Analyzing Julius Caesar's Motives

power. Caesar was killed by men who were hoping to bring back the republic. He was trick into

Further, the extreme loyalty to generals leading the army rather than state would lead to open rebellion, civil war, the combination military political power and eventually the crowning of emperors. Marius himself used his position as a general to help himself gain votes when he ran for Consul in 107 BC. Sallust writes of one of Marius’ speeches delivered during his campaign, “Compare now, my fellow-citizens, me, who am a new man, with those haughty nobles. What they have but heard or read, I have witnessed or performed. What they have learned from books, I have acquired in the field; and whether deeds or words are of greater estimation, it is for you to consider.” Marius clearly understood that the military and its functions were not in a vacuum in relation to politics and moved to capitalize on this realization. His movement through politics would foreshadow those of his nephew Gaius Julius Caesar, 50 years

Julius Caesar is perhaps the most well known in the history of Roman Emperors, yet there is no denying that his reign was filled with controversy, no reason more so than his devious rise to power and his mischievous ways of suppressing the senate. There is no doubt that in ruling as a Dictator; Caesar lost the support of the Roman people, who had fought for freedom against an Etruscan King, a role in which Caesar was playing. His death in 44BC coincided with what many believe to be the year in which the Republic completely its eventual ‘fall’ that it had been plummeting to since 133BC, and it is only by looking at the differences in the end of his reign to that of Augustus’ in 27BC that

Marius had two triumphs. He must of been a great military commander to earn achievement. His military process is what got him his first consulship. Plutarch describes how his “name and reputation spread through Africa” and he also notes Marius’ “display of consummate courage” (Plutarch Marius 7) Your name and reputation don’t spread for no reason; Marius must have had excelled in the qualities most sought after in regard to war. Plutarch says how he showed the he was: capable of going through what the soldiers injured, his foresight. The former gave him “considerable affection and loyalty from the troops”, this loyalty lead to the soldiers writing back to Rome, stating that “The African war could only be won if Marius was elected consol” (Plutarch Marius 7) This shows that Marius must have excelled hugely at military process. The Scipio Epitaph’s list the father and offices the father held and military successes. This must have been a compelling argument to the Romans. Plutarch notes how “Metellus was visually displeased about this” (Plutrach Marius 8) Giving us further evidence to how people felt about new men. He had to quickly get back to Rome. With his first consulship he “enrolled a large number of paupers, and slaves into the army” (PLutrach Marius 9). This action is unpreceded and must have annoyed some. This shows that he thought of new ways to use the Roman armies. Which was basically taking the poor and training them. That training would appear to pay off. He got a triumph. It must have been quite a shock to the Romans in some ways that a new man who becomes consol comes into Rome celebrating a triumph. Q.Metelleus told Marius that he’d support Marius being consol with his son. An insult of sorts since Marius already 49 and that son about fifteen years younger than him. To achieve something that hadn’t happened in a long time and for it to be a new man must have shocked a lot of people. Or at

Sulla and his legions swiftly restored order to Rome, and power to the Senate. Prices were put on the heads of popular leaders, like Marius, and Sulpicius was actually tossed off

Julius Caesar was a very influential figure in Roman history. Many features of the Roman Empire came from his reign as dictator. But what, specifically, were some of those great achievements? In this research paper, I will explain Julius Caesar’s youth, the Roman Republic before Caesar came to power, the Roman government before Caesar became dictator-for-life, the effects of Julius Caesar, the reasons for his assassination, and what affects there were when the public learned about his assassination.

From a rather humble beginning Lucius Cornelius Sulla rose to become a great politician and a powerful general in the Roman Republic. As a general, Sulla lead Roman armies to many victories. As a politician he became a powerful dictator and yet was responsible for bringing about many reforms. This essay will prove how he was a great dictator, politician and general, through discussing his background, his military and political career, his dictatorship, and his accomplishments in his later years.

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian hereinafter referred to “Augustus”, was given the title of imperium by age of 19, to gain this, he amassed a private army and marched on the Senate in Revenge for his adopted father’s murder. Augustus developed a peaceful and cultural Ancient Rome . In contrast, both Caesar and Sulla before him, were appointed to dictator under the Lex Valeria (Valerian law) , both had ultimate goals of monarchy, but where Caesar, used the people to ascertain if this would be accepted , Sulla ruled with an iron fist.

Julius Caesar was born into a patrician family. He was born in July 100 BCE in Italy. His mother, Aurelia Cotta, was of noble birth and his father was Gaius Julius Caesar, a praetor. His family supported the popular party; he had relatives in politics and his uncle is the great Marius and his family 's ancestry goes back to Venus, goddess of love. Julius Caesar’s family connections help him further in his life.

