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Julius Caesar In Ancient Rome, Research Paper Example

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Introduction

Julius Caesar was probably one of the influential leaders that governed the Roman Empire in the ancient time. The Roman ruler, Gaius Julius Caesar, was born in the month of July in 100 BC. Importantly, under the ruler’s reign, the Roman Empire was able to escalate in strength and acquire more land. Even though he declared himself a ‘dictator for life’, Caesar stabilized the Roman Republic at great length[1]. Indeed, Rome, the Italian city, can attribute its success, as powerful among the ancient cities, to the prestigious Roman leader. Besides, Caesar was also famous among various scholars due to the common phrase; ‘veni, vidi vici’ (I came, I saw, I conquered) which he coined[2]. However, after Caesar’s assassination, the Roman Empire began to collapse as a result of rampant chaos in the Republic. Thus, the paper, using significant primary and secondary sources, examines Caesar’s contribution to ancient Roman Empire advancement. Specifically, it analyses the rise, ruler-ship and fall of the Roman ruler at the ancient era.

Julius Caesar in Ancient Rome

Julius Caesar, born in the patrician aristocratic social class, quickly gained rulership over a short period. After the demise of Sulla, the Roman general, in 78 B.C., Caesar began to rise in political power through elections. Later on, Caesar under the guidance of Aurelia went to Apollonius Molon, a famous Greek teacher, to learn various leadership skills[3]. Apollonius, who lived in Rhodes Island, taught Caesar critical skills such as oratory, political acumen, sincerity, hard work and patience. Subsequently, he later returned to Rome in 73 BC and started his political journey through involving himself in the populare party[4]. The populare favoured the commoners (plebian) as opposed to the Optimate, which favoured nobility. Notably, when he was able to defend some Asian minor towns’ invasion, from Mithridates of Pontus, was his political prowess first witnessed[5]. Later, in 69 BC, Caesar was later appointed to quaestorship position where he served in Farther Spain. Consequently, after Caesar returning from Hispania, Crassus financed him to vie for aedileship position. The position entailed managing sports and games. Cesar, the aedile, was able to organize spectacular contests that increased his fame and populace. In 63 BC, Caesar was elected to the highest priestly office, pontifex maximus [6]. Afterwards, In 61 BC he was chosen as a praetor that propelled him to vie later for the consulship position.

Caesar’s career ultimately progressed as he sought for consul appointment through election means. Specifically, after attaining victories over Helvetii, Britain and Germans, he was made Gaul’s governor as a reward. Conversely, after the celebration of his triumph, the Senate started alienating him thus refusing to support him in the bid for the consulship. Thus, he turned to ‘Pompey the Great’ for assistance. Also, Pompey, who was a brilliant military general, sought the Senate to reward his veteran following a success campaign against Mithridates forces[7]. Likewise, the Senate refused the requests and instead alienated Pompey. Subsequently, Crassus, the financier of Caesar, having observed the unethical conduct of the Senate, forged alliance with Pompey and Caesar. The alliance of the three culminated to a Triumvirate, an unofficial political coalition outfit. Essentially, the three incredible attributes of the triumvirate; Caesar’s popularity, Pompey’s soldiers and Crassus’s monetary power, enabled the coalition to dominate and control roman politics. According to the triumvirate consul agreement Crassus occupied the eastern part while Pompey occupied the southern part as Caesar occupied the western part. Additionally, Consul Caesar even married Pompey’s daughter, Julia, to further cement their ties[8].

As the Roman Republic desire to conquer, more lands escalated, some of the Triumvirate partners decided to move from Rome. Crassus decided to conquer the lands of Parthia as Pompey decided to stay back in Rome. While, Caesar decided to expedite Gaul, which consisted of Germany, France, Switzerland, part of British Isles and Netherlands[9]. Evidently, according to the commentaries that Caesar wrote regarding Gaul expedition, the conquest was executed in phases. Caesar faced a lot of resistance in the occupation of Gaul, which made him take over eight years to conquer the whole region. The resistance to the invasion of Gaul involved several wars known as Gallic wars that took a long time between 58-51 BC[10]. Specifically, a large part of the local rebellion occurred in Germany and England. In Germany, Caesar was initially German bandits obstructed its occupation that later led to the German army joining them. Despite the rebellion of the German people, the Roman army was able to drive both the bandits and soldiers onto the opposite side of river Rhine. In England, Prince Cassivellaunus torture of Roman inhabitants in 54 BC persuaded Caesar to invade the area. Although the army of England’s Prince proved brutal and harsh, the Roman army was able to use ships to cross the British Channel. On reaching River Thames’ bank, the Roman army pursued England’s army and defeated it bringing fame and victory to Caesar[11].

As Caesar was conquering other territories, various political events were taking place in Rome that were threatening the triumvirate’s survival. Specifically, Pompey and Crassus engaged in several quarrels that initiated riots amongst opposing supporters permitting the Senate to attack Caesar. Consequently, Caesar later organized a secret meeting involving the triumvirate partners. This meeting of the first triumvirate, arranged in the city of Luca, province of Cisalpine, was intended to consolidate the triumvirate and determine the future direction of the Roman Republic[12]. Essentially, under the new agreement, Pompey was given Spain’s provinces that he governed while in Italy while Crassus acquired Syria to govern for five-year term period. Also, both were promised to be elevated to the status of consuls by the year 55 BC. Initially, the triumvirate seemed strong but after the demise of Caesar’s daughter, Julia, who was Pompey’s wife, the tie broke[13]. Eventually, in 53 BC, after Crassus lost, in the Battle of Carrhae, while invading Parthian empire and later demised, the triumvirate ended.

