Today’s Agenda!!

The Rise of Julius Caesar

Who Is Julius Caesar?? Julius Caesar’s full name was

Gaius Julius Caesar. ( He dropped the Gaius later in life.)

He was born on in the year 100 BC

He was born into a Patrician family that had lost most of their wealth.

He became the head of his family at 16 when his father died.

He was always very ambitious and wanted wealth and status.

His first wife, Cornelia, was from a wealthy and high ranking family.

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Caesar’s Love Life Caesar had three wives

(and many girlfriends on the side.) He married wealthy women from high status families, usually in an attempt to raise his own status and make important political connections. He was married first to Cornelia, then Pompeia, then Calpurnia. He only had one child, a daughter Julia, with his first wife. He married his daughter off to Pompey (when she was just a young girl of 14 or so) before they became great rivals. 3

What did Julius Caesar look like?

The Roman historian Seutonius describes Julius Caesar:

"He was tall, of a fair complexion, round limbed, rather full faced, with eyes black and piercing; he enjoyed excellent health except toward the close of his life when he was subject to sudden fainting fits and disturbances in his sleep. He was likewise twice seized with the 'falling sickness,' while engaged in active service.

And…

“He was extremely nice in the care of his person, and kept the hair of his head closely cut and had his face smoothly shaved. His baldness gave him much uneasiness, having often found himself on that score exposed to the jibes of his enemies. He used therefore to brush forward the hair from the crown of his head, and of all the honors conferred on him by the Senate and People, there was none which he either accepted or used with greater pleasure than the right of wearing constantly a laurel crown.”

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Vultus est index animi - The face is the index of the soul5

Caesar’s Education

Caesar received education in oration and rhetoric.

Oration is public speaking, and rhetoric is the art of using language to communicate effectively.

He became an excellent speaker, and was very persuasive with his words.

He was also an accomplished writer who wrote very eloquently about his own achievements. 6

After his first marriage, Caesar joined the Roman Legions (the Military) as the assistant to a Provincial Governor in Asia Minor.

Then in 75 BC he was kidnapped by pirates! Caesar was offended that they only asked 1000 pounds of silver for his ransom, and he told them to ask for more!

He told the kidnappers that he would hunt them down and crucify them as soon as he was freed.

After his ransom was paid and he was freed, he got a fleet of ships together and pursued, captured and crucified the pirates!

What can you infer about Caesar’s personality from this info?

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Timeline of Caesar’s Political life to

49BC 73-65 BCE: Caesar is involved in

Roman politics by serving as a priest and manager of public buildings, ceremonies and festivals.

63 BCE: He is appointed Pontifex Maximus (High Priest)

60/59 BCE: He becomes consul and allies himself with Pompey and Crassus, 2 very powerful men in Roman politics.

58 BCE: He is appointed Governor of the Province of Gaul (part of France today.)

He spent 9 years there, conquering more lands for the Roman Empire, and becoming very rich and powerful.

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His Military Success!!While he was governor of Further Gaul, he

directed great military victories but also personally killed or had killed a great many people who stood in his way.

He and his legions conquered many Barbarian tribes, and brought more lands under Roman control, including parts of France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and most of Switzerland.

He accomplished this by his strong military skill and ruthless behaviors. Even after villages surrendered, Caesar and his soldiers would plunder and kill, taking everything of value.

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Caesar…the risk taker…

Caesar knew that he was now very powerful and popular with the Roman people. He also knew that his enemies wanted him to lose that power. He wanted to take the chance to return to Rome and challenge his enemies.

There was an ancient Roman law stating that no military leader could enter the city of Rome with his army. (This was to prevent Generals from taking control of the city by force.)

However, Caesar was willing to risk breaking this law and being arrested or killed and starting a civil war in order to become the ultimate power in Rome.

He took the chance…

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Caesar the Dictator

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The Rubicon River was the border of Rome. Once Caesar crossed that river, he’d be breaking the law. It was a huge risk, but the temptation of unlimited power was too great.

After Crossing the Rubicon, Caesar marched into Rome and had a new Senate installed. This group of his supporters had him named dictator. He now had unlimited power. 16

Some Changes Caesar MadeCaesar established order

and began making plans and changes.

He drained marshy lands to create livable lands to give to some Romans.

He increased voting rights for the people in some provinces.

He changed the tax laws. He gave many Romans

new homes in the provinces.

He changed the calendar. He granted citizenship to

many people. He let more people

become senators.

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Caesar went East across the Mediterranean to follow Pompey and his army.

In Pharsalus, Greece, Caesar’s and Pompey’s armies engaged in a great battle. The Egyptians were helping Caesar. Pompey was killed, and his head was brought to Caesar.

Caesar: Power-hungry

Caesar had unlimited power, but still wanted more. He set out to conquer his former friend, now his greatest rival (and son in law) Pompey- another great and powerful Roman General.

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Veni, vidi, vici! - I came, I saw, I conquered!

47 BCE: Under Caesar, Rome’s control spread farther than ever before. Rome now controlled Italy, most of Europe, North Africa, Greece, Egypt and parts of Asia.

Caesar returned to his city victorious and more confident than ever of his grip on absolute power…

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Caesar: Powerful and Unpopular

Caesar continued to have unlimited power, and in February 44 BC, his supporters in the senate declared him “dictator perpetuo”, dictator for life.

Caesar was becoming as powerful as a king, and the Romans had disliked the idea of kings, ever since the overthrow of the Etruscans 500 years before.

Because of this, many other members of the Senate turned against him, and decided that the resolution to the problem was to assassinate Caesar. 22

Caesar Is Warned

Like the ancient Greeks, the Romans were polytheistic, and believed in omens from the gods about the future. Roman politicians and leaders used these religious omens to guide them in their daily business.

The historian Plutarch writes that Caesar’s priests saw bad fortune in the offerings that morning, and Caesar decided not to do any business of great importance that day.

Shakespeare added that Caesar’s wife had a bad dream of his death the night before and begged him not to go to the senate and that a fortune teller told Caesar to “Beware the Ides of March” on his way to the senate house.

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A fortune teller was called a soothsayer in Ancient Rome. The Ides was the Roman way of saying the 13th of the month.

Et tu, Brute? - And you, Brutus?

And when Brutus, Caesar’s friend, heard of the dreams and

omens, he convinced Caesar to ignore them and to come to the senate

as planned.

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5 Main Ideas on Julius Caesar: 1. Julius Caesar is born to a

patrician family. 2. The young Julius is captured by

pirates and kills them when he is freed.

3. After crossing the Rubicon, Caesar becomes dictator of Rome!

4. Married 3 times and had one daughter. Fell in love with Cleopatra

5. In 44 BCE Julius Caesar is assassinated on the Ides of March.

Julius Caesar Comic Strips!You will create a comic strip for

Julius Caesar’s lifeFold the paper like I show you

and create your comicIt needs to be colored!!

◦When finished, you will come up to pick up your early finisher…