Julius Caesar

File:Die Schlacht zwischen Germanen und Römern am Rhein, ein Gemälde von Friedrich Tüshaus aus dem Jahre 1876.jpg

The Battle between Germanics and Romans on the Rhine (Die Schlacht zwischen Germanen und Römern am Rhein) is a painting by Friedrich Tüshaus from 1876. Here the German artist shows Ariovist (with a winged helmet), prince of the Suebians, and his warriors on the Wahlstatt (battle field) against the legions of Julius Caesar during the last battle of the fight for freedom on the great German river in 58 BC.

Gaius Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC) was an Ancient Roman politician and general who conquered Gaul (later western Frankia) and who briefly invaded Britain and Germania. During the civil wars during the late Roman Republic, he became an autocratic ruler, before being assassinated. He was also an influential Latin author.

Life

A politician of the populares tradition, he formed an unofficial triumvirate with Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus which dominated Roman politics for several years, opposed in the Roman Senate by optimates like Marcus Porcius Cato and Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus. His conquest of Gaul extended the Roman world all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and he also conducted the first Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC; the collapse of the triumvirate, however, led to a stand-off with Pompey and the Senate. Leading his legions across the Rubicon, Caesar began a civil war in 49 BC from which he became the undisputed master of the Roman world.

After assuming control of government, he began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He was proclaimed dictator for life (dictator perpetuus), and heavily centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic. However, a group of senators, led by Caesar's former friend Marcus Junius Brutus, assassinated the dictator on the Ides of March (March 15) in 44 BC, hoping to restore the normal running of the Republic. However, the result was another Roman civil war, which ultimately led to the establishment of a permanent autocracy by Caesar's adopted heir, Gaius Octavianus. In 42 BC, two years after his assassination, the Senate officially sanctified Caesar as one of the Roman deities.

Much of Caesar's life is known from his own Commentaries (Commentarii) on his military campaigns, and other contemporary sources such as the letters and speeches of his political rival Cicero, the historical writings of Sallust, and the poetry of Catullus. Many more details of his life are recorded by later historians, such as Appian, Suetonius, Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Strabo.

External links

Encyclopedias

• Ancient History Encyclopedia: Julius Caesar
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Julius Caesar
• Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 Edition: Gaius Julius Caesar
• Encyclopedia.com: Gaius Julius Caesar