After the separation, a lot of Roman senators started siding with Pompey. Due to their preference of Pompey over Caesar, the senate bestowed sole consulship that gave Pompey extraordinary powers for Rome’s protection. Meanwhile, Caesar saw his constitutional serving term was ending, so he intended to seek a second consulship election to evade becoming a private citizen. Pompey built several alliances within various senatorial factions that threatened Caesar’s governance. Through senate’s recommendation, Pompey directed Caesar to send back some battalion to Rome. Caesar rejected the directive and further advised Pompey to dismiss the command to avoid conflict. Instead, in 49 BC, Caesar opted to cross river Rubicon that separated Italy from his province[14]. As a result of the crossing event, a civil war broke out causing a confrontation between Caesar’s army and Pompey’s forces at Italy’s east coast. Afterwards, Caesar then led his forces to pursue Pompeian forces in Spain and Greece. Eventually, Caesar became victorious over Pompey in the battle of Pharsalus forcing Pompey to flee to Egypt[15]. Caesar killed some of Pompey senators leaving others. Amongst the ones left were Brutus and Cassius, who later assassinated Caesar. Cesar gained the people’s confidence, after the battle making, him the dictator.

Later on, Caesar pursued Pompey to Egypt only to find that the Egyptian had defeated and eliminated him. Meanwhile, political chaos ensued at that time in Egypt, so Caesar decided to intervene. He championed the wishes of Cleopatra and put her on the throne to reign together with Ptolemy XIII[16]. Since she wanted solely to be the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra made Caesar turn against Ptolemy. Certainly, Caesar’s reinforcement pursued and defeated Ptolemy. Additionally, the charms of Cleopatra enchanted Caesar to romance with her resulting in the birth of Caesarian, Cleopatra’s son. Later in 47 BC Caesar left Egypt for Asia Minor where there was a revolt. He defeated Pharnaces, Mithridates son, the revolt leader in the battle of Zela. Consequently, Caesar became joyful after the achievement sending back the message ‘…vini, vidi, vici…’ to Rome[17].

Afterwards, Caesar returned to Rome where he constituted various reforms for Italy and Rome. Specifically, he legislated laws to regulate traffic, made colonies for his veterans and reformed the taxation system making roman citizenship glad. Furthermore, he designed the Julian calendar under the advice of a Greek mathematician, Sosignes, based on an Egyptian model[18]. The Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar, became accepted worldwide at that time. He appointed 40 of his supporters to the position of quaestor and praetor. However, in 44 BC when Cleopatra visited Rome, some of the senators became unhappy as they felt that Caesar would declare his illegitimate child with Cleopatra as queen[19]. Additionally, erection of Caesar’s image amongst roman kings further angered some of the senators. Later on June that year, 23 conspirators surrounded him, then, two of his conspirators Brutus and Casca brutally stabbed him to the senate floor[20]. After his assassination, the senate lost powers to protect the roman democratic republic. It led to the change from republic to a monarch as Rome installed Caesar’s nephew Octavian the first emperor of Rome.

Conclusion

Julius Caesar made several significant advancement in the Ancient Rome. The training he received from Molon and being a patrician enable him to rise quickly through the political ranks through the Populare party. He rose from quaestorship to aedileship then later to consulship position. Additionally, the Senate made him governor of Gaul following victories over Britain, Helvetii and Germans. Later on, to dominate the Roman political arena, he forged an alliance with Pompey and Crassus to form the Triumvirate. While Pompey remained in Rome and Crassus moved to Parthia, Caesar engaged in the Gallic wars in a mission to occupy Gaul. Unfortunately, the triumvirate faced various challenges that made Caesar intervene to salvage the partnership. However, the triumvirate was dissolved following the demise of Crassus. Subsequently, divisions occurred between Caesar and Pompey leading to civil war. Meanwhile, Caesar made Cleopatra Egypt’s queen when he visited Egypt in pursuit of Pompey. Eventually, Caesar was assassinated in the senate hall by his conspirators. It marked the transformation of the Roman Republic to Roman Empire as Octavian became the emperor.

Bibliography

Primary sources

Appian. The Civil Wars, Loeb Classical Library, 1913.http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/2*.html

Plutarch. The Parallel Lives: The Life of Julius Caesar, Loeb Classical Library, Vol.7, 1919. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Caesar*.html

Secondary sources

Fuller, John Frederick Charles. Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1965.

Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus. Yale University Press, 2006.

[1] J. F. C. Fuller, Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1965), 123.

[2] Quoted in Plutarch, The Parallel Lives: The Life of Julius Caesar (Loeb Classical Library, Vol.7, 1919), 467.

[3] J. F. C. Fuller, Julius Caesar, 126.

[4] Ibid., 148.

[5] Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, 443.

[6] J. F. C. Fuller, Julius Caesar, 172-176.

[7] Ibid., 178.

[8] Appian, The Civil Wars (Loeb Classical Library, 1913), 301.

[9] Ibid., 324.