Gaius Julius Caesar: 100 BC to 44 BC

Written by: @MarchOfTheWest

Risen From The Current

The legacy of Caesar is one of glory, triumph, and pure greatness. He was not a man without explanation, however. He  knew how to ride the current to political power, glory, and ultimately his destiny; he knew how to control it, to wield it in spectacular fashion. For Caesar knew where the current had come from. He witnessed firsthand the effects of Sulla’s purges. He had seen the resentment felt by the masses. He longed for the glory Alexander had experienced centuries prior. 

But the current did not just shape Caesar, he would go on to shape it. Even after his untimely and unforeseen death, his influence dominated everything from the creation of the Roman Empire to his name becoming a byword for power. Kaiser and Czar both come from his name, showing how impactful of a life he lived. Even the tides of history yield in reverence. For Caesar was a man of great talent and astronomical ambition who was constantly challenged, underestimated, and betrayed. Yet he still managed to rise above any and all obstacles that came his way.

Sulla thought he could intimidate Caesar; He was wrong. 

At Alesia, the Gauls thought they had outsmarted Caesar; They were wrong.

After Dyrrhachium and before Pharsalus, the Optimates thought they were about to defeat Caesar once and for all; They were wrong

And in the theater of Pompey, the conspirators thought they had destroyed Caesar and all he stood for; They were wrong.

Many thought they could defeat Caesar, or sweep him away with the current; They were all wrong.

From the example set by Sulla, to the glory won by Alexander, Caesar would be the culmination of the conquering spirit of ambitious men represented in Alexander and the will to seize power embodied by Sulla, not just reaching the great heights of others before him, but surpassing them.

The flowing stream:
The centuries before Caesar’s birth saw the rise in power of the Roman Republic as it began to expand its territory and power throughout the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean world had been engulfed in Hellenistic culture following the conquests of Alexander the Great, greatly influencing Rome, while Alexander’s Earth-shattering conquests inspired , gracing Western civilization with the capacity to dream beyond the confines of what they knew, and the courage to venture out into unknown lands. This would have great influence over the West’s future colonization of the world, but for now it would serve as an inspiration for Rome’s fledgling power.

Once, when Caesar was the governor of Hispania, he wept upon seeing a statue of Alexander the Great, for he believed that he could never be as great as him. He was at the age when Alexander had died, King of a vast Empire with enormous victories and glory under his belt, while Caesar was just the governor of some Roman province at the same age. 

In the decades prior to Caesar’s birth, populist sentiments had exploded in popularity. The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius Graccus, had been fierce advocates of social reform, but were both killed. Caesar’s Aunt married Gaius Marius, an accomplished general and Populare. Initially Caesar’s family was able to secure him much. He was even given the position of High Priest of Jupiter. However, when his uncle Marius died and his political rival Sulla took over, the trajectory of Caesar’s life was completely changed. 

Sulla immediately began a campaign of repression and persecution, of which Caesar was a target. Sulla demanded that Caesar divorce his wife, Cornelia, and Caesar refused. Even the most powerful man in Rome wasn’t about to tell Caesar what to do. Not one to wait around for his enemies to kill him, Caesar fled Rome and briefly went into hiding. It was only after his family intervened that Sulla allowed Caesar back into Rome, though Caesar had lost his priesthood.

This loss of status, inheritance, and priesthood allowed Caesar to unshackle the chains of expectations that had been heaped upon him in his early life. Now, he could pursue his own destiny. He left Rome to join the army.

One particular incident during that time period was the time Caesar was captured by pirates, and instead of begging for mercy, he taunted them, scoffing at their ransom and saying that someone like him ought to be worth more. When he was let go, he had all the pirates hunted down and crucified. 

The turbulence of Caesar’s early decades changed the trajectory his life was on several times, but never deterred him from reaching for his destiny.

The current of fate continued, unfeathered by the sudden disruptions and shifting fates.

Rising fire:

Caesar quickly made himself a well known politician, being elected Pontifex Maximus and praetor, sponsoring games and establishing himself as a populist champion of the people.

When he won the position of Consul, his attempts to win the people’s favor brought his name to even greater fame and controversy. In a move that would permanently set Cato and the optimates against him, Caesar bypassed the Senate and implemented a law bringing much needed and much desired land reform. Though this reform was necessary and popular with the Roman people, the elites never forgave Caesar for his unprecedented actions.

