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Kids learn about the biography of Julius Caesar from Ancient Rome. The first Christain Roman emperor.

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Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, 23 September 63 BC - 19 August AD 14) was the first and one of the most important Roman Emperors. He led Rome in its transition from a Republic to a great Empire.

Augustus was born at Rome with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus. His father, also Gaius Octavius, came from a respectable but undistinguished family of the equestrian order and was governor of Macedonia before his death in 58 BC. More importantly, his mother Atia was the niece of Rome's greatest general and de facto ruler, Julius Caesar. In 46 BC Caesar, who had no legitimate children, took his grand-nephew soldiering in Hispania, and adopted him by testament as his heir. By virtue of his adoption, following Roman custom, Octavius then assumed the name C. Julius Caesar Octavianus (hereafter "Octavian").

When Caesar was assassinated in March 44 BC, his young heir was with the army at Apollonia, in what is now Albania. At the time, he was only eighteen years old.

Having gained power by means of great audacity, Augustus ruled with great prudence. In exchange for near absolute power, he gave Rome 40 years of civic peace and increasing prosperity, celebrated in history as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. He created Rome's first permanent army and navy and stationed the legions along the Empire's borders, where they could not meddle in politics. A special unit, the Praetorian Guard, garrisoned Rome and protected the Emperor's person. He also reformed Rome's finance and tax systems.

Augustus waged no major wars.

In domestic matters, Augustus channeled the enormous wealth brought in from the Empire to keeping the army happy with generous payments, and keeping the Romans happy by beautifying the capital and staging magnificent games.

Augustus also strongly supported worship of Roman gods, especially Apollo, and depicted Roman defeat of Egypt as Roman gods defeating Egypt's. He sponsored Vergil's Aeneid in the hopes that it would increase pride in Roman heritage. Augustus also launched a morality crusade, promoting marriage, family, and childbirth while discouraging luxury and adultery. It was largely unsuccessful.

A patron of the arts, Augustus showered favors on poets, artists, sculptors, and architects, and his reign is considered the Golden Age of Roman literature.

Augustus's legacy

Augustus was deified soon after his death, and both his borrowed surname, Caesar, and his title, Augustus, became the permanent titles of the rulers of Rome for the next 400 years, and were still in use at Constantinople fourteen centuries after his death, (and the derived titles " Kaiser" and " Tsar" would be used until the early part of the 20th century). The cult of the Divine Augustus continued until Constantine the Great converted the State Religion of the Empire to Christianity in the 4th century.

Many consider Augustus as Rome's greatest emperor; his policies certainly extended the empire's life span and initiated the celebrated " Pax Romana" or "Pax Augusta". He was handsome, intelligent, decisive, and a very shrewd politician, but he was not perhaps as charismatic as the earlier Caesar or his rival Antony; as a result, Augustus is not as renowned as either man, and is often confused with Julius Caesar. Nevertheless, his legacy has proved more enduring.

The month of August (Latin Augustus) is named after Augustus; until his time it was called Sextilis.

In looking back on the reign of Augustus and its legacy to the Roman world, its longevity ought not to be overlooked as a key factor in its success. Augustus's ultimate legacy, however, was the peace and prosperity the empire was to enjoy for the next two centuries under the system he initiated.

Images for kids

Roman aureus bearing the portraits of Mark Antony (left) and Octavian (right), issued in 41 BC to celebrate the establishment of the Second Triumvirate by Octavian, Antony and Marcus Lepidus in 43 BC. Both sides bear the inscription "III VIR R P C", meaning "One of Three Men for the Regulation of the Republic".

A denarius of Sextus Pompeius, minted for his victory over Octavian's fleet, on the obverse the Pharus of Messina, who defeated Octavian, on the reverse, the monster Scylla

The Battle of Actium, by Laureys a Castro, painted 1672, National Maritime Museum, London

The Blacas Cameo showing Augustus wearing a gorgoneion on a three layered sardonyx cameo, AD 20-50

A Parthian returning an aquila, relief in the heroic cuirass of the Augustus of Prima Porta statue.

