Julius Caesar Who was he?

Who is Julius Caesar? Julius Caesar was born in Rome on July 13, 100 B.C.E. His mother Aurelia and his father Julius came from a noble background When Caesar was 10 years old, his aunt married a very wealthy noble that increased their family’s social status His uncle started out in the army and gained notoriety and respect over time in politics He was elected to the consul in 108 B.C.E. Caesar learned about politics from his uncle

Caesar’s Rise to Power After studying in politics under his uncle, Caesar joined the Roman military guarding Rome’s territory He won many early battles that gave him a tough reputation Caesar moved up on the political ladder He took job after job within the military He was known as a great public speaker who wasn’t afraid to voice his opinions He was elected Consul in 59 B.C.E. with the help of his friend Pompey In return, he promised to help give Pompey political power

The First Triumvirate Triumvirate = three men Refers to a political coalition In Ancient Rome, the First Triumvirate was an alliance between three political powers Julius Caesar Marcus Licinius Crassus Pompey As Rome expanded, they were constantly at war The need for a dictator grew larger The traditional idea for a dictator vanished and many men in power became tyrannical Sulla served as dictator, Pompey helped him stifle civil war in Rome After Sulla’s death, Pompey needed Crassus and Caesar to make up where he lacked The three men aligned themselves with one another Two were enemies Two were only united by marriage in their family

Caesar vs. Pompey Caesar and Pompey, once friends, battled for power Pompey was backed by the senate Caesar was ordered to give up his conquest and return to Rome Caesar refused and civil war broke out Pompey and Caesar battled for the land and power of the Roman territory In 48 B.C.E. Caesar and his armies brought down Pompey’s army Pompey was forced to flee to Egypt The Egyptians murdered Pompey and presented Caesar with his head

Cleopatra Became the queen of Egypt in 51 B.C.E. at the age of 18 Co-ruled with her father for 4 years After his death she was forced to marry her younger brother Her father was a friend of Rome while he was Pharaoh Caesar had known Cleopatra when she was a young girl When Caesar became dictator she was brought to him wrapped in a rug, and seduced him Caesar helped her restore herself as sole ruler of Egypt She and Caesar became lovers and had a son, Caesarion He was Caesar’s only son She and her son lived in a palace that Caesar built for them until his assassination Because they were not married, Romans would not acknowledge him as Caesar’s son and heir to the throne

Caesar’s Accomplishments Julius Caesar led many military conquests He conquered Gaul Modern day France and Belgium He was known for saying “Veni, Vidi, Vici” “I came, I saw, I conquered” When he became dictator he focused on the rights of the plebeians Gave land to the poor for farming Use government money to pay for food for the plebeians Gave pay to the Roman army Perfected the Julian Calendar Created in 45 B.C.E. Based on astronomy

Assassination As Caesar continued to gain control throughout Rome, he became a threat The Senate was afraid he would make himself king He was murdered by a group of 40 Roman senators called Liberators They stabbed him to death in the Theatre of Pompey Took place on the Ides of March (March 15) 44 B.C.E. It is believed that his last words were… “Et tu, Brute?” Means “You too, Brutus?” Brutus was one of his closes friends and most trusted companions