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Julius Caesar
By EJ
Julius Caesar is one of the most famous rulers of
Ancient Rome. He accomplished many great things while
he was dictator of the Roman Empire. He wasn’t always
popular with his senators but the people liked him. Rome
was known as a brutal place where wars were common and
blood flowed often. Caesar wanted better things for Rome.
Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C. He grew up
very interested in being successful and was involved in
politics. Julius Caesar joined the Roman senate in 60 B.C.
after returning from Spain where he had been a governor
for a year. He became part of a partnership known as the
First Triumvirate along with two other men, Crassus and
Pompey. After his term was over, he became appointed
governor of Gaul, a place northwest of the Italian
peninsula. As the leader of the army, he captured most of
Western Europe. Caesar won many victories.
The senators of Rome weren’t happy with Caesar
leading his army into so many successful battles. They
wanted him to return home and not bring his army with
him. Caesar was afraid that his enemies at home would try
to kill him. He headed back to Rome bringing his army
with him. Disobeying the Senate’s orders, Caesar crossed
the Rubicon River and seized control of Italy. Pompey,
who had been a friend of Caesar, was forced to flee to
Greece with his army. Caesar kept chasing him so Pompey
went to Egypt. It was there that he was killed and his
decapitated head was given to Caesar by the ten year old
king of Egypt, Ptolemy XIII.
The people of Rome were tired of the fighting and
civil wars. They wanted peace and hoped that Julius
Caesar would help them get it. In 46 B.C., he was voted
dictator for life. Caesar wanted the senators in the
government to be more fair and honest so he fired the bad
ones and hired better men. Caesar wanted to help the poor
people by giving them land for free if they would move to
part of Rome that hadn’t been settled yet.
The Romans who elected Caesar thought he was a
heroic and wise leader. Not everyone liked him though and
were afraid that he was gaining too much power and
control over the city. His own Senate plotted to kill him.
On March 15, 44 BC, his own friend Brutus, along with
other senators mobbed him and stabbed Caesar to death.
He crawled in front of a statue of his former friend Pompey
and died as his blood pooled around him.
One thing that we still use today that Julius Caesar
worked on is our calendar. He changed it to have 365 1/4
days in a 12 month year. Every four years, we have Leap
Year to take care of the extra day that adds up. The month
of July is named after Julius Caesar.
Bibliography
Petrovich, Michael,et al eds. “Ancient Rome”.
World Cultures. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdett Ginn, 1995.
www.mrdowling/cin/702-caesar.html