Virgil reading the Aeneid to Augustus and Octavia, by Jean-Joseph Taillasson, 1787

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Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, 23 September 63 BC - 19 August AD 14) was the first and one of the most important Roman Emperors. He led Rome in its transition from a Republic to a great Empire. Augustus was born at Rome with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus.

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http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/emperors.html

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Busts of First Century Emperors

The story of Rome's Emperors in the first century AD has got it all – love, murder and revenge, fear and greed, envy and pride.

Their history is a rollercoaster that lurches from peace and prosperity to terror and tyranny.

Hereditary rule

Why was the first century so turbulent? The first answer is simple: hereditary rule. For most of this period, emperors were not chosen on the basis of their ability or honesty, but simply because they were born in the right family.

For every great leader, such as Augustus, there was a tyrant like Caligula. For every Claudius there was a Nero; for every Vespasian, a Domitian. Only at the end of the period did Rome take the succession into its own hands and select somebody who was reasonably sane, smart and honest.

Force and violence

What's more, the empire started through violence and depended on force. Emperors could only survive if their people believed they could outgun anyone and everyone else. If an army grew dissatisfied, the emperor was in trouble; if dissatisfaction spread further, he was finished.

Civil war had brought Caesar to power. Once emperor and without an obvious heir, he had adopted Augustus. He may have been the first to choose a successor and call it hereditary succession, but he was not the last – Claudius sidelined his own son in favor of Nero, while Nerva "adopted" Trajan to ensure a smooth succession.

With the Imperial throne offering such enormous power, and the rules of inheritance always open to interpretation, it's no wonder that members of the royal family jostled for position or used extreme methods to get the result they wanted.

Job for life

Finally, once on the throne, there was no easy exit. Emperors had no elections or term limits, no early retirement or pension plans. It was a job for life, so if an emperor was mad, bad or dangerous, the only solution was to cut that life short. Everybody knew it, so paranoia ruled.

For many, the sacrifices required to get the top job were enormous: Tiberius had to divorce the woman he loved for one he did not; Caligula saw most of his family executed or exiled; Claudius was betrayed and then poisoned by the women he loved.

Although the rewards of power were enormous, many smaller players – like Titus, Galba or Vitellius – barely had time to try on the imperial robes before they died. In the first century, politics could seriously damage your health.

Where to next:
The Social Order in Ancient Rome – Emperors and Patricians
Religion in Ancient Rome – Roman worship

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Emperors. Emperors | PBS

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Busts of First Century Emperors The story of Rome's Emperors in the first century AD has got it all - love, murder and revenge, fear and greed, envy and pride. Their history is a rollercoaster that lurches from peace and prosperity to terror and tyranny. Hereditary rule Why was the first century so turbulent?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgPymD-NBQU

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The great conspiracy against Julius Caesar - Kathryn Tempest

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Remember to keep a track of what books, video or websites you are using. the resources I have added below.

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Remember to keep a track of what books, video or websites you are using. the resources I have added below.

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Enjoy your inquiry!
Ms Roberta

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Gaius Julius Caesar (July 100 BC - 15 March 44 BC) was a military commander, politician and author at the end of the Roman Republic.

Caesar became a member of the First Triumvirate, and when that broke up, he fought a civil war against Pompey the Great. Winning the war, Caesar became Roman dictator for life. He was killed by his enemies in Rome.

Later rulers of Rome called themselves "Caesar" and this title was later copied as " Kaiser" and " Tsar ".

Julius Caesar was born in Italy around July 100 BC. The exact date is not known.

At sixteen he was the head of his family, and soon came under threat as Lucius Cornelius Sulla became Roman dictator.

Sulla set about purging Rome of his enemies. Hundreds were killed or exiled, and Caesar was on the list. His mother's family pleaded for his life; Sulla reluctantly gave in, but stripped Caesar of his inheritance. From then on, lack of money was one of the main problems in his life. Caesar joined the army, and left Rome.

