Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BC) was a Roman statesman, military commander, and author who played a decisive role in the transformation of the Roman Republic. Born into the ancient patrician Julian family, he rose through Rome’s political system and became consul in 59 BC. Caesar gained enormous military and political influence through his campaigns in Gaul, which he later described in Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War). Written in the third person, the work is both a military account and an important example of classical Latin prose. His Commentarii de Bello Civili (Commentaries on the Civil War) describes the conflict between Caesar and his political rival Pompey and the struggle that followed Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon in 49 BC. After defeating Pompey and his allies, Caesar became the dominant political figure in Rome and was appointed dictator, eventually being named dictator perpetuo (dictator in perpetuity) in 44 BC. His concentration of power provoked opposition among a group of Roman senators. On March 15, 44 BC—the Ides of March—Caesar was assassinated by conspirators including Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. Caesar's writings became important works of Latin literature and historical testimony. His political career and military victories profoundly affected the final decades of the Roman Republic and the subsequent emergence of the Roman Empire. His name also became a title associated with later Roman rulers and monarchs in other European traditions.