Gaius Julius Caesar The Man, The Myth, The Legend Beta Version

Beginnings… Born in July, 100 BC Patrician family (but not very influential) Son of Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia Cotta Father G. had served as a governor in Asia Mother Aurelia was well-regarded Had 2 older sisters, “Julia” (1 died young)

A Scary Time to Grow Up Caesar’s early years were during the tumultuous civil wars of Marius/Cinna and Sulla These men all wanted absolute power. (That’s a whole other lecture…)

A Scary Time to Grow Up His dad died suddenly around 85 BC He was elected as head priest of Jupiter in 84 BC Had to break off his engagement to a plebian girl because of the priesthood requirements. Married Cornelia, Lucius Cornelius Cinna’s daughter. His only child in marriage, Julia, is born

Bad News… Sulla came to power and proscribed his enemies---i.e., put their names on a “hit list” to be killed and their property confiscated Caesar was on his list, since Marius was his uncle by marriage AND he was married to Cinna’s daughter!

Bad News… Young Caesar refused to divorce Cornelia when ordered to. Sulla stripped him of his inheritance, priesthood, and Cornelia’s dowry Time to go into hiding!

Better News… BUT… Caesar’s mom’s family had a lot of Sulla supporters. Mom’s family, with help from the Vestal Virgins, persuaded Sulla to drop the manhunt. Sulla supposedly said, “I see many a Marius in Caesar.”

Army Days Caesar joined the army (ironically, a priest of Jupiter could not serve in the army, so he had to Sulla to thank for his military career…) Served very well, earned the Civic Crown (2nd highest award in the Roman army)

Back to Rome Came back to Rome in 78 BC when Sulla died Became an orator and won fame in the law courts Lived a modest life, since his inheritance had been stripped away.

Notable Dates Delivered funeral oration for his Aunt Julia (Marius’ widow) in 69 BC Wife Cornelia dies in 69 BC in childbirth Elected quaestor in 69 BC (served in Spain)

"When quaestor, he pronounced the customary orations from the rostra in praise of his aunt Julia and his wife Cornelia, who had both died, and in the eulogy of his aunt he spoke in the following terms of her paternal and maternal ancestry and that of his own father: The family of my aunt Julia is descended by her mother from the kings and on her father's side is akin to the immortal gods. For the Marcii Reges go back to Ancus Marcius, and the Iulii, the family of which ours is a branch, to Venus. Our stock therefore has at once the sanctity of kings, whose power is supreme among mortal men, and the claim to reverence which attaches to the gods, who hold sway over kings themselves."

More Dates 67 BC: Married Pompeia, granddaughter of Sulla (ironic!)---later divorced 63 BC: elected Pontifex Maximus (chief priest) and praetor 63 BC: During the “Catilinarian Conspiracy”, he was accused by Cicero of siding with Catiline to overthrow the Republic…but that’s another whole other lecture

Dates, Dates, Dates! 61 BC: Propraetor (governor) of Spain 60 BC: After military campaigns in Spain his troops call him “imperator”…honorific title that allowed a general to have a triumphal parade (he turned down the triumph to run for consul instead) 60 BC: Runs for the consulship of 59 BC and wins 59 BC: serves as consul with Marcus Bibulus

The Strange Year of 59 BC… The 2 consuls were expected to work together Caesar bullied Bibulus when Bibulus didn’t support a land-distribution law Bibulus spends most of the year out of public Instead of the “the consulship of Caesar and Bibulus” Romans called it “the consulship of Julius and Caesar” 

Three’s a Crowd In 59 BC, Caesar allied himself with the wealthy Crassus and the famous general Pompey to form the First Triumvirate He gave Pompey his daughter Julia as wife Crassus had already helped Caesar out of a huge debt problem years earlier

Also in 59 BC… 59 BC: Caesar married for the 3rd and last time, to Calpurnia She was 16 years old She never remarried after his death

On to Gaul Caesar manipulated laws and managed to be appointed governor of  Cisapline Gaul (northern Italy) and Illyricum (southeastern Europe), then later Transalpine Gaul (southern France) This gave him 4 legions at his command

The Gallic Wars 58 BC-50/49 BC: Campaigns in Gaul 1 million Gauls killed, 1 million enslaved 52 BC: uprising of Vercingetorix and the seige at Alesia

Britain Caesar invades Britain in 55 BC and again in 54 BC, but doesn’t gain a permanent stronghold there

Triumvirate Troubles Caesar’s daughter, Pompey’s wife, dies in childbirth in 54 BC Crassus killed in battle in 53 BC

Civil War…again 50 BC: Caesar is recalled to Rome by Pompey and the Senate. He’s supposed to lay down his military command before entering “Roman” territory. 49 BC: He crosses the Rubicon with his army and incites civil war Alea iacta est: “The die is cast.”

More Fighting Caesar and Pompey battle around the Mediterranean (another lecture in itself) 48 BC: Pompey defeated at Pharsalus in Greece Pompey runs to Egypt where he is murdered by the current (boy) Pharaoh Pharaoh gives Caesar Pompey’s head when Caesar arrives…

Dictator! Meanwhile back in Rome…while all this is happening… 48 BC: Caesar is appointed dictator Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) is appointed his magister equitum: master of the horse (lieutenant)

Love on the Nile Pharaoh and sister (Cleopatra) are also in a civil war Caesar sides with Cleopatra They celebrate victory with a famous tour down the Nile (Oh, and during the fighting the Great Library of Alexandria accidentally gets burned down. Oopsie!) 47 BC: It’s a boy! Caesarion is born

Let’s Speed Things Along… After some more military campaigns in Pontus and Spain, Caesar returned to Italy in 45 BC Pontus: Veni, Vidi, Vici He got a triumph He started a lot of reforms…

Caesar’s Reforms The Julian Calendar: Based on the Egyptian solar calendar of 365.25 days and 1 leap year every 4 years Lots of reforms to taxes, legal system, etc.

…the End In 45 BC he had filed a will and named his great-nephew Octavian as his heir Murdered in 44 BC after accepting the title “Dictator for Life” Assassination took place at a Senate meeting in the Theater of Pompey Assassins led by M. Junius Brutus…whose mother had been Caesar’s mistress years earlier (hmmmm….)