Julius Caesar Life Of Essay Research Paper

Julius Caesar, Life Of Essay, Research Paper

Julius Caesar, Life of Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the courseof the history of the Greco – Roman world decisively and irreversibly.With his courage and strength he created a strong empire . Whathappened during his early political career. How did he become such astrong dictator of the Roman Empire. What events led up to the makingof the first triumvirate. How did he rise over the other two in thetriumvirate and why did he choose to take over. What happened duringhis reign as dictator of Rome. What events led up to the assassinationof Caesar. What happened after he was killed. Caesar was a major partof the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong warstrategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship waspivotal in Rome s transition from republic to empire. When he was youngCaesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the historyof the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Romanarmies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Mariusand Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna sdaughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our byMarius enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter sreturn from the East. On each occasion the massacre of politicalopponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. Theproscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary politicallegislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bittermemory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that hedivorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on thatcondition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed hereturned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacherMolon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while intheir custody awaiting the arrival of the ransom money which theydemanded, threatened them with crucifixion , a threat which he fulfilledimmediately after his release. He then returned to Rome to engage in anormal political career, starting with the quaetorship which he servedin 69-68 BC in the province of Further Spain. In the Roman political world of the sixties the dominance of theoptimates was challenged by Pompey and Crassus. The optimates, led byQuintus Lutatius Catulus and Lucius Licinius Lucullus , were chiefly menwhose careers had been made by Sulla. Pompey and Crassus were consulsin 70 BC and had rescinded the most offensively reactionary measures ofSulla s legislation. During Pompey s absence from 67 to 62 BC duringhis campaigns against the Mediterranean pirates, Mithridates, andCrassus, his jealous rival. Caesar married Ponpeia after Cornelia sdeath and was appointed aedile in 65 BC As aedile , Caesar returned toMarius trophies to their former place of honor in the Capitol, thuslaying claim to leadership of the populares. When Caesar was a praetor, he supported a tribune who wanted Pompeyrecalled to restore order in Rome. As a result, Caesar was suspendedfrom office for a period and antagonized Catulus. Before leaving Rometo govern Further Spain for a year, Caesar divorced his wife Pompeiabecause of the allegation that she had been implicated in the offense ofPublius Clodius. The latter was then awaiting trial for breaking intoCaesar s house the previous December disguised as a woman at thefestival of the Bona Dea, which no man is allowed to attend. After his return from a successful year administrating Spain Caesar waselected consul for 59 BC through political alliance with Pompey andCrassus . This alliance was called the first triumvirate. Caesar spurpose was to gain a big military command. Pompey for his part soughtthe ratification of his Eastern settlement and land allotments for hisdischarged troops. Crassus sought a revision of the contract forcollecting taxes in the province of Asia. An agrarian bill authorizingthe purchase of land for Pompey s veterans was passed in January of 59BC at a disorderly public assembly which Caesar s fellow consulCalpurnius Bibulus, was thrown from the platform and his consularinsignia were broken. Bibulus tried to stop Caesar and his supportersfrom passing any further law but was only able to postpone the creationof the new laws by saying that the skies would not permit it becausethere was stormy weather and they were very superstitious. Caesardisregarded Bibulus behavior and the remainder of the legislativeprogram of the triumvirate was carried through. As a result of thisaction Caesar and his friends incurred bitter attacks. Their politicalopponents continued to claim that the whole of the legislation wasunconstitutional and invalid. Caesar had secured for five years the governorship of three provinces.The provinces were Cisalpine Gaul , Transalpine Gaul , and Illyricum .He left Rome and remained in Gaul until his invasion of Italy. Hecontinued north of the Alps each summer and he would leave his armythere in garrison each winter while he came south to conduct the civiladministration of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum and to keep in contactwith Rome. Caesar became determined to conquer and make a province of the whole ofGaul. After his defeat of the Belgic tribes in the north and thesubmission of the maritime tribes on the Atlantic seaboard, he believedthat the task had all but been accomplished. Caesar decided to make twosho