Following Sulla's final victory, though, Caesar's connections to the old regime made him a target for the new one. Marius and his ally Lucius Cornelius Cinna were in control of the city when Caesar was nominated to be the new high priest of Jupiter, and he was married to Cinna's daughter Cornelia. Both sides carried out bloody purges of their political opponents whenever they were in the ascendancy. His coming of age coincided with a civil war between his uncle Gaius Marius and his rival Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In 85 BC, Caesar's father died suddenly, so Caesar was the head of the family at 16. Little is recorded of Caesar's childhood. His mother, Aurelia Cotta, came from an influential family. Caesar's father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, governed the province of Asia, and his sister Julia, Caesar's aunt, married Gaius Marius, one of the most prominent figures in the Republic.
Caesar issued coins featuring images of elephants, suggesting that he favored this interpretation of his name.ĭespite their ancient pedigree, the Julii Caesares were not especially politically influential, although they had enjoyed some revival of their political fortunes in the early 1st century BC. The Historia Augusta suggests three alternative explanations: that the first Caesar had a thick head of hair (Latin caesaries) that he had bright grey eyes (Latin oculis caesiis) or that he killed an elephant ( caesai in Moorish) in battle.
The cognomen "Caesar" originated, according to Pliny the Elder, with an ancestor who was born by Caesarean section (from the Latin verb to cut, caedere, caes-). Įarly life and career Main article: Early life and career of Julius Caesar File:Marius Glyptothek Munich 319.jpgĬaesar was born into a patrician family, the gens Julia, which claimed descent from Iulus, son of the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas, supposedly the son of the goddess Venus. Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources. Much of Caesar's life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and from other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began. Caesar's adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in the civil war.
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A new series of civil wars broke out, and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. But the underlying political conflicts had not been resolved, and on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed " dictator in perpetuity", giving him additional authority. Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war put him in an unrivalled position of power and influence.Īfter assuming control of government, Caesar began a programme of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar.
Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with the 13th Legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both the Channel and the Rhine, when he built a bridge across the Rhine and crossed the Channel to invade Britain. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Their attempts to amass power as Populares were opposed by the Optimates within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Gaius Julius Caesar Template:Efn ( Classical Latin orthography: CAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR, Template:IPA-la 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC ), mostly known as Julius Caesar ( Classical Latin: IVLIVS CAESAR), was a Roman politician, general, and notable author of Latin prose.
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