Iulius Caesar: First Invasion of Britain By Wolf Jones

First, when the pirates demanded a ransom of twenty talents, Caesar burst out laughing. They did not know, he said, who it was that they had captured, and he volunteered to pay fifty. “Life of Julius Caesar”, Plutarch of Chaeronea.

Biographical Information Born July 13, 100 BCE. Died March 15, 44 BCE. From gens Iulia, who posited their descent from Venus through Iulus son of Aeneas. 75 BCE captured by pirates. 69 BCE elected Quaestor. 63 BCE elected Pontifex Maximus. 58-50 BCE Gallic Wars. 55/54 BCE first & second invasion of Britain. Assassinated in 44 BCE. 55 BCE is the first invasion. Military prowess, excellent orator in his youth, all-around BAMF.

First Invasion of Britain Reasons Cultural link with Galls = threat Britons aided Gallic rebellions Slaves and booty, namely silver Extended imperium (i.e. collapse of Republican system in 50s BCE). Greater military glory = reputation in Rome

Problems of First Campaign At first: Cavalry split from the infantry by winds Forced to fight at the beachhead without cavalry Ships not suitable for shallow landing Secondly: Storm damaged cavalry and already docked ships.

Second Campaign Larger scale Learned from 1st Campaign’s mistakes A second storm destroyed some ships Still met difficulties and minor attacks even after leaders submitted Accomplished establishing annual tributes from leaders in Southern Britain.

Reception A supplicatio of 20 days was proclaimed by the Senate, the victory very well celebrated publicly. Cicero remarks slaves were the only remarkable booty.

Discussion Were Caesar’s campaigns into Britain successful? How did Caesar himself view the success of his campaigns? Be sure to take into account that DBG is not a personal diary, but rather a crafted propagandistic piece of literature.

Works Cited Livius2017. “Caesar and the Pirates.” Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.livius.org/sources/content/plutarch/plutarchs- caesar/caesar-and-the-pirates/. Mattingly, David. An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, 54 BC - Ad 409. London: Penguin Books, 2008. De Bello Gallico, Julius Caesar.