6. Gaius Julius Caesar: (100 - 44 B.C. back to Rome page
A. Early Life:
- born into
a highly noble family with a tradition of political
service in Rome, but without much family
money
- he grew
up in a poor section of Rome because his family's wealth had been spent before
he was born. Most of
his friends were
plebs.
- a very
capable student in school
- after a
period spent in the army, he decided to go into politics
- he became
known around Rome as an immoral young fellow, noted for his many scandalous love
affairs.
B. His Early Political Career:
Roman
public offices (government positions) were mostly elective and of only one
year's duration. To gain experience in government, Caesar got himself elected to
a series of different public positions. In truth, he got into these jobs by
buying votes and bribery (a common thing in Rome at the time). To finance his
expensive election campaigns, he borrowed huge sums, frequently from a very
wealthy man named Crassus. He later paid this money back with what he could
graft from his jobs. In his elections, most of
his support came from the plebeians, who liked him even though he was a
patrician.
His Positions
68 B.C. -
military governor in Spain (he made a fortune here)
65 B.C. -
Commissioner of Public Works on Rome (he even spent some of his own money
to beautify
public buildings)
64 B.C. -
Head of courts trying murder cases
63
B.C. - Chief priest of Rome
(his lack of morals didn't matter)
62 B.C. -
Chief justice
61 B.C. -
Military governor in Spain
60 B.C. -
formed the FIRST TRIUMVIRATE (a group of three men whose purpose it was
to control
Rome
59 B.C. - CONSUL (At the age
of 41, he had reached the top. This was Rome's highest public office, but
he could keep it for only one year.
Thus
Caesar started out and worked his way to the top by being "crooked".
He bribed his way into office and then used his public positions to make
himself rich and able to pay off his debts.
So far he had showed little indication that he would ever become a hard
working and responsible leader of Rome.
Having
reached the top of the political ladder at age 41, it looked as if Caesar had
nowhere to go but down, because in Rome one could not hold the same office for
two years in a row.
C. His Military Career: The Conquest of Gaul
To
increase his popularity and thus his power, a politician in a democracy has to
do some things that people like. Caesar
understood that the Romans admired more than anyone else a successful military
conqueror. To increase his
popularity and prestige, he had himself appointed as military governor in Gaul. Here he spent nine years.
The Gauls and other northern tribes (Germans, etc.) were among Rome's
toughest enemies. Whoever could
subdue them would be sure of a hero’s place in the hearts of the Roman people.
Through fine leadership,
Caesar managed to subdue the
whole area and turn Gaul into a peaceful Roman province. The result was much
added wealth for Rome, both from trade and from taxation.
Caesar made sure that the Roman people would not forget that he had given
them all this (he had friends in Rome that kept reminding them). In 55 B.C., he
crossed the English Channel with an army and conquered most of Britain, thus
adding "Britannia,, as another Roman province.
Caesar kept a careful daily record of his military campaigns in his diary
and later published his records as a history of his wars in a work which he
titled the Commentaries on the Gallic and Civil Wars, known today to historians
as Caesar's Commentaries. Thus he
became an historian in addition to being a politician and general.
D. Civil War: Caesar vs.
Pompey
While
Caesar was in Gaul making a reputation for himself, his former ally Pompey was
in the east [1]®doing the
same thing. Pompey returned to Rome
first and used his new prestige and the threat of his army to force the Senate
to vote him the power to control Rome. He had the backing of the patrician
class, the nobles.
Pompey
apparently saw Caesar (with his large army in Gaul and his popularity among the
plebs at home) as a threat. He had
the Senate order Caesar to relinquish his command, leave his legions (his army)
in Gaul and return to Rome alone. Caesar
was reasonably sure that if he obeyed this order and went home unprotected,
Pompey would have him killed.
On
Jan. 10, 49 B.C., Caesar led troops across the Rubicon River into Italy, thereby
disobeying the Senate's (Pompey's) orders and plunging Italy into a bitter civil
war: Caesar and the plebs vs. Pompey and the nobles (to oversimplify somewhat).
There’s
been much debate about Caesar's actions in starting this war. Some have thought
that he was acting out of selfish motives, to gain power and glory for himself;
others have felt that Pompey and the other people in power were so bad for Rome
that he had to step in for the good of the state, even if it did cost the lives
of many good Romans.
By 46
B.C., Caesar and his forces had won a bloody war that reached into many parts of
the Mediterranean world. Pompey was killed.
E. Caesar's Rule of Rome:
When
Caesar returned to Rome, a frightened Senate voted him the title of DICTATOR For
TEN YEARS (later they changed this to DICTATOR FOR LIFE) and they also voted him
many other titles so as to increase his power to that of an absolute ruler. At
this point the Roman Republic was dead. Rome
had voted to follow a ‘strongman’.
Caesar
came into power in a state that had many problems. As ruler he soon showed
unexpected ability and dedication to the affairs of Rome.
He made or planned a large number of reforms that helped Rome back onto
the road towards strength and growth.
Caesar ruled Rome for only 18 months between 46 and 44 B.C. On March 15 the “Ides of March” in 44 B.C., he was murdered by a group of 21 senators, political enemies, who had plotted his death, each of whom stabbed the leader with a dagger. The two leaders of the conspiracy were MARCUS BRUTUS and, CAIUS CASSIUS.
CAESAR'S REFORMS WILL BE DEALT WITH IN CLASS.