On the way across the Aegean Sea, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held prisoner. He maintained an attitude of superiority throughout his captivity. When the pirates thought to demand a ransom of twenty talents of silver, he insisted they ask for fifty. After the ransom was paid, Caesar raised a fleet, pursued and captured the pirates, and imprisoned them. He had them crucified on his own authority, as he had promised while in captivity-a promise the pirates had taken as a joke. As a sign of leniency, he first had their throats cut. He was soon called back into military action.

On the way up

On his return to Rome, he was elected as military tribune, a first step in a political career. He was elected quaestor for 69 BC. His wife Cornelia died that year. After her funeral, Caesar went to serve his quaestorship in Spain. p100 On his return in 67 BC, he married Pompeia (a granddaughter of Sulla), whom he later divorced. In 63 BC he ran for election to the post of Pontifex Maximus, as high priest of the Roman state religion. He ran against two powerful senators; there were accusations of bribery by all sides. Caesar won comfortably, despite his opponents' greater experience and standing.

After his praetorship, Caesar was appointed to govern Roman Spain, but he was still in considerable debt and needed to pay his creditors. He turned to Marcus Licinius Crassus, one of Rome's richest men. In return for political support, Crassus paid some of Caesar's debts and acted as guarantor for others. Caesar left for his province before his praetorship had ended. In Spain he conquered two local tribes, was hailed as by his troops, and completed his governorship in high esteem. Though he was due a 'triumph' in Rome, he also wanted to stand for Consul, the most senior magistracy in the Republic. Faced with the choice between a triumph and the consulship, Caesar chose the consulship. After election, he was a consul in 59 BC.

The First Triumvirate

Caesar took power with Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) and Marcus Licinius Crassus. These three men ruled Rome and were called the Triumvirate.

Caesar was the go-between for Crassus and Pompey. They had been at odds for years, but Caesar tried to reconcile them. Between the three of them, they had enough money and political influence to control public business. This informal alliance, known as the First Triumvirate (rule of three men), was cemented by the marriage of Pompey to Caesar's daughter Julia. Caesar also married again, this time to Calpurnia, who was the daughter of another powerful senator.

Caesar proposed a law for the redistribution of public lands to the poor, a proposal supported by Pompey, by force of arms if need be, and by Crassus, making the triumvirate public. Pompey filled the city with soldiers, and the triumvirate's opponents were frightened.

Caesar's Gallic War

With the agreement of his partners, Caesar became the governor of Gallia ( Gaul). Gaul is the area which is today's Northern Italy, Switzerland, and France.

Caesar was the commander of the Roman legions during the Gallic War. The war was fought on the side of Rome's Gallic clients against the Germans, who wanted to invade Gaul. It was also to extend Rome's control of Gaul. Caesar's conquest of Gaul extended Rome's territory to the North Sea. In 55 BC he conducted the first Roman invasion of Britain. Caesar wrote about this eight-year war in his book De Bello Gallico ('About the Gallic Wars'). This book, written in Latin, is an important historical account.

These achievements got him great military power, and threatened to eclipse Pompey. The balance of power was further upset by the death of Crassus in 53 BC.

Caesar's civil war

In 50 BC, the Senate, led by Pompey, ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome because his term as governor had finished. Caesar thought he would be prosecuted if he entered Rome without the immunity enjoyed by a magistrate. Pompey accused Caesar of insubordination and treason.

Crossing the Rubicon

Caesar and his army approached Rome and crossed the Rubicon, a shallow river in north-east Italy, in 49 BC. It was the point beyond which no army was supposed to go. The river marked the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul to the north, and Italy proper to the south. Crossing the Rubicon caused a civil war. Pompey, the lawful Consul, and his friends, fled from Rome as Caesar's army approached.

Pompey managed to escape before Caesar could capture him. Caesar decided to head for Spain, while leaving Italy under the control of Mark Antony. Caesar made an astonishing 27-day route-march to Spain, where he defeated Pompey's lieutenants. He then returned east, to challenge Pompey in Greece. There, in July 48 BC, at Dyrrhachium Caesar barely avoided a catastrophic defeat. He then decisively defeated Pompey, at the Battle of Pharsalus later that year.