Once his consulship ended, Caesar was given the provinces Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine Gaul, and Illyricum. Conflict began when Caesar thwarted the Helvetii from migrating through Roman territory. This was the first of a series of conflicts fought against many Gallic tribes such as Veneti as well as his famous crossing of the Rhine to intimidate Germanic tribes such as the Suebi. 

After Gaul was subjugated, Caesar set his sights on a new horizon: the unexplored island of Britannia. The island wouldn't become a Roman province for another century, but Caesar’s expeditions caused Roman interest in this unknown land to surge, as he sent letters to Rome about his experiences there while he set up compliant rulers in Britain. 

Returning from Britain in 54 B.C. to find Gaul in total revolt, Caesar adopted a far more brutal style of warfare. He had no more use for playing nice. Destruction and death fell on any rebelling tribe that was reconquered by Caesar’s legions.

Eventually, the Averni King Vercingetorix rallied the Gauls in a final attempt to drive the Romans out of Gaul. This was Caesar’s ultimate test in Gaul. If he was driven out after investing so much into this campaign, it would be the end of his ambition and the ruining of his hard fought glory. 

Though he had undeniably suffered a setback with this revolt, and another setback with his defeat at Gergovia, in which Vercingetorix led the Gallic forces to victory against Caesar’s legions, the struggle would ultimately end at the Battle of Alesia.  

The events of this battle are the stuff of legends. The Romans would fortify the surrounding area, building a wall to trap the Gauls inside the city. Caesar would then have an outer wall built to protect him and his men from Gallic reinforcements. No matter what the Gauls tried, they couldn’t penetrate or overwhelm the secure Roman forces. It was at this point, after much fighting and repeated frustrations, that Vercingetorix and the Gallic leaders knew it was over. Caesar had won.

With that, Vercingetorix, the leader of the revolt, the commander of the Gallic forces, threw his sword down and submitted to the supremacy of Rome. A great triumph was surely in order. After all, it was thought to be impossible to pacify the tribes of Gaul, but Caesar had done the impossible. But Caesar’s triumph and Vercingetorix’s execution would have to wait, for another conflict was brewing in the heart of the Republic. 

Defiance:

The political situation in Rome reached a zenith of tension. The eternal city was at an inflection point; a crossroads. 

The corrupt and decadent oligarchy that Caesar had witnessed rot Roman politics from the inside out, the same Senate he had bypassed to bring much needed reform to the people, was now turning its fury towards him. Cato and his allies never forgot nor forgave Caesar’s continual resistance to the increasingly antiquated political order.

The message was clear: stand down, disband your legions, and return to Rome unarmed so we can stamp out your burgeoning career. Defy us, and we will crush you. 

Despite Caesar’s attempts to negotiate the situation peacefully, the optimates wouldn’t budge. 

As his foes were preparing to strike, Caesar performed his most consequential, and most famous, act of defiance. The Rubicon was right in front of him. The river that separated idle submission and eternal glory. 

Not only challenging the Senate, not only shattering the expectations of everyone in Rome who believed no one would dare take such a drastic and unprecedented course of action. No, Caesar defied the very current that had brought him to glory in Gaul. The very current that Alexander had defied centuries earlier. The current that brought great men to the pinnacle of what was thought to be possible, but never beyond it. If Caesar wished to triumph, he would have to become the very current that was pushing so hard against him. In this moment, Caesar knew he was ready; his determination strengthened, his will ironed, his vision lucid.  

It was necessary, now, for him to throw everything into this final attempt to dislodge the optimates from political domination. If he failed, he would lose his career, glory, and most importantly his life. If he won, he would become an immortal legend.

For Caesar, the path to take was clear. 

Alea iacta est.

The die is cast.

Triumph and destiny:

From the moment Caesar crossed the Rubicon, it was clear that not only was Caesar facing his biggest challenge yet, but that this conflict would determine the very destiny of Rome itself. 

Pompey and the senate fled the city of Rome, heading to Greece to gather forces and face Caesar there. Once Caesar took care of securing Italy, Spain, and surrounding provinces, he went to face Pompey in Greece. Crossing the Adriatic and failing to besiege Pompey at Dyrrachium, Caesar found himself in a very unenviable situation. 

