Download Chp.34.End.Republic.Reading.Questions

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The Final Years of the Republic
Directions: Read the following article about Julius Caesar’s rise to power, ending the Roman
Republic, and then answer the questions that follow.
A new practice developed in Rome, in which the army was paid
with gold and land. Soldiers no longer fought for the good of the
Republic but fought instead for tangible rewards. Gradually,
soldiers became more loyal to the generals who could pay them
than to the Roman Republic itself. It was within this changing
atmosphere that military leaders such as Julius Caesar were able to
seize control of and put an end to the Roman Republic.
Julius Caesar was a man of many talents. Born into the patrician
class, Caesar was intelligent, educated, and cultivated. An excellent
speaker, he possessed a sharp sense of humor, charm, and
personality. All of these traits combined helped make him a skilled
politician.
Moreover, Caesar was a military genius. His many successful
military campaigns gained him broad support and popularity among
the common people. Caesar also won the undying loyalty of his
soldiers, who supplied him with the necessary muscle to seize
power.
Julius Caesar began his rise to power in 60 B.C.E. by forging an
alliance with another general, Pompey, and a wealthy patrician,
Crassus. Together, these three men assumed control of the Roman
Republic, and Caesar was thrust into the position of consul.
Historians have since dubbed the period of rule by these three men
the First Triumvirate.
Julius Caesar's military might,
political savvy, and diplomatic
genius made him supremely
popular among the Roman
citizenry
Over time, however, the triumvirate broke down. Crassus was killed in battle, and Pompey began
entertaining ideas of ruling without the dangerously popular Caesar. While Caesar was fighting
in Gaul (modern-day France), Pompey and the Senate ordered Caesar to return to Rome without
his army. But when Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in northern Italy, he brought his army with
him in defiance of the senate's order. This fateful decision led to a civil war. Caesar defeated
Pompey's forces and entered Rome in 46 B.C.E., triumphant and unchallenged.
Upon his return, Caesar made himself dictator and absolute ruler of Rome and its territories.
During his rule, he enacted several reforms. Caesar founded many colonies in newly conquered
territories and provided land and opportunity for poor Romans who chose to migrate there. He
reduced the number of slaves and opened citizenship up to people living in the provinces.
Finally, he created a new calendar named the Julian calendar. This very calendar, with a few
minor adjustments, is the same one used around the world today.
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In 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar ordered the Senate to make him dictator for life. Typically, dictators
served for a limited time (usually six months), then stepped down. Caesar's actions threatened to
end the Republic once and for all. Fearing this change, a group of senators plotted and executed
the murder of Caesar on the Ides of March. Although the senators succeeded in ending Caesar's
life, they did not realize at that time that the Republic had died with him.
Rome would now become an empire.
1. What are TWO possible benefits for solders to staying loyal to their generals?
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2. The article mentions that Caesar was a skilled politician, what are some of the qualities
that he possessed?
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3. Explain why the Roman Republic (Senate) be threatened by powerful generals?
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4. What is the First Triumvirate? Who was a part of it?
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5. Why would a civil war between Pompey’s forces and Caesar’s army be dangerous for the
expansion of the Roman Empire?
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6. What reforms did Caesar make to Rome after declaring himself dictator?
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7. Another major Roman figure we have discussed was declared dictator by the Senate,
however he willingly stepped down after defeating the enemy. Who was he?
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8. What date did Caesar die? ________________________
9. When the article states, “died along with him,” what is it referring to?
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