Gaius Julius Caesar (born July 12, 100 BC, death on March 15, 44 BC) - a great commander, politician, writer, dictator, high priest of Ancient Rome. He began his political activities as a supporter of the democratic group, held the posts of a military tribune in 73, aedil in 65, praetor in 62. Wishing to achieve a consulate, in 60 he entered into an alliance with Gnaeus Pompey and Crassus (1st triumvirate).
Consul in 59, then governor of Gaul; in 58-51 was able to subjugate the entire trans-Alpine Gaul to Rome. 49 years old - relying on the army, he began to fight for autocracy. Having defeated Pompey and his allies in 49-45. (Crassus died in 53), concentrated in his hands a number of important republican posts (dictator, consul, etc.) and in fact became a monarch.
With the conquest of Gaul, Caesar expanded the Roman Empire to the shores of the North Atlantic and was able to subjugate modern France to Roman influence, and also launched an invasion of the British Isles. Caesar's activities radically changed the cultural and political image of Western Europe, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of future generations of Europeans. Was killed in a Republican conspiracy.
Origin. early years
Guy Julius Caesar was born in Rome. As a child, he studied Greek, literature, rhetoric at home. He also went in for physical: swimming, horse riding. Among the teachers of the young Caesar was the famous great rhetorician Gnifon, who was also one of the teachers of Mark Tullius Cicero.
As a representative of the old patrician family of the Julians, Caesar began to engage in politics from a young age. In ancient Rome, politics was closely intertwined with family relations: Caesar's aunt, Julia, was the wife of Gaius Mary, who was the ruler of Rome at that time, and Caesar's first wife, Cornelia, is the daughter of Cinna, the successor of the same Maria.
The antiquity of the Caesar family itself is difficult to establish (the first known one dates back to the end of the 3rd century BC). The father of the future dictator, also Gaius Julius Caesar Sr. (proconsul of Asia), stopped in his career as a praetor. Guy's mother, Aurelius Cotta, was from a noble and wealthy Aurelian family. Paternal grandmother descended from the ancient Roman family of Marcians. Around 85 BC. e. Guy has lost his father.
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The young Caesar showed particular interest in the art of eloquence. In the year of his 16th birthday, Caesar donned a one-color toga, which symbolized his maturity.
Young Caesar began his career as a priest of the supreme god of Rome, Jupiter, and asked for the hand of Cornelia. The girl's consent made it possible for the aspiring politician to receive the necessary support in power, which will be one of the starting points that predetermined his great future.
But his political career was not destined to take off too quickly - power in Rome was seized by Sulla (82 BC). He ordered the future dictator to divorce his wife, but upon hearing a categorical refusal, he deprived him of the title of priest and all property. Only the patronizing position of his relatives, who were in Sulla's inner circle, saved his life.
And yet, this turn in fate did not break Guy, but only contributed to the formation of his personality. Having lost his priestly privileges in 81 BC, Caesar began a military career, went to the East, where he took part in his first military campaign under the command of Minucius (Mark) Therma, the purpose of which was to suppress the centers of resistance to power in the Roman province of Asia (Asia Minor, Pergamum). During the campaign, the first military glory came to Guy. 78 BC - during the storming of the city of Mytilene (Lesvos island) for saving the life of a Roman citizen, he was awarded the sign "oak wreath".
But Julius Caesar did not devote himself only to military affairs. He began to pursue a career as a politician, returning to Rome after the death of Sulla. Caesar began speaking at trials. The speech of the young orator was so captivating and temperamental that crowds of people gathered to listen to him. So Caesar joined the ranks of his supporters. His speeches were recorded, and phrases diverged into quotes. Guy was really passionate about public speaking and was improving all the time in this business. To develop his oratory skills, he went to the island of Rhodes to study the art of oratory with the famous rhetorician Apollonius Molon.
Gallic War.
However, on the way there he was taken prisoner by pirates, from where he was later bought by Asian ambassadors for 50 talents. Wanting revenge, Caesar equipped several ships and himself took the pirates prisoner, executing them with crucifixion. 73 BC e. - Caesar was included in the collegial governing body of the pontiffs, where his uncle Guy Aurelius Cotta used to rule.