Dictator at last

In Rome, Caesar was appointed Dictator, with Mark Antony as his Master of the Horse (second in command). Caesar presided over his own election to a second consulship and then, after eleven days, resigned this dictatorship.

Late in 48 BC, he was appointed dictator again, with a term of one year. Caesar then pursued Pompey to Egypt, where Pompey was soon murdered. Caesar then became involved in an Egyptian civil war between the child pharaoh and his sister, wife, and co-regent queen, Cleopatra. Perhaps as a result of the pharaoh's role in Pompey's murder, Caesar sided with Cleopatra. He is reported to have wept at the sight of Pompey's head, which was offered to him by the pharaoh as a gift. In any event, Caesar defeated the pharaoh's forces in 47 BC and installed Cleopatra as ruler.

Caesar and Cleopatra celebrated their victory with a triumphant procession on the Nile in the spring of 47 B.C. The royal barge was accompanied by 400 additional ships, introducing Caesar to the luxurious lifestyle of the Egyptian pharaohs. Caesar and Cleopatra never married; Roman Law only recognized marriages between two Roman citizens. Caesar continued his relationship with Cleopatra throughout his last marriage, which lasted 14 years - in Roman eyes, this did not constitute adultery - and may have fathered a son called Caesarion. Cleopatra visited Rome on more than one occasion, staying in Caesar's villa, outside Rome across the River Tiber.

In 46 BC, Caesar defeated Cato and the remnants of Pompey's supporters in Africa. He was then appointed dictator for ten years. In two years he made numerous changes in Roman administration to improve the Republic. Many of these changes were meant to improve the lives of ordinary people. One example, which has lasted, was his reform of the calendar into the present format, with a leap day every four years. In February of 44 BC, one month before his assassination, he was appointed Dictator for life.

Assassination

On the Ides of March (15 March; see Roman calendar) of 44 BC, Caesar was due to appear at a session of the Senate. Mark Antony, fearing the worst, went to head Caesar off. The plotters expected this, and arranged for someone to intercept him.

According to Eutropius, around sixty or more men participated in the assassination. He was stabbed 23 times. According to Suetonius, a physician later established that only one wound, the second one to his chest, had been lethal. The dictator's last words are not known with certainty, and are a contested subject among scholars and historians alike. The version best known in the English-speaking world is the Latin phrase Et tu, Brute? ('You too, Brutus?'). In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, this is the first half of the line: " Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar".

According to Plutarch, after the assassination, Brutus stepped forward as if to say something to his fellow senators; they, however, fled the building. Brutus and his companions then marched to the Capitol while crying out to their beloved city: "People of Rome, we are once again free!". They were met with silence, as the citizens of Rome had locked themselves inside their houses as soon as the rumour of what had taken place had begun to spread.

A wax statue of Caesar was erected in the forum displaying the 23 stab wounds. A crowd who had gathered there started a fire, which badly damaged the forum and the neighbouring buildings. In the ensuing chaos, Mark Antony, Octavian (later Augustus Caesar), and others fought a series of five civil wars, which would end in the formation of the Roman Empire.

The Roman empire and its emperors were so important in history that the word Caesar was used as a title in some European countries to mean emperor, even long after the Roman empire was gone. For example, Germany's emperor was called a up to the year 1919 AD and Russia's emperor was called a Tsar until 1917 AD.

Caesar as author

Caesar was a significant author.

The Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War), campaigns in Gallia and Britannia during his term as proconsul; and

The Commentarii de Bello Civili (Commentaries on the Civil War), events of the Civil War until immediately after Pompey's death in Egypt.

Other works historically attributed to Caesar, but whose authorship is doubted, are:

De Bello Alexandrino (On the Alexandrine War), campaign in Alexandria;

De Bello Africo (On the African War), campaigns in North Africa; and

De Bello Hispaniensi (On the Hispanic War), campaigns in the Iberian peninsula.

These narratives were written and published on a yearly basis during or just after the actual campaigns, as a sort of "dispatches from the front". Apparently simple and direct in style-to the point that Caesar's Commentarii are commonly studied by first and second year Latin students-they are in fact quite sophisticated, aimed at the middle-brow readership of minor aristocrats in Rome, Italy, and the provinces.

