Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC.

Caesar was well-connected through his relatives and received some important government assignments in his youth.

At age 20, he was honored for bravery in battle.

Several years later, he left Rome to study at Rhodes but was captured by pirates while en route. His family paid a ransom and he was released. He then recruited private troops, captured the pirates and had them executed.

Caesar held a series of lesser political offices before becoming a Roman consul in 59 BC. He then made an alliance now known as the First Triumvirate with two powerful military leaders, Pompey and Crassius. The First Triumvirate was very important in Rome’s history.

His army fought many wars alone including a battle for territory in Germany that lasted nine years. In 46 BC, after winning many battles, he fought Pompey’s sons and defeated them in Spain with the most difficult battle ever fought in history at that time.

Following the murder of Crassius in 54 BC, Pompey had an army in the southern part of the Italian peninsula, including Rome. Caesar was in charge of a much smaller army in the north. Caesar crossed the river that divided their regions and started a civil war.

Pompey was defeated, which left Caesar in charge of Rome’s entire military and signaled the end of the Roman Republic.

Caesar was appointed emperor for a year in 49 BC, for two years in 48 BC, for ten years in 46 BC and against all Roman tradition was declared emperor for life in 44 BC.