Julius Caesar

     Rome was a huge and very rich empire after they defeated Carthage in the Second Punic War. Unfortunately, the Senate did a poor job of running the empire. The Senate was created to govern a city, not an empire. The Senators often took bribes or were not careful about how they voted in the forum. Many Romans wanted a strong leader, and the ambitious Julius Caesar was an obvious choice.

     The Senators feared Caesar, so they offered him the chance to rule Gaul, a province far from the Roman Senate in modern France. Caesar left for Gaul in 51BC and commanded an army that captured most of Western Europe. Caesar became even more popular with the Roman people once they learned of his conquests.

     When Caesar's term in Gaul ended, the Senate ordered him to return to Rome, but to leave his army behind. Caesar feared that his opponents would destroy him, so he ignored the order and marched his army back home. Caesar's orders plainly told him not to bring his army across the Rubicon River. When he marched the army across the river, he knew he faced civil war. Today when people say they are "crossing the Rubicon," they refer to a very big decision that cannot be undone.

     Caesar defeated the Senate's army and returned to Rome. The Roman people admired him as a war hero and a strong leader. He became the dictator of Rome. A dictator is a ruler with complete control.

     Caesar made many changes in Rome. He promised honest government. He also redesigned the calendar. Caesar's calendar is closely related to the one we use today. The month of July is named for Julius Caesar.

     Caesar returned to Rome in 44BC and was more popular with the people than ever. The Roman people proclaimed him dictator for life. They hoped Caesar would bring peace to Rome. The Senators were outraged at Caesar's power and popularity. On March 15, 44BC, sixty of his enemies confronted Caesar and stabbed him to death.

Cool Link Alert

• William Shakespeare wrote a famous play about the death of Caesar.
• Learn more about Early Roman Calendar

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To cite this page:
Dowling, Mike., "The Electronic Passport to Julius Caesar," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/702-caesar.html; Internet; updated Thursday, March 16, 2000 6:06 PM