Many thought that the tide had turned against Caesar permanently. But there was one Battle which would permanently shift the tide of the war, just not in the way the optimates thought, or hoped: Pharsalus.

Caesar, who had just been defeated at Dyrrachium, was outnumbered 2-1. The Senate, overconfident as ever, believed that victory was assured. Yes, it seemed the wind was blowing against Caesar. But Caesar was not one to surrender to the current: He was the current.

At Pharsalus, it would be Caesar who advanced first. When Pompey’s forces began to push back Caesar’s cavalry, Caesar brought out a surprise line of infantry that he had concealed from the opposing army. As Pompey’s army fell back due to this shock, Caesar had his legions attack Pompey’s forces head on, throwing all he had at overwhelming Pompey’s army. The result was a resounding success! Pompey had not only fled the battlefield but he had also fled his own army as well. Marcus Junius Brutus, a former friend of Caesar, would surrender and be pardoned by his forgiving friend.

Chasing his defeated opponent to Egypt, Caesar found that his great rival had been killed on the orders of the Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII. He would stay in Egypt and found himself in the middle of a conflict between Ptolemy XIII and his sister, Cleopatra VII. Caesar’s infatuation with Cleopatra continued even after Ptolemy XIII was defeated and drowned. Many blame Caesar for the disappearance of the Library of Alexandria due to a fire that occurred during Caesar’s bid to take control of the city. However the Library would continue to be used for centuries after, though it would decline over time. 

Touring with Cleopatra along the Nile, Caesar’s relationship with the Egyption queen only grew, possibly even bearing a son with her, Ptolemy XV Caesar, who would be known as Caesarion due to this alleged relation.

After leaving Egypt, Caesar would then take care of business in Thapsus, located in Northern Africa and after which his rival Cato would commit suicide, and finally in Munda, located in Hispania. The Civil War would end in 45 B.C. and Caesar would be declared Dictator for life early in the following year. 

Betrayal and an immortal legacy:

The enemies were defeated, but Caesar would not just retire with his vast riches nor would he just sit on a throne and rule over Rome like some petty tyrant. Under his newly solidified rule over Rome,Caesar would develop a more efficient calendar system, one that heavily inspired our current calendar, drew up plans for a census, extended citizenship to many people outside of Rome, initiated many building projects, and began preparing for an invasion of Parthia. 

Despite his clemency and reforms, there were many in the Senate who thought that Caesar needed to be eliminated, some of whom were allies of Caesar while others were pardoned by him after siding with Pompey after the Civil War. His assumption of the office of Dictator, and its term being extended for the rest of his life, provided the conspirators with the justification they needed to end Caesar’s life. One of these conspirators was none other than Marcus Junius Brutus, the man who Caesar had spared and treated like a son.

On March 15, the Ides of March, the assassins struck. They surrounded the man who had faced hordes of Gauls, who had defeated the overwhelming forces of Pompey and the Senate, who had become more powerful than any Roman before him, and drew out their daggers. One by one they stabbed, but Caesar fought back. This can’t be how this ends! No, there is more to be done. I must fight! But Caesar’s mentality, his unbreakable will, would shatter as soon as he saw Brutus approaching with his dagger drawn. The man whose life he spared, who he saw as a son, was ultimately the one to break Caesar’s determination to fight.

And as the last dagger pierced Caesar’s now lifeless body, the Senators turned away from the pool of blood they had created. But it was not just Caesar’s blood that stained the floor of the Theater of Pompey, but the blood of the Republic itself. For the elites did not know they had just killed the last man who was willing to spare them from the rage of the masses. Octavian, Caesar’s heir and adopted son, would not repeat Caesar’s policy of clemency.

In the years to come, the assassins would be picked off one by one. The traitor Brutus, among 

others, would take his life after being defeated at Philippi. Mark Antony and Octavian would eliminate political rivals, including men such as Cicero, until they turned against each other. Caesar’s heir would triumph over Antony and his wife Cleopatra, becoming the Emperor Augustus. With him, the last remnants of opposition were suppressed, and the optimates became nothing more than a memory. Under the system Augustus founded, known as the principate, the Roman Empire would experience an era of prosperity called the Pax Romana.  

The memory of Caesar revered, his heir ruling supreme, the old political order swept away;

The current of fate unyielding.