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Julius Caesar (Click to select text)
Julius Caesar’s legacy and attributes are just as robust today as they were in his time. From the time he took power to the time of his death he accomplished more than many other men would have done in a lifetime. He brought the Roman Empire to its height and from his death on, the Empire did nothing but fall. He was one of the world’s greatest leaders and probably the best. At the age of 15 Caesar became head of his family when his father died in 85bc. His family wanted him to pursue a religious career as the priest of Jupiter but Caesar had other plans. He wanted to dive head long into a political career. He took maters into his own hands when in 84bc he married Cornelia the daughter of one of Rome’s stronger leaders at the time, Cornelius Cinna (Schlesinger 30). Cinna took power in 82bc when Rome’s leader at the time Gaius Marius died. Marius was married to Caesar’s Aunt Julia. Marius was killed in battle with one of his great enemies Sulla. Soon after this battle Sulla died also, but he still had many allies. Marius had let Caesar help him while he was leader by doing small jobs. Caesar gained much experience while helping out Marius. When Caesar was 25 he set sail for the island of Rhodes. But, on the way a band of pirates captured the ship and kidnapped him. While his family was raising ransom money he was a very difficult guest for the pirates. He strolled boldly around their ship and pointed out weaknesses in their sword fighting technique and told them he would kill them all after he was released. They were entertained by this young man but did not believe the threat (Green 19). His family finally paid his ransom. Soon after it was paid, Caesar learned that the government was not going to take action and pursue the pirates. Caesar took matters into his own hands. He organized a fleet of ships, captured the pirates and crucified their whole gang. The news of this spread quickly, and Caesar was both admired and criticized for acting so quickly. By age 30, Caesar was making Sulla’s allies very worried. But 30 was not too young for a roman so full of ambition. In 69bc, Caesar was serving as governor in farther Spain, administering Roman laws to Spanish tribes and subduing those who resisted. He went to go see the statue of Alexander the Great in the city of Cadiz. Alexander was a leader who had conquered much of the world by the age of 30. Caesar remembering that wept out in envy and longed to go back to Rome where he could make his mark (Green 18). Caesar admired and studied the two most successful Romans of his day, Pompey and Crassus. He followed their ways in shaping his own career. The two men were very different. Pompey rose to power through military victories, while Crassus was a great politician and the richest man in Rome (Green 19). By 67bc Caesar was back in Rome. His wife, Cornelia, had died two years before. He now had a new wife, her name was Pompeia. She came from a rich family and Caesar used her money to enter politics. Also, he became a friend of Pompey. Pompey had quit the politics that he was involved in and decided to lead a fleet into the Mediterranean against pirates that had been terrorizing Roman fleets. Pompey took the fleet out while Caesar stayed behind and became good friends with Crassus. Crassus liked Caesar and wanted to teach him all he knew about politics. Caesar was eager to learn. Crassus thought Caesar would be the perfect student. In 65bc, because of Crassus’s help, Caesar was elected curule aedile--- which is the caretaker of Rome’s buildings, streets and public sanitation. This job was also used to entertain the Romans. He was in charge of the public events such as the Gladiator events and anything else similar to that. Many of these took place in the coliseum. Caesar had the best games that Rome had ever seen. He was becoming a celebrity in Rome. Two years later Caesar had bribed the right people to become the high priest of Rome. This was a position of great political importance. He had a special house in Rome’s forum and he could grant great favors to his friends and creditors. In fact, on the day of his election he told his mother that she should not expect him home if he lost because his creditors would expect him to pay in blood (Suetonius 123). While he was the high priest he did many things to help his own self. He paid for others to believe in him and he gave much money to the things he thought would help him in the long run. Caesar even paid the bail of some men who