69 BC e. - his wife, Cornelia, died during the birth of his second child, the baby also did not survive. At the same time, Caesar's aunt, Julia Maria, also died. Caesar soon became a Roman ordinary magistrate, which gave him the opportunity to enter the Senate. He was sent to Far Spain, where he was to take upon himself the solution of financial issues and the execution of the orders of the propraetor Antistius Vet. 67 BC e. - Gaius Julius married Pompey Sulla, Sulla's granddaughter.
Political career
65 BC e. - Caesar was elected to the magistrates of Rome. His responsibilities included expanding construction in the city, supporting trade and social events.
64 BC e. - Caesar becomes the head of the judicial commission for criminal trials, which made it possible for him to hold accountable and punish many of Sulla's supporters. 63 BC e. - died Quintus Metellus Pius, vacating the life-long seat of the Great Pontiff. Guy Julius decided to nominate himself for it. Caesar's opponents were the consul Quintus Catulus Capitolinus and the commander Publius Vatia Isauricus. After many bribery, Gaius Julius Caesar won the election by a large margin and moved to live on the Sacred Road in the state housing of the pontiff.
The surrender of the Gaulish leader Versirengetorix to Caesar (Hood. Lionel Royer).
Military career
In order to strengthen his own political position and existing power, Guy Julius entered into a secret conspiracy with Pompey and Crassus, thereby uniting two influential politicians with opposite views. As a result of the conspiracy, a powerful alliance of military leaders and politicians emerged, called the First Triumvirate.
The beginning of Gaius Julia's military career was his Gallic proconsulate, when large military forces entered his jurisdiction, which made it possible for him to begin his invasion of Transalpine Gaul in 58 BC. After victories over the Celts and Germans in 58-57 BC. Guy began to conquer the Gallic tribes. Already in 56 BC. e. vast territories between the Alps, Pyrenees and the Rhine came under Roman rule.
Gaius Julius rapidly developed success: crossing the Rhine, inflicted a number of defeats on the Germanic tribes. His next dizzying success was two campaigns in Britain and its complete submission to Rome.
53 BC e. - a fateful event for Rome happened: Crassus died in the Parthian campaign. After which the fate of the triumvirate was sealed. Pompey did not want to comply with the previous agreements with Caesar and began to pursue an independent policy. The Roman Republic was on the verge of collapse. The dispute between Caesar and Pompey for power began to take on the character of an armed confrontation.
Civil War
The capture of Gaul made Caesar, who was already an outstanding political figure, a popular hero in Rome - as his opponents believed, too popular and powerful. When his military command ended, he was ordered to return to Rome as a private individual - that is, without his troops. Caesar feared - and apparently rightly - that if he returned to Rome without an army, opponents might seize the opportunity and destroy him.
On the night of January 10-11, 49 BC. e. he throws an open challenge to the Roman Senate - he crossed with the army across the Rubicon River in northern Italy and marched his troops to Rome. This clearly illegal act caused a civil war between Caesar's legions and the forces of the Senate. It lasted for 4 years and ended with the complete victory of Caesar. The last battle took place near the city of Munda in Spain on March 7, 45 BC. e.
Dictatorship
Gaius Julius had already realized that the effective, enlightened despotism required by Rome can only be provided by himself. He returned to Rome in October 45 BC. e. and soon became a lifelong dictator. 44 BC e., February - he was offered the throne, but Caesar refused.
All the power of Gaius Julius Caesar relied on the army, therefore his election to all subsequent posts was a formality. During his reign, Caesar and his associates carried out many reforms. But it is rather difficult to determine which of them belong to the time of his reign. The most famous is the reform of the Roman calendar. Citizens had to switch to a solar calendar, which was developed by a scientist from Alexandria Sozingen. So, from 45 BC. the Julian calendar, known to all today, appeared.
Caesar's assassination
Caesar was killed on March 15, 44 BC. e., on the way to the Senate meeting. When friends once advised Caesar to beware of enemies and surround himself with guards, the dictator replied: "It's better to die once than constantly expect death." During the attack, the dictator had a stylus in his hands - a writing stick, and he somehow resisted - in particular, after the first blow, he pierced the hand of one of the conspirators with it. One of his killers was Marcus Junius Brutus, one of his close friends. Seeing him among the conspirators, Caesar cried out: "And you, my child?" and stopped resisting.
Most of the wounds inflicted on him were not deep, although many were inflicted: 23 stab wounds were counted on the body; the frightened conspirators themselves wounded each other, trying to reach out to Caesar. There are two different versions of his death: that he died from a fatal blow and that death came after a lot of blood loss.