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Historical Julius Caesar leadership
Julius Caesar- his rise to power and his assassination
Julius caesar biography
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In the first century BC, Roman military commander Julius Caesar, engendered by his obsession with complete supremacy and glory, rose to prominence in the Roman political scene by manipulating those who surrounded him, ultimately reorientating the structure of Roman governance permanently. Born into Roman nobility, Caesar initially gained power by taking advantage of the Roman political climate with both his military and oratory skills. Gradually, by way of a series of calculative political moves, Caesar not only furthered his status but also ensured the longevity of his final position of dictator in Rome. However, his tenure as perpetual dictator was halted by his assassination in 44 BC, the result of several years of abusive control and rule. …show more content…
By 44BC, Caesar had been elected dictator for life, as opposed to the customary, emergency six-month term. Such hegemony was an affront to the staunch supporters of the antimonarchism the Roman Republic was founded upon. Grant (1997, p.221) supports this perspective, asserting that, “Caesar, for all his insight, did not trouble to discern that a perpetual dictator ruling by remote control was so frightful that he could not be endured.” From this, it may be concluded that Caesar’s uninterrupted dictatorship was severely damaging to his career, and ultimately a catalyst for his downfall. Therefore, whilst Caesar was attempting to cement his position in Roman politics permanently, he was simultaneously ensuring that the longevity of his career could not be “endured” by his contemporaries. As the period of absolute dictatorship drew nearer, “the plotting [against Caesar] intensified.” (Grant, 1997, p.221) Numismatic evidence suggests Caesar further perpetuated negative associations in regards to his autocratic rule. The obverse side of a Roman denarius depicts Caesar with the Latin phrase “PARENS PATRIAE” (“father of the nation”), implying that Caesar was indicating towards kingship, which was observed most contentiously by his peers. An artefact of Caesar’s regime, this is most representative of Caesar’s true ambitions. As the foundations of the Roman …show more content…
Prior to his death, Caesar achieved the initial subversions of Roman republicanism which would eventually beget imperialist Rome. In an attempt to improve the Roman unemployment rate, Caesar sought to expand Rome’s territory in order to provide the urban poor with opportunity. Appian (cited in White, 2010, para.15) comments that, “… made a memorandum in writing that Carthage should be colonized…he arranged to send [some of the poor] to Carthage.” This is indicative of Caesar’s contributions towards what Bradley identifies as the “Romanization of the Empire”. By attempting to colonise Carthage, Caesar was effectively undermining republican mores, which harboured severely xenophobic attitudes, abhorring association with foreign countries. In addition to colonisation, Caesar also implemented reform concerning Rome itself, a further attempt to repair the unemployment rate. Fife (2012, para.3) observes that, “The construction of new public buildings served as a method of reducing unemployment in the city, but…Caesar also wanted to enhance the city’s appearance.” Therefore, not only was Caesar motivated towards bettering the welfare of the poor, but also towards Rome’s stature as a city. Such reform was not only beneficial to Caesar’s personal public image, but also for Rome’s prestige as a city. Despite his contributions to Rome’s significance,
During the Republic, the people of Rome had a major disinclination towards any sort of Royalty, which is why when Caesar attempted to lead undemocratically indefinitely, he disrupted one of the core stances that romans shared communally. Caesar over indulged in power when he retitled himself as ‘dictator in perpetuo’. “And as Caesar was coming down from Alba into the city they ventured to hail him as king. But at this the people were confounded, and Caesar, disturbed in mind, said that his name was not King, but Caesar, and seeing that his words produced an universal silence, he passed on with no very cheerful or contented looks…..But the most open and deadly hatred towards him was produced by his passion for the royal power.” Caesars egotism and self-importance made him uncherished by members of the senate. “Everybody knew that Caesar's ego would never allow him to play second fiddle to another senator, and it was equally well-known that another famous military leader, Pompey the Great, had similar ambitions. In January 49, more or less at...
When he repeatedly made reforms that aided the poor or veterans, the senate became worried. The senate was mostly concerned with personal gain so when Caesar stepped in and changed the tide, the senate became worried. They saw him as a tyrant with too much power who needed to be stopped. The senate did not like a democratic person taking full control over Rome as they would have no power. The only solution to this was to assassinate Caesar. The opinion of the sentence was, “Achievement was worthy of praise and honor, but excessive achievement was pernicious and a threat to the state.” (Holland). As Caesar grew, he made more laws which aided more growth. This cycle of growth seemed more and more dangerous to the senate, as they feared someone with this level of power. With all of the influence of Rome in one man, many felt Caesar took on a dictatorial
...would stand for a few years after Caesar’s death, praises would not stop and the Republic would soon fall seventeen years later to the man that inherited Caesar’s name and fortune.
Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was one of the most outstanding leaders in history. He was the first ruler of the Romano-Hellenic civilization and achieved his goals with great success throughout his life of 56 years. He was assassinated by the conspirators, who accused him for practicing tyranny. This essay will discuss whether it was right for the conspirators to murder Caesar and what its consequences were.
Julius Caesar was unquestionable a cunning Politian as portrayed within historical documents, even though the events were documented after the accounts of his rule materialized there are still numerous theories about his political ability’s and how he was viewed by the people he governed. This paper is intended to present the reader clear vision on how Julius Caesar was viewed during his dictatorship of Rome. Was Julius Caesar a selfish dictator or model politician? There will be five diverse source accounts of the events which will be examined for similarities and differences based on the historical evidences.
“His birth marked the beginning of a new chapter in roman history”. By 31, Caesar had fought in several wars and become heavily involved in politics; being appointed dictator and consul on multiple occasions (Biography.com, 2014). It was Caesar’s assassination and following events that ultimately brought an ...
Julius Caesar is the leader of Rome and is seeking to become king in a matter of time. Though he is a good military strategist, he lacks knowledge in running government and is too greedy to have any concern for the peasants when he is alive. Caesar is all about conquering and power and he is afraid of nothing. Before he is murdered, he says “The things that threatened me ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see the face of Caesar, they are vanished” (II, ii, 575). Th...
Julius Caesar (July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, and author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. On March 15 44 B.C.E, the Roman dictator Julius Caesar was murdered. There are multiple accounts of this incident, while all accounts came after the death of Caesar, the writing on the incident portray Julius Caesar to have been a selfish dictator.
For thousands of years people have been talking about the great powerful Caesar. He is one of the greatest known dictators known to people today mostly because of all of the things he was able to accomplish during his rein as emperor. After reading primary sources about Caesar, it has given me a better understanding of what other people thought of him during this time period. It’s safe to say that Caesar was obsessed with power and respect from other people that would explain his thirst for war and land, which is one of his greatest strengths and helped in making Rome a great empire.
Caesar was born into a traditional influential and respected family. It is this influence that he used to make his way to the top of the Roman leadership. His use in warfare and military conquests are legendary although he had at first concentrated in pursuing political actions. He won the first elections in his political career at the early forties. He was el...
The fall of the Roman Republic was an event that forever changed the face of the Roman world. It ushered in a new age of dictatorship. Men like Cicero did not want people such as Caesar to become dictators. His letters record the events of the day and his opinions of what was happening, and his thoughts on the events of that era. Cicero felt that the Republic fell because of Caesar’s lust for power, and it was his obligation as a Roman to do his best to challenge his ideas on changing the Republic into dictatorship. He worked diligently until his death to exact change in Rome.
Julius Caesar was a strong leader of the Romans who changed the course of the history for the Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength, he created a strong empire and guided the empire for almost 20 years. His life was short, but had many adventures. I will tell of some of this man’s remarkable life. He did many things, therefore, I will only discuss a few. His name, part of his reign, one of his greatest battles, and his death will be told.
Caesar’s power in Rome was growing, and people were afraid he was going to turn Rome into a monarchy. However, Caesar did not want to be known as a king, but he was appointed dictator for life.
Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire. What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome’s transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter’s return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while in their custody awaiting the arrival of the ransom money which they demanded, threatened them with crucifixion , a threat which he fulfilled immediately after his release. He then returned to Rome to engage in a normal political career, starting with the quaetorship which he served in 69-68 BC in the province of Further Spain. In the Roman political world of the sixties the dominance of the optimates was challenged by Pompey and Crassus. The optimates, led by Q...
Tragedies most often refer back to the actions of men. The play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, provides a good example to how the quote is shown to be accurate." The calamities of tragedy do not simply happen, nor are they sent [by the gods]: they proceed mainly from actions, and those actions of men." This statement is profoundly proven through the past and present actions of the conspirators throughout the play. From the beginning of the play, the reader can identify who will necessarily betray and plot to murder Caesar.