he thought could help him. In 62bc, Caesar was elected State Judge. This was a great honor for Caesar. He was chosen with 7 other men out of many to be a State Judge. Each judge was guaranteed a governorship after they served as the judge. For Caesar this was the opportunity of his life where he could finally acquire enough money and power to escape from under Crassus shadow. Caesar was now a High Priest, a Judge and a member of the senate (Schlesinger 53). Caesar was now chosen to go to farther Spain to govern a Roman province. He took this opportunity to collect much needed money from silver mines and conquered tribes. Some of the tribes rebelled. The Romans, under Caesar's command, beat them back with their feared short swords and iron tipped javelins (Green 24). Pompey was finished defeating the pirates and also the modern day Turks. He was not rewarded for his victories because he had many enemies in the senate. Caesar sensed that the moment was right for bringing Pompey and Crassus together. They formed the group of three, and they had much power in Rome. Pompey and Crassus backed Caesar for consulship in 59bc, and Caesar won. He now held the highest office in Rome. He overpowered the other consul and married again. His wife Pompeia had died previously. He then had certain laws passed that would benefit Pompey and Crassus. When his consulship ended Caesar set out to recruit an army that would keep Gaul in order and battle anyone opposed to that. Caesar made his way into Gaul. After crossing the Alps, Caesar received news that Helvetti were fleeing into Gaul (Helvetti were a Germanic tribe). Caesar took quick action towards the outnumbering Helvetti and he forced them to leave. Caesar then turned to fight the Germans. His men were frightened at the stories they heard of the Germans; Caesar reassured them that under his command they would not fall to the Germans. The news of these battles soon reached Rome and Caesar was now as powerful, if not more powerful than Pompey was, because of his power, Caesar was given governship of Rome. Some more Germans came into Gaul to arrange peace with Caesar. Caesar was so powerful now that he captured them and went after their people. He meant this to be a warning to the Germanic tribes. He slaughtered many German towns. Caesar suffered his first military loss when his small army went into Britain to try and take it over. The armies there were too big even for Caesar's brains. He was forced to retreat. But in the spring he came back with more troops and he forced the British tribal leaders to surrender. Meanwhile the situation in Gaul became alarming (May 35). When Caesar went back to Gaul, he discovered the Gallic tribes had revolted and slaughtered many roman troops and taken others hostage. Romans did not usually wage war in the winter, but Caesar made an exception. At first he had crushed and Gallic tribes, But a young chief named Vercingetorix believed the Romans could be stopped. He organized a huge army of tribes and undid all that Caesar had done. Caesar finally laid siege to the Gallic army. Caesar personally led the army in the attack. After a month of heavy fighting and bloodshed the vast army of Vercingetorix had vanished like a ghost. Gaul had now come securely under the belt of Rome. Caesar was off to make his way to Rome. Crassus had lost a battle to a Parthenon king. The king had taken Crassus’s head and poured molten lava in it. Without Crassus the friendship between Caesar and Pompey fell apart. Each man wanted to be the greatest leader in Rome. They both gave up their governship’s in other parts to come back to Rome (Microsoft Encarta 5). In 50bc, the two men drew up their armies. Pompey was encamped in Italy and Caesar was in Gaul. Caesar crossed into Rome the next year. Remembering the slaughtering that Caesar had done in Gaul the Roman citizens panicked. Caesar laid siege in Spain against Pompey’s army and defeated them without much trouble. Caesar tried to spare as many opponents as he could because these men were his countrymen. Pompey decided to strike back. After 9 months both armies were desperately short of supplies and Pompey’s generals urged him to attack. Caesar was well outnumbered but his strategy spared many men from Pompey’s Calvary charge. Now Caesar sent his troops in. His word were “spare your fellow countrymen” but his men slaughtered 15,000 of Pompey’s men. Pompey’s legions surrendered and Caesar was elected Dictator (green 40-45). Pompey fled to Egypt where he once donated much money and help. He believed that here he could raise