Caesar's Quest for Power

Julius Caesar is thought of as the most powerful and glorious ruler to step foot in Rome. The only thing

Arguably the greatest contribution to the eventual downfall of the Roman Republic was the institution of Gaius Marius' popular, yet dangerous reforms, and his repeated usage of questionable political tactics to achieve his underlying personal goals. By undermining the power of the senate through illegal political conduct, and by introducing reforms that created the open potential for abuse of military power, Marius paved the way for future military monarchies, civil conflict and the eventual downfall and segregation of the Roman Republic.

Ancient Rome was the first civilization to be ran under a republic government. A republic government is where the people elect the senators and consul members. Julius Caesar was a powerful man, as he was a general, a member of the consul, a politician, and a dictator. Julius Caesar used his power to make contributions that hurt Rome more than helped Rome.

Another contribution to the fall of the roman republic is Julius Caesar. Caesar was neither the only man responsible for the fall, nor the one man who could stop it, but his role in the final demise is undeniable. Different events Caesar played were not a result of seeking power but as how to humiliate the senate.

He celebrated victories over fellow Romans more than his foreign enemies, received the senate and forums seated in a gold throne as a king would, wore purple and a laurel reef around his head like a crown, allowed statues of himself be put next to gods and goddesses, and bypassed elections choosing high up officials himself often years in advance. He became a dictator for 10 years, and later for life, instituting himself as a monarch in everything but name. Having Caesar be a monarch in all but title went completely against the ideals of the Roman Republic, which had the Senate in charge with levels of power with checks and balances so no one person had too much power. When Caesar became dictator for life, he was outrightly neglecting the foundation the republic was built on: elected governing people, dictators only being appointed in times of emergency for six months, and ruling according to the people not a rigged governing body. Anyone in the Senate while Caesar was a dictator had their power diminish considerably, for which a great deal of people weren’t impressed at, encouraging them to get rid of

Julius Caesar brought about the end of the Roman Republic by his actions in his later career. When he crossed the Rubicon, he brought about a civil war, and at the end of that civil war, he, as a single ruler, had conquered Rome. He could have brought back the “old, corrupt system of the late

Gaius Julius Caesar was regarded as one of the most significant and important person in Roman History. He was born in a Patrician (a rich Roman) family on 12th or 13th of July 100 BCE in Rome. During this time, Rome was a Republic (which meant a “matter of the people”) and was governed by the Senate, the assembly and the two Consuls. Roman citizens were divided in two groups the wealthy Patricians and the working class Plebeians. Plebeians were not happy the way they were treated and governed by the patricians. More over, as the wealth and opportunities increased among the Patricians, the competition also increased for the power. There was lot of trouble and unrest among the society.

Gaius Julius Caesar rose through the ranks from Roman general to Emperor. A critical role he played in Roman politics, was his role in the events that were to lead to the downfall of the Roman Republic and the growth of the Roman Empire. He joined with Crassus and Pompey to form a political alliance. This alliance of three would go on to dominate politics in Rome for several years. “Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus now formed a triple pact, jointly swearing to oppose all public policies in which any of them might disapprove” (Graves and Suetonius 19). The conservative ruling class of the Roman Senate opposed their attempts to accumulate power through the use of populist tactics.

and fall of what may have been ancient Rome’s greatest leader, Julius Caesar. Caesar’s rise to

From the fall of the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, in 509 BCE, to the beginning of the principate in 27 BCE, the Roman Republic thrived as a strong and relatively stable government. This was despite its two major issues that eventually led to its downfall- the class struggle between plebeians and patricians as well as the autonomy the military had that allowed for armies to become loyal to its commander rather than the Roman state. For centuries, these issues were kept under control and the Republic was able to grow throughout the Western world. However, starting with more radical figures such as Tiberius and Gaius Gracchi and continuing to Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar, these

In the determination of whether Julius Caesar was an intelligent, political hero or an egocentric, dictating villain, it is important to look at all of the facts. Born in 100 B.C.E. and assassinated in 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar was legendary. He along Pompey, and Crassus created the first unofficial Triumvirate which was negotiated to appease both the Roman citizens and the power hungry rivals. Still, this agreement would not last long. After Pompey’s wife, Julia Caesar and daughter of Caesar’s daughter given to Pompey to establish the Trimvirate, dies in childbirth, civil war breaks out as Caesar leads his army against Rome. He fights until Pompey is murdered in Egypt. As Rome is “shattered,” Julius Caesar one person should rule. He

Brutus, Cassius, Caesar, and the other Senators held the power to do things others could not. With this authority came their ability to use poor judgement. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Julius Caesar the theme Power Corrupts is arrayed thoroughly. Murder, treason, and ethical/moral corruption were three prevalent themes that proved the overall topic of Power Corrupts.

The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC by conspiring members of the Roman senate was an effort to remove a dictator whose power had grown to extraordinary levels and to revive the Republic government. Caesar’s power span throughout the entire Roman Empire, which during his reign extended from present day Syria, down into parts of Africa, over to Spain, most of France and all of Italy. He had the favor of the people, military and most of the Roman government. Caesar’s death at the hand of conspirators did remove him from power; however, it did not restore the Republic government as the Senate had anticipated, on-the-other hand it gave rise to yet a more powerful dictator that was beyond what Caesar

As previously stated, a person’s greed often leads to their demise. This is most evident with Caesar himself. Caesar was willing to betray Pompey, his once friend and ally, in order to gain sole control over the Republic. In fact, Caesar’s drive to control the city began to evoke the jealousy and fears of many of the inhabitants, “You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds, and bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet. (Shakespeare Act V, Sc.I, lines 47-48). Ultimately this authority causes Brutus to come to the conclusion that Caesar’s tyranny must be prevented through his death (Sims). Caesar’s newfound power put Brutus, his former supporter, in a position where the only way to save the republic would be to depose of its current leader. Caesar’s demise was indirectly caused by his hunger for power, which caused Brutus to kill him in order to stop the would be dictator (Sims). The idea of deposing Caesar spread like wildfire through the Senate and eventually escalated into murder. Clearly, it was Caesar’s desire to command those around him that in due course led to his death; however, he alone is not the

As the Roman republic grew, it looked to expand its power further into the Mediterranean. While Rome had numerous leaders, most were merely senators or military leaders. Marcus Tullius Cicero gave his life to defend the Roman Republic; he was truly one of the few greats who gave his trying to save his republic. Cierco was more than a patriot; he was a lawyer, orator, senator, and