6 – Gaius Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC)
Julius Caesar is arguably the ‘greatest’ Roman of them all and is certainly the most famous. He was born in Rome in 100 BC into the prominent Julian patrician family. He began his brilliant military career in 85 BC upon the death of his father and received the Civic Crown for service at a young age. Caesar fled from Rome during Sulla’s purges and contracted a fever that almost killed him. He only returned upon the death of the one-time dictator in 78 BC and quickly became popular with the public for staging elaborate gladiatorial games.
During his successful campaigns in Spain, he reportedly found a statue of Alexander the Great and wept because he realized the Macedonian had conquered half the world by the time he was Caesar’s age. His military record, popularity, and penchant for bribery enabled him to become a high priest; he was then elected consul in 59 BC. By forming the First Triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey in around 60 BC, Caesar positioned himself as one of Rome’s most powerful and influential men.
Caesar began his conquest of Gaul in 58 BC and remained as governor of the province until 51 BC. He kept a detailed account of his campaign; and while we must take his writings with a pinch of salt since he exaggerated some of his deeds, it does appear as if his campaign in Gaul was one of the finest by any Roman general. An example of his brilliance was the Siege of Alesia in 52 BC where he walled the walled city and then created another wall to prevent Gallic reinforcements from lifting the siege! In the meantime, he launched a couple of expeditions to Britain. Meanwhile, Crassus had died at Carrhae (53 BC) and in 50 BC, the Senate, backed by his jealous rival Pompey, ordered Caesar to disband his army and return home as his spell as governor had finished.
Caesar believed he would be prosecuted upon his return, so he crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BC and started a civil war. He beat Pompey in a decisive battle at Pharsalus in 48 BC and became dictator upon his return to Rome with Mark Antony as his second in command. Caesar chased Pompey to Egypt and received his enemy’s severed head. He reportedly had Pompey’s assassins executed. While in Egypt, Caesar became embroiled in another civil war and took the side of Cleopatra. After victory at the Battle of the Nile in 47 BC, he took the new Queen in a procession down the famous river. The duo never married although she probably bore him a son they called Caesarion.
In late 48 BC, Caesar once again became dictator and the following year; he easily defeated the king of Pontus. Back in Rome, his enemies plotted against them; they were led by Cato the Younger who committed suicide in 46 BC once Caesar had gained victory. Caesar was appointed dictator for ten years after this win but was not yet done with his foes. He chased Pompey’s sons to Africa and defeated them at the Battle of Munda in 45 BC.
During his later years, Caesar established a new constitution as a means of strengthening central government and retaining control of the provinces. One of his longer lasting changes was the reform of the calendar; the Julian calendar is almost identical to the one used today as he set the length of the year at 365.25 days and added an extra day every four years. Other changes included the establishment of a police force, land reforms and the rebuilding of Corinth and Carthage.
Caesar’s life came to a predictably brutal end as several senators plotted an assassination attempt on the Ides of March, March 15, 44 BC. Mark Antony learned of the plot but couldn’t reach Caesar in time. At the Senate, a group of men including Brutus and Casca stabbed Caesar to death. Up to 60 people were involved, and Caesar was stabbed 23 times; amazingly, only one of the wounds was lethal.