Based on remarks by Plutarch, Caesar is sometimes thought to have suffered from epilepsy. Modern scholarship is divided on the subject. It is more certain that he was plagued by malaria, particularly during the Sullan proscriptions of the 80s.

Caesar had four documented episodes of what may have been complex partial seizures. He may additionally have had absence seizures ( petit mal) in his youth. The earliest accounts of these seizures were made by the biographer Suetonius who was born after Caesar died. The claim of epilepsy is countered among some medical historians by a claim of hypoglycemia. This can cause seizures which are a bit like epilepsy.

In 2003, psychiatrist Harbour F. Hodder published what he termed as the "Caesar Complex" theory, arguing that Caesar was a sufferer of temporal lobe epilepsy, and that the symptoms were a factor in Caesar's decision to forgo personal safety in the days leading up to his assassination.

Related pages

Images for kids

This mid-1st-century-BC Roman wall painting in Pompeii is probably a depiction of Cleopatra VII as Venus Genetrix, with her son Caesarion as Cupid. Its owner Marcus Fabius Rufus most likely ordered its concealment behind a wall in reaction to the execution of Caesarion on orders of Octavian in 30 BC.

Marc Antony's Oration at Caesar's Funeral by George Edward Robertson

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Gaius Julius Caesar (July 100 BC - 15 March 44 BC) was a military commander, politician and author at the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar became a member of the First Triumvirate, and when that broke up, he fought a civil war against Pompey the Great.

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http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/patricians.html

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Patricians were the elite class of Rome

Sitting at the top of Roman society were the emperor and the patrician classes.

Although they enjoyed fabulous wealth, power and privilege, these perks came at a price. As Rome's leaders, they couldn't avoid its dangerous power struggles.

Life of luxury

As absolute ruler of Rome and its enormous empire, the emperor and his family lived in suitable style. They stayed at the best villas, ate the finest food and dressed in only the most magnificent clothes.

Life was luxurious, extravagant and indulgent – the emperor's family could spend their days enjoying their favorite pastimes, like music, poetry, hunting and horse racing.

Palace intrigue

Still, it was not an easy life. Succession to the emperor was not strictly hereditary: the throne could pass to brothers, stepsons or even favored courtiers and any heir had to be approved by the Senate.

As a result, royal palaces were constantly filled with political intrigue. Potential heirs and their families always needed to be pushing their name, making their claim and hustling for position.

They would have to keep an eye on their rivals for the throne – including members of their own family – and would need to keep tabs on the many political factions within the Senate. Ultimately, to secure the ultimate prize would often require betrayal, backstabbing and even murder. It all made for a very stressful life in which only the strongest and most determined could survive.

Patricians

Ranked just below the emperor and his relatives, the patrician families dominated Rome and its empire. The word "patrician" comes from the Latin "patres", meaning "fathers", and these families provided the empire's political, religious, and military leadership.

Most patricians were wealthy landowners from old families, but the class was open to a chosen few who had been deliberately promoted by the emperor.

A good education

Boys born into a patrician family would receive an extensive education, usually from a private tutor. This would focus on the subjects a sophisticated noble would be expected to know, as well as some required for his future career. Poetry and literature, history and geography, some mythology and important languages – like Greek – would all be taught.

The Romans also considered lessons in public speaking and the law to be essential parts of a good education. Most young patrician men would go on to careers in politics and government, for which these two subjects were crucial. However, the patrician families were also expected to help continue the ancient priesthoods.

A privileged position

The patrician class enjoyed few privileges: its members were excused some military duties expected of other citizens, and only patricians could become emperor. But this eligibility carried its own dangers: patricians could find themselves becoming wrapped up in palace intrigue. If they ended up on the losing side, they could easily lose their home, their lands and even their lives.

Apart from the plots and politics, however, members of both royal and patrician families faced little work or real responsibility and were blessed with a relatively charmed life – certainly compared to the other inhabitants of Rome at the time.

