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Political Leadership of Julius Caesar
- What effective and ineffective actions did Julius Caesar take as a political leader? Title: “Julius Caesar’s Rule as Dictator”
By 44 B.C.E. the power held by the aristocracy of the Roman Republic was threatened by the rule of
one man: Julius Caesar. In 45 B.C.E., the Senate made Caesar
dictator for a 10-year period and he instantly became the most
powerful figure in the Republic. Caesar became king in all but name.
He had his name stamped on coins, had his statue put in the temple
and wore royal purple. He took power from the Senate and made the
magistrates (civil officers and judges) his appointees. But, he did not
punish his enemies in the government by sending them from Rome as
most earlier leaders had done.
As dictator, Julius Caesar introduced many economic and social
reforms. He gave work to thousands of Romans by starting projects to
make new roads and public buildings. To keep the poor happy, he staged gladiator contests they could
watch for free. He halted the extensive use of slavery in rural areas and provided jobs for poor people
by passing a measure requiring that a third of the ranch laborers be Roman citizens. By limiting the
number of slaves estates could employ, poor free people were able to find more work. He also
established Roman colonies by giving land to landless peasants and soldiers who had fought with him.
In the provinces (land conquered by Rome) he appointed new governors and made them strictly
accountable so they would no longer plunder the people of all their wealth. He reduced taxes and
made tax collections more fair. He allowed the people in Sicily, Spain and Gaul to become Roman
citizens. All citizens were subject to Roman law, owed their allegiance (loyalty) to the emperor, and
could participate in the central government of Rome or in their local governments (Frey 17).
Caesar's Death:
Caesar did not remain in power long enough to complete his reforms. The aristocrats of Rome and
many Senators feared that if Caesar's power continued, the republican government would never be
restored and Caesar would hand down his leadership to an heir. Thus, Sixty Senators plotted to kill
him. He was warned of the conspiracy, but Caesar chose to ignore it. On March 15, 44 B.C.E., the
assassins struck. As an unarmed Caesar entered the Senate building, a group of senators attacked him
with daggers, stabbing him 23 times.
Source: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/caesar_rome/handout.html
Political Leadership of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar Research Questions
1. What title and powers did the Roman Senate award Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E.?
The Senate made Julius Caesar dictator for 10 years in 45 BCE.
2. List the popular steps and reforms taken by Julius Caesar to improve Rome. Why
did these steps make Julius Caesar popular among the Roman citizens?
Julius Caesar created job opportunities for people, had free gladiator fights,
stopped some of the slavery in rural places, and created jobs for those people by
making sure that 1/3 of the people working in these places were Roman citizens.
Now poor people who were free could find work. Caesar created colonies by giving
land to the peasants and soldiers. He chose the governors of places that Rome had
defeated, but made sure that they would not take everyone’s money. He lessened
tax amounts, and when they were being collected, made the more fair. He even let
the people from Spain, Gaul, and Sicily to become citizens of Rome.
3. Identify the unpopular steps taken by Julius Caesar that made aristocrats and
Senators fear Caesar’s power.
Caesar had his name put onto coins, wore purple, a symbol for royalty, had
statues of himself placed in temples, and took power away from the Senate.
Analysis
After reading the informational text on the success and failures of Julius Caesar as a
political leader, write an informative paragraph(s) that identifies and explains the
important points political leaders within a civilization should learn from the political
leadership of Julius Caesar. Support your position with evidence from the text (quotes
Political Leadership of Julius Caesar
and in-text citations) as well as explain what the people of your own civilization will
do to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Political Leadership of Julius Caesar
Write your analysis paragraph (P.E.E.E.R.) in the space below. Color code your paragraph when
complete. (Red=Topic sentence / Green=Explain / Black=Textual Evidence / Orange = Explore /
Blue=Conclusion)
(Double click here to type in the box)
Position Statement – states your topic clearly and effectively
Explain – sentence(s) that explain your position
Evidence – quoted or paraphrased material that provides evidence to support your position
Explore – add additional insight that makes your paragraph unique
Restate – Restate a version of your position starter
Julius Caesar was a great leader, but in the end his arrogance lead to his demise. Caesar
conquered many areas, and won great popularity with the public. He made a mistake in becoming
the sole ruler of Rome, and taking away the Republic that everyone had worked so hard to get. In
Flowing Water, there will be democracy, because this form of government lets the people speak
for themselves, and there is a lesser chance of an assasination like Caesar’s. “...Senators feared
that if Caesar's power continued, the republican government would never be restored and Caesar
would hand down his leadership to an heir,” (paragraph 3). This quote shows that Caesar’s power
was getting to his head, and that this was why the Senators murdered him. The democracy of
Flowing Water will result in a civilization free from a dictator, and this way it will be less likely for
there to be a murder of the leader. This was the exact reason why the Senators killed Caesar—
they wanted a republic. If Caesar had better listened to the people, and had he not been so full of
himself, he might not have been murdered.