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Julius Caesar

Overview

Gaius Julius Caesar (10044 BCE) was a Roman general, statesman, and dictator whose conquest of Gaul and crossing of the Rubicon precipitated the end of the Roman Republic. @t[100 BCE..44 BCE]

Key Facts

  • Born: 12 or 13 July 100 BCE, Rome @t[=100 BCE]
  • Died: 15 March 44 BCE, Rome (assassinated) @t[=44 BCE]
  • Offices: Aedile (65 BCE), Pontifex Maximus (63 BCE), Praetor (62 BCE), Consul (59 BCE), Dictator perpetuo (44 BCE) @t[=59 BCE]
  • Military: Conquered Gaul (5850 BCE) @t[58 BCE..50 BCE]

Early Career

  • Aedile (65 BCE): Organized public games @t[=65 BCE] 1
  • Pontifex Maximus (63 BCE): Elected chief priest of the College of Pontiffs; gained a house in the Roman Forum @t[=63 BCE] 1
  • Praetor (62 BCE) @t[=62 BCE] 1
  • Governor of Hispania Ulterior (6160 BCE) @t[61 BCE..60 BCE] 2

Major Events

  • First Triumvirate: Alliance with Pompey and Crassus (60 BCE) @t[=60 BCE] 2
  • Gallic Wars (5850 BCE): Conquered Gaul, invaded Britain twice, bridged the Rhine @t[58 BCE..50 BCE] 3
  • Crossing the Rubicon (49 BCE): Triggered civil war against Pompey @t[=49 BCE] 2
  • Battle of Pharsalus (48 BCE): Defeated Pompey in Greece @t[=48 BCE] 2
  • Battle of Thapsus (46 BCE): Defeated Pompeian forces in North Africa @t[=46 BCE] 2
  • Battle of Munda (45 BCE): Final defeat of Pompeian resistance in Spain @t[=45 BCE] 2
  • Appointed dictator perpetuo (February 44 BCE) @t[=44 BCE] 2
  • Assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March 44 BCE) by Brutus, Cassius, and other senators @t[=44 BCE] 2

Legacy

  • Julian calendar reform (46 BCE): Replaced the Roman lunar calendar with a 365-day solar calendar @t[=46 BCE] 1
  • Refounded Carthage as a Roman colony (46 BCE) @t[=46 BCE] 2
  • Granted citizenship to many provincials, including Gauls and Spaniards @t[49 BCE..44 BCE] 2
  • Deified by the Roman Senate (42 BCE) @t[=42 BCE] 1
  • His adopted heir Octavian became Augustus, first Roman emperor (27 BCE) @t[=27 BCE] 2
  • Month of July renamed Iulius in his honor (44 BCE) @t[=44 BCE] 1
  • Had a son, Caesarion, with Cleopatra VII of Egypt @t[47 BCE..30 BCE] 2


Review Queue

  • @q[missing] Line 8: "Born: 12 or 13 July 100 BCE, Rome @t[=100 BCE]" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 9: "Died: 15 March 44 BCE, Rome (assassinated) @t[=44 BCE]" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Offices: Aedile (65 BCE), Pontifex Maximus (63 BCE), Praetor (62 BCE), Consul..." - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Military: Conquered Gaul (5850 BCE) @t[58 BCE..50 BCE]" - what is the source?


  1. Suetonius, De Vita Caesarum: Divus Iulius (~121 CE) ↩︎

  2. Goldsworthy, A. Caesar: Life of a Colossus (Yale, 2006) ↩︎

  3. Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico ↩︎