Where to next:
Life in Roman Times – Home Life
Religion in Ancient Rome – Roman Worship

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Social Order. Patricians | PBS

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Patricians were the elite class of Rome Sitting at the top of Roman society were the emperor and the patrician classes. Although they enjoyed fabulous wealth, power and privilege, these perks came at a price. As Rome's leaders, they couldn't avoid its dangerous power struggles.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrcmojhFmzY

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History vs. Augustus - Peta Greenfield & Alex Gendler

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a Quiz
http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/special/quiz.html

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Which Ancient Roman do you most resemble? Is it the wise Augustus, the unpredictable Nero, the ambitious Cleopatra or the beloved Claudius? Take this quiz and find out for yourself.

Try to answer as honestly as possible. And remember, no cheating or you'll be thrown to the lions!

Good luck...

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. Special Features. Quiz: Who Are You? | PBS

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Which Ancient Roman do you most resemble? Is it the wise Augustus, the unpredictable Nero, the ambitious Cleopatra or the beloved Claudius? Take this quiz and find out for yourself. Try to answer as honestly as possible. And remember, no cheating or you'll be thrown to the lions! Good luck...

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Annotated bibliography worksheet to be used by students - BOOKS

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Top 10 facts

Julius Caesar was born on 13 July in the year 100 BC.

His full name is Gaius Julius Caesar.

Caesar created the Julian calendar, which is the basis for the calendar we use today!

Caesar commanded all of Rome's armies, and won many battles that gave more land to Rome.

Caesar was elected consul of Rome in 59 BC, which is the highest political office you could have at that time.

Caesar invaded Britain twice in 55 and 54 BC, but he didn't try to set up any permanent forts.

Julius Caesar was the first person to have his own bust (face and neck) printed on a Roman coin.

Julius Caesar's defining moment was when he crossed the Rubicon, a river that bordered Rome, and led an army into Rome to take over the government.

By the end of the Roman Civil War in 45 BC, Caesar had been appointed 'Imperator', which meant Roman leader for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately for Caesar, he was killed the next year, 44 BC, on the Ides of March (15 March).

Timeline

Caesar was elected to be a quaestor, which was like a financial administrator

Caesar was elected to be an aedile, looking after temples and public buildings

Did you know?

While Caesar was the dictator of Rome, he changed the calendar! He organised it so there would be 365 days in a year, and 366 on leap years.

The month of July was named after Julius Caesar.

Caesar's family claimed that they were descendants of the goddess Venus.

One of the most famous things Caesar said was 'veni, vidi, vici', which in English means 'I came, I saw, I conquered'.

Caesar was the first Roman leader who had his own head put on a coin.

In the year 75 BC, Caesar was captured by pirates in the Mediterranean Sea! They held him prisoner for 38 days while a friend of Caesar's went to collect the ransom money that the pirates wanted. When Caesar did go free, he gathered an army, sailed back to the island and captured the pirates, and put them in prison.

Caesar was murdered by two of his friends - Brutus and Cassius. They were afraid he was becoming too powerful, and thought he should be stopped.

The day that Julius Caesar was murdered, 15 March, was called 'the Ides of March' in ancient Rome. Today, we still use the expression (from William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, in which Caesar is told: "Beware the Ides of March"), because of what happened to him on that day.

In 42 BC, two years after his death, Caesar was declared a god.

Can you identify the following images in the gallery below?

A stone bust of Julius Caesar

A manuscript of De Bello Gallico

A map of the area covered by the Roman Empire when Caesar died in 44 BC

A coin with Caesar's bust on it

Statues of Caesar in Italy and France

Gallery

About

Caesar invaded Britain twice during the Gallic Wars - once in 55 BC and once in 54 BC. It wasn't until 43 AD that the Romans conquered and ruled Britain, winning battles against the Celtic tribes who lived there.

'Crossing the Rubicon' was one of the most important events in Caesar's life, as it led to the Roman Civil War that made him leader of all Rome. Historians aren't sure where the Rubicon actually was because it's not really a river anymore, but they think it might have been in northeast Italy.

