100 B.C. to 44 B.C. How old was he when he died? Julius Caesar 100 B.C. to 44 B.C. How old was he when he died?

How he was a patrician (His family tree?) family who claimed they were from the kings of Alba Langa through them, Aeneas of Troy whose mother was the goddess Venus. Caesar's name Julius comes from Iulius, the family name. His father’s name was also Julius Caesar. Iulus is the name of Venus' son. ….so Julius Caesar thought he was part ?

Background of the Republic during his life At the time of his birth, Rome was still a republic The senators ruled, motivated by the greed of power in the hope of becoming either a consul, the two senior posts with the legal right to command an army conquer new territories gain a triumph knowing that your name would be remembered forever in statues and inscribed monuments, paid for by the spoils of the war

Caesar’s accomplishments Senate Leader Consul General Dictator

Julius Gains power many of the senate felt him a dangerous, ambitious man. He finally became consul in 59 BC.

As Consul pushed through a special law giving him a five-year command What is one of the duties and abilities of the consuls that allowed him to do this?

Gaul Campaign Caesar left Rome for Gaul for 9 years conquered most of what is now central Europe, opening up these lands to Mediterranean civilization Conquest was an act of aggression prompted by personal ambition (not unlike the conquests of Alexander the Great).

Achievements as general He conquered the whole of Gaul, today’s France Belgium part of Switzerland and Germany he also crossed the Channel, landing in Britain, today’s England.

whole point of these campaigns to get high public and political attention he wrote about all the campaigns and sent the books to Rome so people knew and remembered his name. 49 BC Return to Rome and civil war

Julius Caesar and Egypt (the condensed soap opera) Egypt grows enough grain to feed all Rome Cleopatra wants to rule Egypt: Joins forces. Caesar gets money and grain. Cleopatra becomes last Egyptian pharaoh. A son is born (note: Caesar is a married man to another powerful man’s daughter)

Cleopatra Cleopatra was a proud and greatly ambitious ruler. Cleopatra was not Egyptian. She was the daughter of a Macedonian-Greek, King Ptolemy XII. The Ptolemies had taken control of Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, who split his empire amongst his generals. Among many things, she was educated in Greek literature, art, and rhetoric. Cleopatra was also extremely gifted with languages. It is known she spoke Greek, Persian, Hebrew, and possibly more.

The soap opera continues Julius spends a year fighting in Asia Minor and political battles in Rome…victorius Sends for Cleopatra and son…sets them up in villa on Tiber River Cleopatra the survivor: short version of story

First made dictator in 45 BC His political aims: “tranquility for Italy, peace for the provinces, and security for the Empire.” A dictator is someone who rules with absolute power. His program for accomplishing these goals—both what he actually achieved and what he planned but did not have time to complete—was sound and farsighted

Achievements while dictator Reform of the Roman calendar that was basis to today’s calendar Free grain to the poor citizens (plebeian) Granted Roman citizenship to many people not born in Rome. Increased the number of people who could serve in the Senate to 900 (but his methods alienated many of the nobles)

Why he was murdered in 44 BC Patricians/senators hated him because he was stripping them of power Plebeians/military loved him Caesar governed autocratically He often simply announced his decisions to the Senate and had them entered on the record as senatorial decrees without debate or vote.

Why the Senate learned to hate him Caesar was also borrowing some of the customs of the ruler cults of the eastern Hellenistic monarchies; for example, he issued coins with his likeness Allowed his statues, especially in the provinces, to be adorned like the statues of the gods.

He was destroying their power base. They said he was destroying the traditions of republican government and they wanted to save the republic from dictatorship.

Stabbed to death 44 B.C.

The Roman Republic at Julius Caesar’s death

From 44 BC to 27 BC To be continued…… Civil War and Chaos From 44 BC to 27 BC To be continued……