Julius Caesar

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A powerful leader is needed to guide a country through tough times. Weak leaders are likely to crumble under the pressure. An example of a powerful leader was George Washington. After winning the Revolutionary War, he had total control over his army, who would obey his every command without question. He was so powerful he could have taken over the United States himself. Julius Caesar was another extremely powerful leader. Julius Caesar was a strong, persuasive political and military leader of ancient Rome who shaped Roman life and set the precedent for other Roman leaders who followed. An important primary source for understanding Julius Caesar is his speech “The Alternative of Exile.” It shows his fairness, pervasiveness, and power that led him to become such a powerful leader.
Julius Caesar was born in 100 BCE (McManus 1). Caesar’s parents were a part of the Roman upper class. They also claimed that they were descendents of the Trojan Hero Aeneas and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Caesar’s father and his uncle Sextus Julius Caesar had been important elected officials. His uncle Gaius Marius was a Roman war hero and politician. Marius created a different kind of army, he allowed volunteers from all classes to join. In the past, only certain classes were allowed to join the Roman army. Even so, the biggest effect that his uncle Marius had on his life was the concept of giving retiring war veterans land, thus making them more loyal to him than the state (Nardo 14). When Caesar was growing up there were two prominent political parties, the Populares and the Optimates. The Populares were the people would wanted the government to consist of elected officials, while the Optimates wanted aristocratic rule (“Julius Caesar” 3).
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...Municipalities.” 44 BCE. Salem History. Web. 19 Sept. 2013..
Cavendish, Richard. “Caesar’s First Landing in Britain: August 26th, 55 BCE.” History Today 55.8 (2005): P.45-P.47. eLibrary. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
“Julius Caesar.” Prehistoric Eras to 600 CE. New York City: Infobase Publishing, 2008. N. pag. Vol. 1 of The Encyclopedia of World History: The Ancient World. 7 vols. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. .
McManus, Barbara. “Julius Caesar: Historical Background.” VROMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. .
Nardo, Don, ed. Julius Caesar. San Diego: Grandhaven Press, 2002. Print.

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