Julius Caesar

Overview

Explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Julius Caesar, one of history’s most influential leaders. We will examine his rise to power, political reforms, and dramatic downfall that ended the Roman Republic. Join Active Minds as we bring ancient Rome to life and Caesar’s lasting impact on history, politics, and modern culture.

Key Lecture Points

  • Born in 100BCE in Rome, Julius Caesar lived a life that changed the course of Roman history and that of world as a whole.  At the time of his birth the Roman Republic, established four centuries earlier was in a state of upheaval.  Expansion of the regions that Rome controlled had brought greater wealth and power to Rome, but it had done so for an elite few increasingly at the expense of Roman citizenry who had been the bedrock the Republic.
  • Although Julius Caesar was born into the patrician class, his was not a particularly wealthy upbringing.  As a young man, Caesar was pulled into the emerging clash between conservatives and reformers in the Roman Senate, eventually leading to him leave Rome at the age of 22 to join the military where he would eventually emerge as a powerful leader.
  • In his lifetime, Caesar spent many years away from Rome, initiating, participating, and often winning wars in Asia Minor and Spain, Greece, and Egypt, where he met Cleopatra. His time in Gaul, during which he would conquer most of what is now southern Europe, opened up these lands to Mediterranean civilization—a decisive act in world history. These acts would expand the world’s knowledge of Rome and would add to Caesar’s popularity, as well as Rome’s wealth and power.
  • Caesar’s emerging power and popularity, along with that of another successful Roman general, Pompey, elicited growing suspicion and resentment from conservative voices in the Senate.  This lead Caesar and Pompey, along with Crassus to form the First Triumvirate in 60 BCE, during which as Roman Consul Caesar endeavored upon his conquest of Gaul.
  • The death of Crassus in 53BCE set the stage for conflict between Caesar and Pompey that culminated when Caesar’s forces defeated those of Pompey in 48 BCE, setting the stage for singular rule of Rome by Caesar, reaching its peak when he was named dictator for life in 44BCE.
  • In a last gasp to preserve the Roman Republic against the growing force of Caesar’s rule, Senators led by Brutus and Cassius assassinated Julius Caesar on the Ides of March 44 BCE, an act that led to two years of civil war in the Empire, concluded in 42 BCE when Caesar’s chosen heir, his grand-nephew Octavius in partnership with Marc Antony defeated the forces of those who had killed Julius Caesar.
  • Notwithstanding the way in which he centralized power to himself, Caesar is also remembered for the way in which he reformed Roman rule in ways that met the challenges of a growing and diversifying Roman empire. These included the extension of citizenship to provinces of Rome and the establishment of jobs and social welfare programs for those less well off than the patrician class.

Discussion Questions

  • In what ways is Caesar’s rise and fall similar to the rise and fall of other political figures throughout history and in the present?
  • Do you think it was possible for Caesar to prevent his own murder? If so, how?
  • What can be gleaned from the life of Caesar that is applicable to the present day in the US and elsewhere, such as China and Russia?

More to Explore

Books For Further Reading

  • Freeman, Philip. Julius Caesar. Simon and Schuster, 2008. 416 pages. In this biography, Freeman presents Caesar in all his dimensions and contradictions. With remarkable clarity and brevity, Freeman shows how Caesar dominated a newly powerful Rome and shaped its destiny. This book will captivate readers discovering Caesar and ancient Rome for the first time as well as those who have a deep interest in the classical world.
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus. Yale University Press, 2008. 538 pages. Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of the great Roman emperor’s life, Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor’s accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters during which he was high priest of an exotic cult, captive of pirates, seducer not only of Cleopatra but also of the wives of his two main political rivals, and rebel condemned by his own country.