The Biography of Julius Caesar

When he was sixteen, his father died and Caesar became the head of the family. Deciding that being in the priesthood would bring the most benefit to the family, he managed to have himself nominated as the new High Priest of Jupiter. When the Roman ruler, Sulla, declared himself dictator, he began a systematic purge of his enemies and particularly of those who held to the Popular ideology. Caesar was targeted and fled Rome but his sentence was lifted through the intercession of his mother’s family.

Still, he was removed from his position as priest and his wife’s dowry was confiscated. Left without a way of providing for himself or his family, Caesar joined the army. Caesar was very good in the army. In 75 BCE, while sailing to Greece, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. While he was held captive by them, Caesar was treated well and consistently maintained a friendly relationship with the pirates. He is said to have repeatedly told them that, upon his release, he would hunt them down and have them crucified for the affront to his family and personal dignity and this threat the pirates understood as a joke. Upon his release, however, Caesar made good on that threat. He had the pirates’ throats slit before crucifixion, however, in a show of leniency owing to their easy treatment of him in captivity. This determination of Caesar’s, to do exactly what he said he would do, became one of his defining characteristics throughout his life.

In 84 BC, Julius Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of a nobleman. Together they had a daughter, Julia Caesaris, in 76 B.C. In 69 BC, Cornelia passed away. In 67 BC, Caesar married Pompeia, the granddaughter of the Roman dictator, Sulla. Their marriage lasted a handful of years; in 62 BC, the couple divorced. In 59 BC, Caesar wed Calpurnia, a teenager to whom he remained married for the rest of his life. He also had several affairs including Cleopatra VII, the queen of Egypt, with whom he had a son, Caesarion.

When Sulla died, Caesar returned to Rome. He was now a military hero from his years in the army. He quickly rose up the ranks in the Roman government. He made allies with powerful men such as the general Pompey the Great and the wealthy Crassus. Caesar was an excellent speaker and the people of Rome loved him. At the age of 40 Julius Caesar was elected to consul. Consul was the highest ranking position in the Roman Republic. The consul was like a president, but there were two consuls and they only served for one year. At the end of his year as consul, Caesar became governor of the province of Gaul.

Some people in Rome felt that Caesar was too powerful. They were worried that his rule would put an end to the Roman Republic. They plotted to kill him. The leaders of the plot were Cassius and Brutus. On March 15, 44 BC Caesar entered the Senate. A number of men ran up to him and began to attack him and killed him. He was stabbed 23 times. As governor of Gaul, Caesar was in charge of four Roman legions. He was a very effective governor and general. He conquered all of Gaul. He gained the respect and honor from his army and soon was considered alongside Pompey as the greatest general in the Roman army. Conclusion In conclusion, I like learning about Julius and his life. Ancient Rome is really fascinating if you ask me. In conclusion, I know that he was an emperor of Rome and started the age of emperor in Ancient Rome which is an amazing feat. I think he is the second most greatest emperor in Rome, Octavian being the first. I enjoyed researching and writing about Julius Caesar.