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Julius Caesar Rome was growing and quite wealthy popular with the Roman people that they after the second Punic War, but the were able to ignore the wishes of the republic faced serious problems. Senate. Many Roman politicians took bribes Under Roman law, an official could and often encouraged violent mobs to not be arrested while he was in power. help them rise to power. Soldiers Knowing the Senate would have him returning home from years at war could jailed as soon as he left the consulship, not find work because rich landowners Caesar arranged to be appointed used slaves to do the work once done by governor of a Roman province poor Romans. in Gaul. Gaul was a territory The republic also became embroiled northwest of the Italian in several civil wars. A civil war is a war peninsula. within a nation. Many Romans wanted a Upon taking office in strong leader, and the ambitious Julius Gaul, Caesar used his Caesar was an obvious choice. personal fortune to raise a private army. Gaius Julius Caesar was a patrician For the next nine years Caesar led his and popular general when he was first troops across Western Europe, killing or elected consul in 59BCE. Marcus Biblius enslaving millions and conquering lands was Caesar’s co-consul, but Caesar paid that added to the Roman Republic. no attention to the wishes of Biblius and In 49BCE, the Senate ordered Caesar the Senate. to disband his personal army and to Caesar ordered the redistribution of return to Rome as a private citizen. lands to the poor, a decision that made Caesar once again feared arrest, so he him very popular with the Roman people ignored the order and marched his army but angered angered many wealthy back to Rome. Caesar’s orders clearly landowning senators. Biblius attempted told him not to bring his troops across the to veto Caesar’s act, but Caesar’s mob Rubicon River. When Caesar reached attacked the co-consul. The terrified the river, he knew he faced an important Biblius retired to his home and left decision. Caesar knew that if he obeyed Caesar in control of the Roman the Senate and disbanded his army, his government. career would be over; but if he marched The Senate tried to block Caesar’s his troops across the river, the Senate decisions, so he formed a partnership would order Pompey and his army to with his former enemies, Crassus and retaliate. Today when people say they Pompey. Historians often refer to this are “crossing the Rubicon,” they refer to alliance as the First Triumvirate. A a very significant decision that cannot be triumvirate is a partnership of three equal undone. rulers. Neither Crassus nor Pompey were As Caesar’s army approached Rome, consuls, but the three generals were so many frightened senators fled the city. Pompey announced that “Rome cannot be defended,” and retreated south with his army. The remaining senators named Caesar dictator. For the next several months, Caesar and his army pursued Pompey throughout the Mediterranean until Pompey led his army to Egypt. When Caesar arrived in Egypt, he met Ptolemy XIII, the ten-year-old ruler of the ancient land. Hoping to gain favor with Rome, Ptolemy presented Caesar with Pompey’s decapitated head. Caesar then met and fell in love with Cleopatra, the older sister of Ptolemy XIII. Caesar spent a year with Cleopatra, and then returned to Rome as a conquering hero. The Senate elected, then re-elected Caesar consul, breaking the Roman tradition that a consul serve only one year. While in power, Caesar settled 80,000 of his soldiers in colonies, built buildings and monuments throughout the city, and reformed the calendar. When Caesar came to power, the calendar was out of alignment with the seasons. Caesar instituted the Julian calendar of 365¼ days. Caesar added a month to the calendar and named it July for himself. Caesar’s calendar is closely related to the calendar we use today. In 44BCE, Caesar arranged to be named dictator for life. A dictator is a ruler with complete control. The Senate had appointed dictators in the past, but only in great emergencies and for a period of no more than six months. Caesar ignored the Senate and ruled without their consent. Many Senators became enraged because Caesar broke with Roman tradition and behaved as if he were a king. On March 15, 44BCE, a mob of sixty senators stabbed the dictator to death in the Roman Forum. Ironically, Caesar fell to his death at the foot of a statue of Pompey, the general who Caesar defeated. With Caesar dead, Rome fell into a period of civil wars that would lead to the end of the Roman Republic and the creation of the first Roman Emperor. Fill in the Blanks Rome was a growing world power after the P______c Wars, but the Romans needed a strong l________r. The S_______e elected a popular g________l named Julius C_______ar to the c__________l in ____BCE. Caesar formed the First T______________e with P________ey and C__________s. Caesar feared the S________rs would a_______st him at the end of his term, so he arranged to be appointed g_________or of G_______l. Caesar’s army e__________ed or killed million as they c____________d lands that a________d to the growing Roman E________re. In 49BCE, the S_______te ordered Caesar to d__________d his a________ and return to Rome. Caesar i__________d these orders and marched his army across the R__________n River back to R_________. The Senate raised an army led by P_______ey, but as Caesar’s army approached Rome, Pompey announced that “Rome cannot be d__________ed.” Caesar and his army chased Pompey across the M__________________n Sea until Pompey reached E________t. Caesar arrived shortly after to find that the ten-year-old king of Egypt d________________d Pompey in order to gain favor with Caesar. Caesar returned to Rome to become d__________or. His many r__________s made Caesar popular with the people, but he continued to i_________re the Roman Senate. On March 15, 44BCE, a m___b of angry S__________rs killed Julius Caesar. 1. Why did many Roman people feel the need for a strong leader in 59BCE? 2. Describe an instance where you or someone you know has “crossed the Rubicon.” 3. What is a dictator? 4. Why did the senators kill Julius Caesar? 5. Was Julius Caesar a good or bad leader for Rome? Use at least two facts from the article to support your statement.