Gaius Julius Caesar (102N-44 years. BC) - the great Roman general and statesman - born July 12, 102 years BC. This statement is a German historian Theodor Mommsen (1817-1903) is contrary to the testimony of ancient historians such as Suetonius, Plutarch and Appian, who wrote that
Caesar was assassinated at the age of 56 years and, consequently, was born in 100 BC. However, more human, apparently, Mommsen. His assertion is based on the fact that
Caesar has consistently passed all the republican government posts and already in the year 65 BC. aediles was elected, and the Roman law of persons occupying the post aediles, can not be under the age of 37-38 years.
Gaius Julius Caesar came from an old patrician family, who was back from the legendary Yul, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus and Anchises. Later, becoming the dictator of Rome,
Caesar, paid tribute to their ancestors and built on the forum Temple of Venus Genetrix. From a young age plunged into politics, he became one of the leaders of the People's Party is popular, but his patrician background prevented him from a position as tribune of the people, to which
Caesar sought. At the same time Julian genus belonging to the Roman nobility, pulled from their ranks a few statesmen who have held senior positions in the Magistrates. Uncle
Caesar was Consul: Sextus
Julius Caesar (91 g. BC), Lucius
Julius Caesar (90 g. BC) and his father, whose name (
Gaius Julius) passed to his son, served as praetor. Most members of his family belonged to the senatorial party Optimates, representing the interests of the old aristocracy, but
Caesar from the beginning he joined the popular. The reason for this, no doubt, was his relationship with Guy Marius, the husband of his aunt Julia.
Caesar was born in the year when Mari won the first great victory over the Germanic tribes Teutons. He grew up and was brought up, seeing before him a brilliant career of the great warrior, and, of course, joined by his party, and to his success. We know little about the kind of education received
Caesar. His mother, Aurelia came from a noble patrician family, . and Tacitus mentions her name next to the name of Cornelia, . mother's brothers Gracchi, . as an example of the Roman matrons, . whose strictness and demands helped instill in her son is a warrior and statesman,
. Teacher
Caesar was a man of Antony, a native of Gaul (obviously meant Cisalpine Gaul). According to eyewitnesses, Anthony is equally well versed both in Greek and in Latin literature, and several years later founded a school of rhetoric, which in 66 BC, when he was praetor, he attended Cicero. Perhaps it was because his teacher
Caesar interested in Gaul, its people and with compassion come to regard the requirements of the political rights of the Gauls, who lived in the lands conquered by the Romans in Northern Italy.
At the sixteenth year of life (87 g. BC)
Caesar lost his father and simultaneously put monochrome toga (toga virilis) as a symbol of maturity. Social War (90-89 g. BC) with the Italic communities, in which Rome defeated though still endowed the inhabitants of Italy, though not all, Roman citizenship and, consequently, the electoral law. The outbreak of civil war soon, . which oppose each other two parties, . brought temporary success of popular, . which were headed by
Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna (the leader of another party - Lucius Cornelius Sulla fought at this time in the East with the king of Pontus Mithridates),
. Marius and Cinna had resorted to mass slaughter of their political opponents, which killed both his uncle
Caesar. But
Caesar was the most supported, and he (flamen Dialis) priest of Jupiter, the supreme god of Rome. The following year (year of the death of Mary)
Caesar the engagement with Kossutsiey, a girl from the equestrian, but a very rich family, though, and needed money, and asked the hand of Cornelia, the daughter of Tsinny. After receiving consent, it consolidated its position in the ruling party.
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
But soon his political career was interrupted by the triumphant return of Sulla (82 g. BC), who had seized power in Rome. The new lord ordered him to divorce his wife, but the refusal hearing, deprived him of property and dismissed the priest, and only the intercession of relatives who were part of the inner circle of Sulla, and the college virgin Vestals saved the lives of young men.
