Julius Caesar, Life of Essay Example For Students

Julius Caesar, Life of Essay 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 Romes 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 th e leaders of the populares, his uncle Mariusand Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinnasdaughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our byMarius enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the lattersreturn 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 thre at 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 ofSullas legislation. During Pompeys absence from 67 to 62 BC duringhis campaigns against the Mediterranean pirates, Mithridates, andCrassus, his jealous rival. Caesar married Ponpeia after Corneliasdeath 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 intoCaesars 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. Caesarspurpose 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 Pompeys veterans was passed in January of 59BC at a disorderly public assembly which Caesars 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. Christmas time EssayCaesar was considered to be a dictator for life. According to thetraditional Republican constitution this office was only to be held forsix months during a dire emergency. Caesar also obtained honors toincrease his prestige. He wore the robe, crown, and scepter of atriumphant general and used the title imperator. He was also in commandof the armies. Caesar used his dictatorship and used it to increase hispower. With all of his powers he was pretty much the king of Rome. Mark Antony was his major supporter and he helped convince the others toallow Caesar to have these abilities, but it led to some problems. A group of conspirators had been formed against Caesar because theyfelt that he had too much power and that if he became the king of Romehe would become corrupt and use his powers to create a bad society. Thesenate resented his actual position that was shown in the sixty memberconspiracy which Marcus Brutus had organized to kill him. On the Idesof March , two days before he was due to leave Rome on his great easternexpedition, he was stabbed to death at a meeting of the senate inPompeys new theater. He fell dead at the foot of Pompeys statue. Pompey was avenged, as well as Bibulus and Cato. After a provocativefuneral oration by Mark Antony, Caesars body was burned by the mob inthe forum. When at the games in his honor the following July a cometappeared and it was regarded as evidence of his godhead and he wasformally consecrated and divus Julius, or divine Julius. Octavius,whose name became Caesar Octavianus after his adoption by Caesars will,solved, by his creation of the Roman prin cipate, the constitutionalproblem that Caesar failed to solve. Caesar had started as a consul and had formed the first triumviratewith Crassus and Pompey. They had taken over the Roman civilization andhad controlled for a while. When Crassus was killed and agreement wasmade. Pompey and Caesar were supposed to give up their military andenter the city of Rome to find a real ruler. Pompey was in on the dealand he was supposed to take over. Caesar knew that if he entered thecity of Rome without his troops he would be killed by Pompey and so hecrossed the Rubicon with his troops and attacked Rome. He took over asa dictator for life and gained a lot of power. He was able to run astrong military and even though he was considered only a dictator hewrote laws that actually made him have the same powers as a king. Theconspirators saw the problem that had arised and so they planned themurder of Caesar on the Ides of March. Caesar was killed and there wasanother triumvirate formed. Caesar was a strong military leader thathad showed strength and courage to t ake over the town and he was able toform a civilization that was strong militarily and politically.