Gaius JULIUS CAESAR

De Bello Gallico

Caesar’s life

B

orn: 100 BCE

D

ied: March 15, 44 BCE

Influences on caesar

M

ARIUS:• Consul – 7 times (unheard of)• Supported politicians who opposed the wealthy and supported the

common people• Married to Caesar’s aunt, Julia• Reformed Roman Army to include lower class

S

ULLA:• General of army• Dictator in Rome (when Caesar was a teenager) – marched on the city

twice to win “supreme authority”• Supporter of the wealthy – suppress the commoners (poor)

OPTIMAS v. POPULARIS

O

ptimates: worked to achieve consensus in the Senate• Sulla

P

opulares: worked around the Senate to pass laws in the people’s

courts• Marius

C

aesar relates more to the Marian faction

SULLA

P

roscription Lists• Second Triumvirate (including Octavian!)

C

aesar had this example in his life at an early age

C

aesar was connected with Marius – hostile to Sulla – and

had to flee Rome to escape the list

Caesar’s youth

“

corona civica” – civic crown was given to men who

saved the lives of others in battle

S

ulla dies in 78 BC – Caesar can return to Rome

EDUCATION

7

7 BC: Rhodes – study rhetoric (Apollonius)• Cicero studied with Apoloonius too

7

5 BC: Kidnapped by pirates: ransom collected and paid• Caesar captured these pirates and crucified them• Shows status of young Roman men – Caesar is growing

up in the upper class with wealth and power and surrounds himself with people who have the same

POLITICAL POWER

6

5 BC: Aedile

6

3 BC: pontifex maximus (a title later given to Octavian as well)• Scandalous because he was so young – defeated many older men

6

1 BC: Governor of Spain • Owed so much money, but was bailed out by Crassus• Paid off debts with victories in Spain

5

9 BC: Ran for CONSUL – with aid of Pompey and Crassus

1st triumvirate

F

ormed around 60 BC to aid Caesar’s election to Consulship

C

AESAR, POMPEY, CRASSUS

J

ulia (Caesar’s daughter) married Pompey• (Julia dies in childbirth 54 BC)

B

ibulus – Caesar’s partner in consulship in 59 BC (lame duck)

GAUL

5

8 BC: Caesar left for Gaul (~9 years)• Caesar was only supposed to be in Gaul for 5 years,

but extended to finish his campaign

5

0 BC: Conquest of Gaul was complete• Flooded markets with salves, dispensed political

favors, won devotion of soldiers, showed off incredible wealth, army size grew

End of 1st TRIUMVIRATE

J

ulia + Pompey – Julia dies in 54 BC in childirth

C

rassus is killed in Parthia in 53 BC• Iraq and Iran

P

ompey began to align himself with the Senate who opposed Caesar – wanted to

ruin Caesar’s career

C

aesar was asked by Senate to return to Rome as a “private citizen” and without

his army – he refused

END OF THE 1ST TRIUMVIRATE

C

aesar could not be prosecuted by his enemies in the

Senate if he was “consul”

C

aesar’s enemies made it clear that if he returned to

Rome as a “private citizen,” he would be prosecuted,

so he wanted to run for consul “in absentia”

Alea iacta est

4

9 BC: Since he was branded an outlaw by the Senate, Caesar

marched on Rome with his armies – crossed the Rubicon• Declared an automatic war• Pompey’s armies were in Spain, so he retreated there• Caesar continued to Rome and declared himself dictator

4

8 BC: Caesar led his army to Spain to meet Pompey and the

“Optimates” at the Battle of Pharsalus• Caesar wins, pardons Roman citizens, Pompey flees to Egypt

Caesar in EGYPT

A

t this time, Cleopatra (20-21 years old) was struggling for power

and the throne in Egypt• Caesar saw her as a useful ally and cooperated to help her

4

7 BC: Caesar left Egypt with Cleopatra in place as a “client

queen” and loyal to the Roman Empire

S

ettled some disturbances in Asia Minor (Zela): “veni vidi vici”

POLITICAL POWER

4

6 – 45 BC: Caesar set up his power in Rome• Did not use the Senate, just announced his decisions• Appointed magistrates• Squashed rebellions and gave himself “triumphs”• Coins in his likeness• Statues (like the gods!)• Purple and gold toga• Laurel wreath (golden)• Carried in a sedan chair

Dictator perpetuus

4

4 BC: Dictator for life• Declared that he would avenge the death of Crassus in Parthia

(he was set to leave for Parthia on March 18, 44 BC)

D

id Caesar want to be king?• Refused a “diadem” presented by Antony at a public ceremony

M

ARCH 15 44 BC: Killed by republicans in the Senate

BENEFITS

• Tried to relieve the debt• Reformed the calendar (July)

Caesar and his enemies

F

orgiveness – did not use a proscription list• Showed mercy (clemency) to those who opposed him

K

illed by those who wanted to restore the “republic”

Caesar’s legacy

A

dopted great-nephew as his heir, Octavian

C

aesar was deified after his death = every emperor would have this happen in

the future

G

AUL INFLUENCE• Gauls became Roman – speak Latin

U

S INFLUENCE• Fear of imitators haunted the framers of US Constitution (unchecked power)

Rome after caesar’s death

S

enate failed to reassert itself

S

econd Triumvirate took over (Antony, Octavian,

Lepidus)

S

piral of civil war until 31 BC and rise of Augustus

caesar, THE author

D

e Analiga • Does not survive – Latin grammar

C

ommentarii de bello Gallico• First seven books composed by Caesar• Last book by Aulus Hirtius (written after Caesar’s death)

C

ivil War (three books)• Supplemented with books about Egypt, Africa, and Spain (uncertain

authorship)

COMMENTARII

O

fficial reports sent to the Senate, written by governors and

generals : “sets of notes or records”

V

ERSUS Historia : highly elaborated literary account

G

enre is well suited to convey what purports to be a

straightforward record of Caesar’s conquests

Why COMmentarii?

W

anted to make it appear as if he were sharing his reports with

ALL Roman people, not just the Senate

A

bsent from Rome for 9 years – these would have been devoured

by Romans who were looking for updated news or gossip

R

eport “Caesar’s Side” in this conquest

Caesar’s style

L

ogical and clear – no obscure vocab: “plain”

L

acks complex sentences

W

rites as an “observer” without passion or emotion

T

HIRD PERSON• Why would Caesar be speaking to them directly when he was so far away in Gaul?• Focus on actions• Seems “objective”

Caesar’s motivation

R

eputation

P

ublic career

L

ife

Image of caesar