politics, so he set out to conquer the long-defiant Gauls—Celts who lived in contemporary France. The seven-year Gaul campaign of Caesar was said to have ended in 51 B.C. The Gaul chief Vercingetorix was paraded in chains via Rome before being ritually strangled. In all, Caesar’s campaign killed or enslaved more than a million Gauls, a crushing victory that deepened the growing contention with Pompey, who had taken Caesar’s region as consul.

In January 49 B.C., Julius Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon River into Italy, the boundary past which he couldn't legally command troops. The act was an announcement of civil war and a direct challenge to Pompey and his troops, who were enlisted to defend the interests of the Senate. Caesar drove Pompey out of Italy and overtook him to Greece. Though Pompey had assembled a military twice the size of Caesar’s, Caesarwon over him decisively at Pharsalus in 48 B.C.

Pompey fled to Egypt, however, he was betrayed and killed when he came ashore. As Caesar pursued Pompey loyalists in North Africa, he became politically and romantically entangled with queen Cleopatra and had a son with her named Caesarion.

Now, let us understand how did Julius Caesar die?

Return of Julius Caesar To Rome

Caesar returned, triumphant, to Rome in 46 B.C. As a ruler, he enacted numerous beneficial measures for Rome. He elevated the size of the Senate for broader participation and opened citizenship to more foreigners. He additionally was magnanimous to his opponents, consisting of Marcus Junius Brutus, a supporter of Pompey.

Caesar’s bold power grabs through political reform alienated many senators. When he proclaimed himself, dictator, for life in 45 B.C., he sealed his fate. Threatened by Caesar’s tyranny, a group of conspirators—led by Brutus—plotted in opposition to him. On the Ides of March (March 15), 44 B.C Caesar became assassinated, stabbed 23 times.

Some Unknown Facts on Julius Caesar

• He was the father of the leap year. 

• He was the first Roman to make his image on a coin.  You can see the image of a Julius Caesar on the coin

• He was the favorite of people and let them in his will.

• He ignited a violent civil war.

• 60 people were involved in Caesar’s assassination. He was stabbed 23 times in the back, however, literally, the one fatal blow that killed him was struck to his aorta.

• His death marked the termination of the Republic.

Julius Caesar Summary

Jealous conspirators persuaded Caesar's friend Brutus to help with their assassination plot in opposition to Caesar. To prevent Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators assassinated him on the Ides of March. 

After Caesar's demise, Mark Antony (Former Triumvir of the Second Triumvirate) drove the conspirators out of Rome and fought them in a battle. Brutus and his friend Cassius lose and kill themselves, leaving Antony to rule in Rome. This is how Mark Antony led the transformation of Rome.