Roman Civil War

Unit 9

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO

106-43 B.C.

63 B.C. – elected consul Unbelievable orator Most proud accomplishment is

holding every position in the Cursus Honorum

Hero of the Republic during Civil War

Catiline Conspiracy Catapulted Cicero’s oratory fame Were Crassus and Caesar truly

responsible?

Political System in the 60s

Political positions were extremely competitive Cursus Honorum

Oratory became more important Volatile voting population

Military record important

Consuls would serve overseas after their appointments What effect did this have?

Populares – “Those pandering to the people”

Optimates – those who wished to uphold traditional senatorial authority

YOUNG CAESAR

GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR Kaiser and Czar (Tsar) 100 – 44 B.C.

Nephew of Gaius Marius

Grew up poor; put on Sulla’s proscription list

75 B.C. - Captured by Cilician Pirates

YOUNG CAESAR

Was beloved by the people Championed the

Populares’ cause

Deep in debt Supported by Crassus

Given military leadership in Spain

69 B.C. – Funeral Oration 65 B.C. – Aedile 63 B.C. – Pontifex Maximus 62 B.C. – Praetor 59 B.C. – Consul

CONSULSHIP AND COMMAND

THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE 1. Pompey

Land for his veterans 2. Crassus

Political appeal; help for his allies in Asia 3. Caesar

Overseas command following his consulship

Land reform billWent to the people instead

Bibulus tries to block him“The consulship of Julius and Caesar”

Caesar gives land in

Campania away

Pompey marries Caesar’s daughter Julia

Caesar gets 5 year command in Gaul Both Cisalpine and

Transalpine Gaul

Clodius is elected tribune and exiles Cicero

CAESAR MAKES ENEMIES

Pompey and Crassus meet Caesar in Cisalpine Gaul Crassus and Pompey were to be consuls for 55 B.C.

WHAT THEY GET:

Caesar gets 5 more years in Gaul Pompey get proconsulship in Hispania Crassus gets governorship in Syria He can finally get that military glory!

Senate and Moderates are impotent

LUCA AGREEMENT

• This was the last time the triumvirate cooperated with each other

GALLIC WARS

150,000 Helvetii migrate South Instigates conflict with

them, defeats them

Battles with Venetis from Britain Caesar eventually invades

Britain 954 B.C.), expands Rome further than ever before!Motives?

Battle of Alesia (52 B.C.) Gauls rally around Vercingetorix Fought 300,000 Gallic soldiers! Built a wall around the entire

city Caesar encircles reinforcements

with cavalry and finally defeats Gaul!

Battle of Alesia

BBC Worldwide: Ancient Rome: Rise and Fall of

An Empire, Episode 1 – Julius Caesar

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk3pc1_ancient-rome-the-rise-and-fall-of-an-empire-ep-1-caesar_shortfilms

Beginning – 38:40

CAESAR MARCHES ON ROME

53 B.C. – Battle of Carrhae Crassus is killed fighting the Parthians Poured gold down his throat 20,000 dead/10,000 wounded Worst Roman defeat since Cannae

Julia, Pompey’s wife dies in childbirth Why does this hurt Caesar’s alliance with

Pompey?

Caesar is viewed as a “traitor to the cause”

Reviled for both bribery and ignoring the holy days

Milo’s and Clodius’s gangs fight Clodius dies, burned in a pyre in the

senate

Meanwhile in Rome….

Mark Antony

Marcus Antonius; 83 B.C. – 30 B.C.

Best friend of Caesar, fantastic general

Renowned hedonist, selfish, childish, temperamental

Consul in 54 and 44 B.C. “I fight to defend the people

of Rome while the senator viciously attacks their representatives “ - Julius Caesar

Member of the Second Triumvirate

Caesar enters Rome

49 B.C.

“Crossing the Rubicon” is often translated as “to pass the point of no return”

“The die is cast”

Marches straight to Rome, city is abandoned Why was the city abandoned? Caesar only had one legion with him!

Caesar appeals to assembly, steals treasury How is this hypocritical?

Pompey sails East Why?

Small Italian town opposes Caesar. He lets them go. Caesar is spinning a web of legitimacy

"I have often told you [M Caelius Rufus] in my

letters that I see no chance of peace lasting a year; and the nearer the struggle comes, which must come, the clearer does that danger appear. The point, on which the men in power are bound to fight, is this - Cn. Pompeius has made up his mind not to allow C. Caesar to become consul, except on condition of his first handing over his army and provinces: while Caesar is fully persuaded that he cannot be safe if he quits his army.“

- Cicero

Cicero’s take on Caesar

Pompey heads to Greece

Loses 3 legions to Caesar

Caesar heads to Spain and gains victoriesReturns to Rome as “dictator for life”; resigns and

becomes consul

Heads across Adriatic in January to Epirus Caesar moves in the winter, very risky move!

Civil War Begins

Battle of

Dyrrhachium 48 B.C.

Pompey: 45,000 Caesar: 15,000

Present Day Albania

Two extended walls, siege warfare

Pompey finds weak point in Caesar’s line and attacks

Caesar retreats, Pompey doesn’t chase Huge mistake!!

Battle of Pharsalus

48 B.C.

Pompey: 70,000 (6,000 cavalry) Caesar: 33,000 infantry (1,400

cavalry)

Caesar advances, Pompeian cavalry attack

Caesar creates secret fourth line

Caesar victorious! Pompey is humiliated!

BBC Worldwide: Ancient Rome: Rise and Fall of

An Empire, Episode 1 – Julius Caesar

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk3pc1_ancient-rome-the-rise-and-fall-of-an-empire-ep-1-caesar_shortfilms

38:40-56:15

CAESAR MARCHES ON ROME

Pompey heads to Egypt with family Beheaded in Egypt Why?

Caesar forgives Marcus Brutus Why?

48 B.C. Caesar lands in Alexandria Made Cleopatra co-ruler She becomes his mistress Caesar and Cleopatra take a month-long vacation up the

Nile with 400 ships Why would he do this? Why would he bring so many men with

him?

AFTERMATH OF THE WAR

POMPEY’S HEAD

1. Why was Caesar interested in Cleopatra?

2. Why was Caesar so frustrated with Pompey’s beheading?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Pr1V6_N3c

CAESAR THE POLITICIAN

“I came. I saw. I conquered” Caesar retakes Pontus

Heads to Africa Soldiers rebel…temporarily

Took a new census Offered land for poor outside

of Rome, citizenship for skilled laborers How does this improve

Rome

Massive public works projects

Created a solar calendar July…

45 B.C. – Caesar finally defeats remaining forces

IDES OF MARCH

Rex Caesar Caesar tried to slowly

introduce the thought of being a king

Purple robe

Golden throne

His own statue carried with procession of gods on holy days

Appointed Dictator for life

LAST STRAW: Senators approached him and he failed to stand for them…

March 15, 44 B.C. – Caesar is murdered on Senate floor

The Death of Caesar (1798) by

Vincenzo Camuccini

IDES OF MARCH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FvgP5hO99o