Gaius julius caesar rome3/10/2023 ![]() ![]() On March 15, 44BCE, a mob of sixty senators stabbed the dictator to death in the Roman Forum. Many Senators became enraged because Caesar broke with Roman tradition and behaved as if he were a king. The Senate had appointed dictators in the past, but only in great emergencies and for a period of no more than six months.Ĭaesar ignored the Senate and ruled without their consent. A dictator is a ruler with complete control. In 44BCE, Caesar arranged to be named dictator for life. Caesar’s calendar is closely related to the calendar we use today. Caesar added a month to the calendar and named it July for himself. ![]() Caesar instituted the Julian calendar of 365¼ days. When Caesar came to power, the calendar was out of alignment with the seasons. While in power, Caesar settled 80,000 of his soldiers in colonies, built buildings and monuments throughout the city, and reformed the calendar. The Senate elected, then re-elected Caesar consul, breaking the Roman tradition that a consul serve only one year. Caesar spent a year with Cleopatra, and then returned to Rome as a conquering hero.Ĭaesar puts Cleopatra on the Throne of Egypt Caesar then met and fell in love with Cleopatra, the older sister of Ptolemy XIII. Hoping to gain favor with Rome, Ptolemy presented Caesar with Pompey’s decapitated head. When Caesar arrived in Egypt, he met Ptolemy XIII, the ten-year-old ruler of the ancient land. For the next several months, Caesar and his army pursued Pompey throughout the Mediterranean until Pompey led his army to Egypt. The remaining senators named Caesar dictator. Pompey announced that “Rome cannot be defended,” and retreated south with his army. Today when people say they are “crossing the Rubicon,” they refer to a very significant decision that cannot be undone.Īs Caesar’s army approached Rome, many frightened senators fled the city. Caesar knew that if he obeyed the Senate and disbanded his army, his career would be over but if he marched his troops across the river, the Senate would order Pompey and his army to retaliate. When Caesar reached the river, he knew he faced an important decision. Caesar’s orders clearly told him not to bring his troops across the Rubicon River. Caesar once again feared arrest, so he ignored the order and marched his army back to Rome. In 49BCE, the Senate ordered Caesar to disband his personal army and to return to Rome as a private citizen. For the next nine years, Caesar led his troops across western Europe, killing or enslaving millions and conquering lands that added to the Roman Republic. ![]() Upon taking office in Gaul, Caesar used his personal fortune to raise a private army. Gaul was a territory northwest of the Italian peninsula. Knowing the Senate would have him jailed as soon as he left the consulship, Caesar arranged to be appointed as governor of a Roman province in Gaul. Under Roman law, an official could not be arrested while he was in power. Neither Crassus nor Pompey were consuls, but the three generals were so popular with the Roman people that they were able to ignore the wishes of the Senate. ![]() A triumvirate is a partnership of three equal rulers. Historians often refer to this alliance as the First Triumvirate. The Senate tried to block Caesar’s decisions, so he formed a partnership with his former enemies, Crassus and Pompey. ![]()
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