Lucius Cornelius Sulla was a Roman general who came from a patrician family. Since he was born into aristocracy he believed that the Senate should remain filled by wealthy and powerful families. Sulla was known for opposing Marius’ popular faction, the Jugurthine War, and the Social War. He was voted into the consul in 88 BCE and gained command of the military. He dealt with the Mithridates which created some unrest over in Asia Minor. He was forced to go over to Asia Minor for some time. In Sulla’s absence, Marius, gained even more power and joined armies with Cornelius Cinna, so when Sulla attempted to return the two of them drove him out and took control of the Roman Senate. Most of these times were accounted for by the ancient historian Cicero. Cicero recounts much about Sulla and how the people perceived him. During this time period it was largely Sulla vs. Marius and thus they competed largely with each other. Sulla made financial commitments to his troops and essentially bribed them for loyalty, but Marius largely did the same thing. These conscriptions showed how much power military officials had on the Roman

A man of Arpinum, Plutarch refers to Marius as ‘naturally brave and warlike,’ his education was primarily of military focus rather than that of civil. From an early stage in his career, as a novus homo, Marius struggled to enter the senate as he was not born of a noble family. It is believed that Marius broke into the senate rather than entering it. However, he gained power in achieving praetorship through his marriage and association to Julia, a Roman woman of an aristocratic family and the aunt of Julius Caesar. Marius manipulated the political systems in Rome to gain power over the nobility. Through such manipulation and power he was able to win seven consulships in his life. In particular, Marius won his fourth consulship pretending not

Pompey and Crassus were consuls in 70 BC and had rescinded the most offensively reactionary measures of Sulla’s legislation. During Pompey’s absence from 67 to 62 BC during his campaigns against the Mediterranean pirates, Mithridates, and Crassus, his jealous rival. Caesar married Ponpeia after Cornelia’s death and was appointed aedile in 65 BC As aedile, Caesar returned to Marius’ trophies to their former place of honor in the Capitol, thus laying claim to leadership of the populares. When Caesar was a praetor, he supported a tribune who wanted Pompey recalled to restore order in Rome. As a result, Caesar was suspended from office for a period and antagonized Catulus. Before leaving Rome to govern Further Spain for a year, Caesar divorced his wife Pompeia because of the allegation that she had been implicated in the offense of Publius Clodius. The latter was then awaiting trial for breaking into Caesar’s house the previous December disguised as a woman at the festival of the Bona Dea, which no man is allowed to attend. After his return from a successful year administrating Spain Caesar was elected consul for 59 BC through political alliance with Pompey and Crassus . This alliance was called the first triumvirate. Caesar’s purpose was to gain a big military command. Pompey for his part sought the ratification of his Eastern settlement and land allotments for his discharged troops. Crassus sought a revision of the contract for collecting taxes in the province of

This would help Caesar in his rise to power when he appealed to the general people rather than the people in the higher rankings. Julius’ father died when he was sixteen years old and was forced to take the head of the household. Needing a profession that would bring aid to the family, Caesar turned to priesthood and found himself as the High Priest of Jupiter. Needing to be married to a patrician, one of higher class, Caesar broke off his marriage to a poor plebeian girl and married a patrician Cornelia, “the daughter of a high profile and influential member of the Populares” named Lucius Cinna. When Sulla became emperor, he targeted all Romans with the Populare ideology. Caesar fled Rome, but his punishment was then put on his family and new wife. With no way to support his family or himself, Caesar joined the army and succeeded greatly. Once Sulla had died, Caesar deemed safe to return to Rome and became an orator in which he also succeeded greatly in. While traveling to Greece in 75 BC, however, Julius Caesar was captured and held captive by pirates, while the pirates found quite a liking to the personable

Julius Caesar, a man born in around 12 to 13, 100 BC, was considered the start of a new legacy in the history of Rome. Participating in several wars, becoming dictator after forming multiple military alliances, to being assassinated on the Ides of March, Julius Caesar was a politically-flexible, popular leader of the Roman Empire. (Julius Caesar Biography, April 23, 2014) Although Caesar’s birth was never confirmed on the exact date, he was born and raised by his mother, Aurelia, and by his father, Gaius Julius Caesar. (Julius Caesar: Historical Background, April 23, 2014)

Sulla was using all that powers in his repeiteur to change Rome in ways that he saw fit. He established a consul, disbanded legions, and resigned as dictator giving the power the consul, which aloud Rome to chose its leader. Sulla had 2 consulships and then went to live on privately were he died 2 years later.