Julius Caesar – Introductory Notes
- Gauis Julius Caesar: b. 102 B.C.E.; d. 44 B.C.E. on 15 March (the “Ides of March”)
- In Virgil’s Aeneid Aeneas founds a community which would later become Rome after his return from the Trojan War. The twins Romulus and Remus are sons of Mars, the Roman god of War, and are the mythical founders of Rome itself in 753 B.C.E. (the former ends up killing the latter).
- Rome was a monarchy under the Tarquin kings (who were Etruscans) until 509 B.C.E.when Lucius Junius Brutus expelled Tarquinius Superbus (“Tarquin the Arrogant”).
- Rome then became a “Republic” which, while commoners did have political voice, was effectively run by wealthy and powerful noble families (“patricians”) versus the common people (“plebeians”). The wealthy were the only ones who could afford not to work and dedicate their lives to public affairs including holding important political offices and sitting in the Senate.
- Leadership of Rome during the Republic was by election and power shared equally by two patrician “Consuls” who held their position for one year only. By 366 B.C.E. plebeians could run for Consulship. Many, many other political offices also existed, but the Consuls were the two most important.
- The Roman republic had very effective checks and balances to prevent any one individual from gaining too much power. Every single decision, right up to those of a Consul, could be vetoed by someone else.
- In very rare circumstances a “Dictator” could be appointed, upon the approval of the Senate and then nominated by a Consul, to act with highly special powers in times of emergency (especially when Rome or, later, Italy was threatened militarily). This individual had ultimate power, did not need approval for his decisions by the Senate, could not be vetoed by anyone, and could not later be prosecuted for his actions. This very special position lasted for only six months (later extended to a year under Caesar).
- In 60 B.C.E. an unofficial “triumvirate” (three-man rule) of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey was formed to govern the expanding Roman empire and senators effectively fell into one of the three camps.
- In 58 B.C.E. Julius Caesar was made governor of the part of Gaul (modern day France) that was within Roman power, and over the next decade proceeded to conquer all of it. He was an incredibly successful military figure and had the unquestionable support of the troops under his command, who began to act for him rather than the Roman Republic.
- After the death of Crassus, there was an open rivalry between Pompey and Caesar. Pompey convinced the Senate to order Caesar to disband his army. In 49 B.C.E. Caesar, in direct defiance of the Senate, crossed the Rubicon (the river separating Gaul from Italy) at the head of his army and effectively threatened the city of Rome itself, an almost unheard of act since generals were forbidden to have armies within Rome.
- Caesar effectively became absolute ruler of Rome as Pompey fled with his army and was shortly afterwards defeated by Caesar’s forces.
- Recognising his power (and extreme popularity amongst the people) the Senate in 46 B.C.E. first makes Caesar dictator for one year. This is then shortly followed by a decision to make him dictator for the next successive nine appointments (effectively ten years in total).
- In 44 B.C.E. the Senate elects to make Caesar “Dictator for Life” (dictator perpetuus), effectively marking a type of end to the Roman Republic (though it didn’t officially end until Octavian was named Caesar Augustus in 27 B.C.E.).