Download From Pompey to Caesar

The Rise and Fall of
Julius Caesar
Gnaeus Pompeii
106-48 BC
• Gained recognition in Spain,
77 BC then during the
insurgency of Spartacus (7371 BC).
• He joined with Marcus
Crassus, the richest man in
Rome, they marched to the
gates of Rome and demanded
consulships (he was 36!)
• As Consuls, they canceled
Sulla’s “reforms” and retired.
Pompey returns...
• In 67 BCE, the Senate asked
Pompey to deal with Pirates
in the Med Sea and
renewed fighting with King
Mithradates
• Returning in 62 BCE, Pompey
asked for land grants to his
soldiers, which was rejected
by the Senate.
• Such shortsightedness
drove Pompey into an
alliance with Julius
Caesar.
Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC • Governor of Spain, returned to
Rome in 60 BC- intending to run
for consul-Senate said no!
• Teamed up with Pompey and
Crassus to form the 1st
Triumverate and became a
consul
• After his term as consul, he took
governorship over two northern
territories (Gaul) and initiated the
Gallic Wars
• Legacy: brought western Europe
into the mainstream of civilization
Caesar’s Gallic Wars,
58 – 52 BCE
Caesar’s victories
over the Gauls
(Celts) were
incredible…
…sending back to
Rome untold wealth
from plunder and
almost one million
slaves with another
million counted as
dead.
Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar, 52 BC (after the Battle of Alesia)
• Fearing his rising
power, the Senate
recalled Caesar…
without his army!
• When Caesar crossed
the Rubicon river in
49 BCE, he started a civil
war.
• Pompey was convinced
by Senate leaders to
come out of retirement
and defend the Senate
2nd Civil War
Caesar (the Populares)
vs
49-46 BCE–
Pompey (the Optimates)
• Caesar defeated Pompey- Battle of Pharsalus (48 BCE)
then followed him to Egypt where Pompey was killed.
After Pharsalus, Pompey escaped to Egypt with Caesar chasing
him only to be assassinated.
Caesar & Cleopatra
Caesar restored
Cleopatra to
power, gave her a
son (Caesarion), then
returned with her to
Rome in 46 BCE
Caesar: “dictator for life”
• Pardoned Senators
but raised members
to 900
• Gave public land to
his soldiers and the
poor
• Granted citizenship
to provinces
• Raised pay of
soldiers
• Reorganized town
governments and
the courts
• Lowered taxes on
provinces
• Started building
projects
Caesar’s assassination and the 2nd Triumverate
• March 15, 44 BC
• Marc Antony
joined with
Octavian and
Lepidus to defeat
Brutus, Cassius &
the other
conspirators
• Both Antony and
Octavian wanted to
be “number 1”
From Octavian to Augustus
Antony & Cleopatra
End of the 2nd Triumverate…3rd Civil War
• 13 years of civil
war between
Marc Antony and
Octavian Caesar
• The Battle of
Actium 31 BCE
• Cleopatra and
Antony fled to
Egypt where
they committed
suicide
Augustus, 27 BCE
• Octavian became
Augustus by Senate
decree
• Created a bureaucracy
to oversee grain supply
and distribution, water
supply, public buildings,
tax collection, city watch
among many other
things
• His policies laid the
foundation for 200
years of peace and
prosperity-”the Pax
Romana.”