Resigned from his priestly duties (81 g. BC),
Caesar went to the East and took part in his first campaign under Minucius start (or Mark, as in Suetonius) Therma engaged in the suppression of the last pockets of resistance to Roman authority in the province of Asia. At the storming of Mytilene, a city on the island of Lesbos, for saving the life of a Roman citizen, a soldier, he received the award (corona civica) - "oak wreath". In 78 BC, to.
Caesar served under the command of Servilia Isavrika and fought with the Cilician pirates, but when he heard about the death of Sulla, he immediately returned to Rome.
Caesar was not to be drawn into a conspiracy make Lepidus, who spoke with a hare-brained plans to cancel all innovations Sulla by force, and used other means of political struggle.
Gaius Julius brought to court (77 g. BC), two prominent senators - sullantsev Gneya Cornelius Dolabella and
Gaius Anthony on charges of robbery and extortion during the management of the provinces of Macedonia and Greece.
Caesar lost two cases, but was able to show the people the corruption of the senatorial councils,. After these failures
Caesar decided some time to take an active part in politics and went to Rhodes to study the art of eloquence of the famous Apollonia Moloney. During this voyage he was seized by pirates in ransom and kept in their surroundings with remarkable equanimity and even threatened to return and crucify them. Once the ransom arrived and he was released,
Caesar was not slow to fulfill his threat. While
Gaius Julius studied at Rhodes, has started a third war against Mithridates VI Evpatoria.
Caesar immediately collected an army of volunteers and helped to retain the loyalty to Rome hesitated Asian province. When to take command of Roman troops in Asia, arrived Lucullus, . future ruler returned to Rome, . where he was informed, . what he beat his rivals in the elections to place pontiff, . which is vacant after the death of his uncle on the maternal line Gaia Aurelia Cotta,
.
Caesar was also the first of six (tribuni militum a populo) military tribunes, elected by the people, but evidence of his service in this post has survived. Suetonius says that
Caesar eagerly rushed to restore the rights of people's tribune, substantially limited Sulla, and was able to pass a law of amnesty to citizens who fled the civil war to Sertorij and fought in Spain. It was not so much a staunch fighter for the cause is popular, but did everything in his power to the collapse of the regime sullanskogo. The crisis in the country, provoked an uprising of slaves led by Spartacus, led to a concentration of legislative and administrative functions in the hands of Pompey and Crassus, who in 70. BC. limit the power of the Senate, returned the tribune of the people their rights and opportunities to legislative initiative and returned equestrian estate priority in the administration of judicial posts. Judicial reform (or rather compromise) was the result of
Caesar's uncles on the maternal side Lucia Aurelia Cotta. However,
Caesar himself had not received any benefit from this relationship. In 69 BC. he served as quaestor under Anistii PowerDemo, the governor of the province Near Spain. Returning to Rome (according to Suetonius),
Gaius Julius Caesar led the real revolutionary agitation among the residents Transpadanii for the receipt of all political rights, in which they were denied Sulla.
.
Caesar and Pompey.
.
Caesar knew everything as a man who loves to enjoy life, a man famous for its debts and intrigue
. In politics,
Gaius Julius Caesar had no other support but has lost the confidence of the party is popular (now its role was limited to a weak support of Pompey and Crassus). But shortly after the Senate has once again shown its lack of foresight, sent Pompey to the East, and the consuls of 67-66 years. BC. Aulus Gabinius and Manilius gave Pompey unprecedented powers.
Caesar plunged into a network of political intrigues, which is now not possible to disentangle. In their speeches, the future ruler not missed an opportunity to speak for democracy. Already in 68 BC, at the funeral of his aunt Julia, he exhibited busts of her husband, Mary, and in 65 BC, playing position Curule aediles,
Caesar returned the trophies Mary in the temple on the Capitol. In 64 BC, chairing the commission that investigated the murder, he indicted the three executioners appointed Sulla during the proscriptions, and in 63 BC. made in investigating the assassination of Saturninus the initiative to revive the ancient procedure of hearing the national assembly. These measures, as well as the generosity lavished
Caesar when decorating the city and the structure of games and shows, which is the responsibility aediles, won him such popularity among the plebs, that in 63 BC. He was elected as a great pope, beating such famous contenders as Quintus Lutatius Catulus and Publius Servilius Isavrik. But all this was only the outer shell of its activities. Without a doubt,
Caesar knew at least some of the plot threads that were conducted during the campaign of Pompey in the East.