the army and money he needed to defeat Caesar. Caesar landed on Egyptian shores shortly after. He was only there for a few hours and the Egyptians presented him with Pompey’s head. Egypt, although in great gratitude to Pompey, was an anarchy. The 10-year-old king, Ptolemy XIII, of Egypt was the one who had Pompey beheaded, He hoped to gain Caesar's support. Caesar has said to have wept at the site of Pompey’s head. Cleopatra the 20yr old sister of Ptolemy wanted to challenge her brother and take his throne. She decided to appeal to Caesar for help. Caesar fell in love with her at first sight. He chose her side and all the people of Alexandria revolted. Caesar sent troops in to fight and he won. Ptolemy was killed in this battle. Caesar placed Cleopatra on the throne and took a cruise down the Nile to celebrate. After months in Egypt, Caesar left because he had many other provinces to conquer. He went off and conquered all of Pompey’s lands in Africa. After he was leaving, he said the famous words “veni, vidi, vici (I came I saw I conquered)” (Suetonius 279-281). Caesar wanted to kill Pompey’s sons too. They had raised an army in North Africa with the help of one of Caesar's great enemies Cato. Caesar invaded the rebels camps at the end of 47bc, and by April of 46bc he overpowered them. Now he returned to Rome and celebrated four triumphs, A triumph was a special celebration a Roman General was given. No General was ever given four (Green 50). Meanwhile, Pompey’s sons went to Spain and developed a powerful army. The threat became so serious that Caesar led his own army into Spain in November of 46bc. He defeated the brothers in March of 45bc. Some say Caesar admired Pompey’s sons because they tried to avenge him… and he almost didn’t want to kill them because of that (Spalling 2-3). Caesar celebrated another triumph. This one offended many Romans because triumphs were for victories in foreign lands, that it was not proper to celebrate the deaths of fellow Romans. Cleopatra arrived in Rome to celebrate with Caesar. This also offended many Romans, because she brought her son Casarion, whom she clamed to be the son of Caesar. Bad rumors of plots and conspiracies against him were whispered throughout Rome. Caesar was voted dictator for life in 45bc. This meant that the Roman Republic was completely dead and that angered some people even more (May 34-40). As Dictator Caesar used his powers for the good. He built much-needed public baths, he increased the grain rations to the poor, he adjusted the Roman calendar (naming July after himself), the old calendar did not match the seasons and made it hard to schedule things. Despite these reforms, many Romans did not like being ruled by one man. Some, who were worried, like Brutus, were Caesar's friends, but they decided that only by killing him they could save the republic. In March 44bc, “the Ides of March” were among Caesar. A gypsy even told him to “beware the Ides of March.” Brutus and the others were very worried now and that is why they plunged their daggers into Caesar's body in 44bc, at a meeting of the senate. Octavius, his adopted son and Marc Antony, his lieutenant and friend avenged Caesar. They killed the murderers in 42bc. Caesar supposedly once said: All men, including murderers themselves, deserve to be avenged if they are killed by a murder. They don’t deserve to visit the gods and not have vengeance on the ones who took their life. No man should have to suffer eternity with the feeling of being outsmarted and murdered. All men should live a happy afterlife. Caesar was only 56 when he died, it is amazing to think of all that he accomplished in his life. Also it is amazing to think of all that he could have accomplished if he had lived. His legacy lived on through Octavius, who named himself emperor of Rome and like all roman emperors that followed he took the name of Caesar. If he had stayed alive the Roman Empire could have conquered all of the Eastern Hemisphere. Rome defiantly benefited from him. Rome was the most powerful nation at the time and would have stayed that way for much longer if Julius Caesar had not been murdered. Works Cited Green, Robert. Julius Caesar. New York. Franklin watts publishing company, 1996 May, Robin. Julius Caesar and the Romans. East Sussex. Wayland publishing, 1984 Schlesinger, Arthur M. Caesar. Boston. Chelsea house publishers, 1987 Suetonius. The lives of the 12 Caesar's. Willamstown, MA. Corner house publishers, 1987 Blooming, Mike H. “Hero or Villain” 6 April, 1995
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