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The Roman Times
Thursday Nov 17, 43 BC
Caesar Our Hero
Licinius Gaxus
Rome Correspondent
ROME- A recent poll put
Julius Caesar’s approval
rating among the lower class
at an incredible 82%. An
overwhelming majority of our
lower class Romans approve
of Caesar's rule. Analysis of
the poll shows two main
reasons why the people love
him so much.
The first reason, unsurprisingly, is that Caesar gave many in the
lower class money after a recent war. Senator Cassius remarked
“This is an obvious case of bribery*. He wants their support so he
paid them off. He only cares about his own personal gain and
power!” His arguments clearly did not matter to the lower class.
Secondly, Caesar’s incredible war record over the barbarians has
brought peace and safety that Rome hasn’t seen in decades. For
years people have lived in fear of being attacked and having their
homes destroyed. “Without the attacks we can finally work in
peace” said one local merchant.
* Bribery - to try to make someone do something for you by giving them money,
presents, etc
Caesar was very popular among the poor but many in
Rome did not want a return to rule by one man. They
wished to keep the Republic government where all
citizens had power.
Caesar made coins with his image and the words
“dictator* for life” printed on them. No living leader had
ever been put on a Roman coin. Many felt this action
proved he planned to one day rule as king.
This man’s tomb pictured above was covered with graffiti,
but it was not praising Caesar. The Latin phrase “SERVO
RES PUBLICA” (Save the republic) was carved into the
"Caesar Dictator for Life"
walls of the tomb in multiple places as seen above. It
appears many people, not just a few jealous senators, wanted Caesar removed from power.
*Dictator: someone appointed by the Senate to rule in an emergency for 6 months
Various Quotes
"The Senators' hatred towards Caesar was caused by his
desire for royal power and his extreme arrogance. Once,
after returning from battle the Senators attempted to
give a gift to Caesar to honor him. Caesar refused to
stand up to receive his gift and greatly offended the
Senate. This was the way that a king would have received
his visitors; however Caesar was not supposed to be a
king. His refusal to stand for the Senate, the ruling
power of Rome, led to a great controversy. It is rumored
that one of his friends, Cornelius Balbus, urged him not
to stand and whispered to him: "Remember that you are
Caesar, and you should be seen as their superior."
- Plutarch
"Our tyrant* deserved to die. Here was a man who
wanted to be king of the Roman people and ruler of the
whole world. If you agree with his goals, you must also
want the destruction of our laws and freedom. It is not
right or fair to want to be king in a country that used to
be free and ought to be free today."
- Cicero
*tyrant - a ruler who has total power and acts brutally
A Man of Many Talents
Born into the patrician class, Caesar
was highly educated and had a
personality full of charm. These traits
helped make him a skilled politician.
Caesar was also a military genius. His
many successful military campaigns
gained him wide support and
popularity among the common
people. Caesar also won the loyalty of
his soldiers. He commanded a
powerful army of 50,000 men. He
conquered many new territories and
added to Rome's wealth.
When Ceasar became dictator, he
used his power to make many
changes and improvements in Rome, but it was often without the
approval of the Senate. Caesar created new colonies and gave
away land to poor Romans who wanted to move there. These
people could make a better life for themselves. For the poor in
Rome, he gave away free grain to feed them.
Caesar gave citizenship to foreigners (people who were not born
in Rome) so they could now participate in the government.
Caesar also allowed the Senate to continue working and even
made it larger. With a larger Senate, this meant that more
Romans would have their views represented in government.
Finally, he created a new calendar named the Julian calendar. This
very calendar, with a few small adjustments, is the same one
used around the world today.
Julius Caesar
During the time of Caesar, the Roman Republic was in trouble.
Rome was a huge and wealthy empire, but the Senate did a poor
job of running it. The senators were corrupt and often took bribes.
Rome was overrun with crime and people were afraid to go out in
the streets. People were out of work and taxes increased. Power
lay in the hands of the Senate, elected by the Roman citizens, but
the senators were not fixing Rome's problems. The Romans were
angry with the government and wanted a strong leader. Julius
Caesar was an obvious choice.
Caesar, as a military general,
captured most of Western Europe and
governed it. His successes on the
battlefield made him the most popular
man in Rome.
The senate was afraid of the power
and popularity Caesar gained through
his battles. In 49 BC, the Senate
ordered Caesar to return to Rome,
but to leave his army behind. Caesar
knew that if he obeyed the senate
and split up his army, his career
would be over and his life would
perhaps be in danger. Caesar ignored
the senate’s orders and marched his
army back to Rome. It was illegal under Roman law for a general
to enter Rome with an army, but Caesar did it anyway. Over the
next few years, he defeated his enemies and took power for
himself in Rome.
In 44 BC, Julius Caesar ordered the Senate to make him dictator
for life. Caesar's actions threatened to end the Republic once and
for all. Fearing this change, a group of senators plotted and
murdered Caesar on the Ides of March.