Pompeius
According to one witness, the party of conspirators - Catilina, Avtrony and others - agreed to 1 я?пҐп?п°я€я? 65 years before AD. to kill the consuls, Crassus declare a dictator and
Caesar became captain of cavalry. Until we have also reached the attention that has been suggested that the
Caesar's extraordinary military power in Egypt, which at that time there was a legitimate king, and who was under the protection of Rome. At the end of 64 years before AD. attempt to create a counterweight to power of Pompey, was unsuccessful, was made a tribune Servilia Rullo. He proposed a land commissions with broad rights, which in fact would be headed by
Caesar and Crassus. Proposal Rullo not passed through Cicero, who became consul in 63 BC. In the same year was uncovered conspiracy Catiline. Together with other accomplices in the crime was charged and
Caesar, in a heated discussion in the Senate, it indicated one of the leaders of the old aristocracy Cato. But
Caesar could not do otherwise because of their party affiliation, and opposed the decision by the end of the execution of the conspirators. Crassus, also fell under suspicion of complicity with the conspirators, was the richest man in Rome, prosecutors seemed very improbable that he supported the anarchist ideas rebels. However,
Caesar and Crassus, without a doubt, only pretended to know nothing about the affairs of the left wing of their party and the conspirators. All this only contributed to worsening the situation within the government.
As praetor (62 g. BC)
Caesar supported proposals that did the supporters of Pompey. This led to a strong confrontation with his Senate. Such tactics
Caesar was carefully thought out to them, as well as the return of Pompey was near. When he finally landed on the coast of Italy and disbanded his army, then met in the person of
Caesar's ally. After pretury creditors are not allowed to leave the
Caesar of Rome, while he will not return them the money. However, Crassus lent him 200 thousand pounds, making it possible to travel to the province. Finally,
Gaius Julius Caesar left Rome and went to distant Spain, where he hoped to improve their financial situation and create a reputation as a superb commander. Upon his return to Rome in 60 BC.
Caesar discovered that the Senate has donated support for equestrian estates (which Cicero so keen to keep). In the end, die-hard Senate finally alienated himself and Pompey, having refused to ratify the bills and give the land of his soldiers.
Caesar at once began to associate with Pompey and Crassus, who alike, but in his own hated the existing system of government. He managed to persuade them to forget the quarrel and create a coalition that would end the rule of oligarchy. Future ruler even made a noble, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to enlist the support of Cicero. Was created so-called first triumvirate, and constitutional government ceased to exist.
Caesar became the first reward of his victory in the elections, where he was elected consul. For her sake
Caesar had to abandon the triumph of the right to which he received in Spain. Second consul was elected Mark Bibul belonging to the intransigence of the Senate oligarchy and with the support of his party in every way used the constitution to prevent the holding of bills proposed by
Caesar. However,
Caesar was able to defeat the opposition by persuading veterans of Pompey the need to drive his colleague from the forum. Bibul was a prisoner in his own house, and
Caesar was to decide all affairs of the republic, at its discretion. Thus, the goal was achieved coalition. The Senate finally approved the disposal of Pompey in the East. The proposal to purchase land plots in the campaign through cash generated from the exploitation of new lands and give pompeevskim veterans. This, however, prevented the aspirations of the richest of the Romans, mostly to the horsemen, whose interests expressed Crassus, lease of land, were referred to Rome as a result of the gains of Asian land. It reaffirmed the right of Ptolemy Avleta to the Egyptian throne (for a fee of 1 500 000 pounds), and adopted a new law on the prevention of extortion by local rulers.
.
Life Story (Part II).
Life Story (Part III).