The reason why crossing the Rubicon river was such a big deal is because Caesar was disobeying what the Roman government had asked him to do. He was marching back to Rome with his armies after fighting in Gaul, but the law was that an army had to disband before entering Rome (which would have prevented civil war). Caesar refused to do this, and kept his army together and under his command even when entering the outer boundaries of Rome - crossing the Rubicon. He then used that army to overthrow the government and claim the Roman Empire for himself.

Not only was Caesar a renowned military commander and political leader, but he could write too! He was known for giving excellent speeches, and wrote books on the Gallic Wars ( Commentarii de Bello Gallico) and the Roman Civil War ( Commentarii de Bello Civili).

Caesar started to do a lot of good things when he was made dictator for life, but the Roman Senate was worried that he was becoming too powerful and ambitious. They wanted to keep Rome as a republic, while Caesar wanted something like a monarchy. Cassius and Brutus assassinated Caesar for reasons that they thought were best for Rome and themselves, in the end.

Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, became the next leader of Rome. We know him better as Caesar Augustus.

Famous friends:

Pompey - Pompey was a Roman politician and military leader. Along with Crassus, he and Julius Caesar formed the First Triumverate. He and Caesar eventually became enemies, and Caesar fought against him in the Roman Civil War.

Marc Antony - Marc Antony was a strong supporter of Caesar, and was also a famous military leader and politician. He served with Caesar in Gaul during the Gallic War.

Cicero - A famous orator (speaker), writer and senator. Cicero liked Caesar as a person but didn't agree with him politically. Historians have learned a lot about ancient Rome from documents written by Cicero.

Octavian - Better known as Caesar Augustus, he was Julius Caesar's adopted son and ruled the Roman Empire after Caesar died. He was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.

Brutus and Cassius - Both Brutus and Cassius were Roman politicians who led the plot to kill Caesar.

Cleopatra - Cleopatra was a famous queen of Egypt, who was known for being beautiful, smart and a good leader. She brought prosperity to Egypt, and lived in Alexandria, which was the capital of Egypt at the time. She is also famous for the way she died - when Caesar Augustus was about to conquer Alexandria, she let a poisonous snake bite her.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

Find out about the time when Caesar was kidnapped by pirates! (It wasn't good news for the pirates...)

Children's books about Julius Caesar

Find out more

Julius Caesar facts for kids from the Kiddle encyclopaedia

A brief biography of Caesar

Watch a BBC Bitesize video about why Caesar came to Britain

Read the BBC History guide to Julius Caesar

Examine a marble portrait of Julius Caesar; it's said to be a very good likeness

See for yourself

The British Museum has a marble bust of Julius Caesar

See coins minted at the time of Caesar

Also see

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Julius Caesar was born on 13 July in the year 100 BC. His full name is Gaius Julius Caesar. Caesar created the Julian calendar, which is the basis for the calendar we use today! Caesar commanded all of Rome's armies, and won many battles that gave more land to Rome.

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1. Julius Caesar was his great-uncle and adopted father.

Born on September 23, 63 B.C., Augustus grew up in a town about 25 miles southeast of Rome. His father was a senator (who died unexpectedly when he was four), and his mother was Caesar's niece. As a child, Augustus presumably saw little to none of his famous great-uncle, who was out invading Gaul. Eventually, however, he gained Caesar's trust and began spending more and more time with him, including during a military campaign in Spain. Thanks to his great-uncle, Augustus was able to join the patrician aristocracy, just one of many honors bestowed on him. Then, after a group of senators assassinated Caesar in 44 B.C., Augustus learned of the conqueror's recently redrawn will, in which he was posthumously adopted and bequeathed a generous inheritance.

2. Augustus was not his birth name.

Originally called Gaius Octavius, he changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, aka Octavian, upon being adopted by his great-uncle. Seventeen years later, the Senate awarded him with the name Augustus, meaning "Revered One." He also collected numerous titles over the course of his life, such as pontifex maximus (chief priest), princeps (first citizen), imperator (commander in chief) and divi filius (son of a god), the last of which he took on following Caesar's deification by the Senate. Notably, Augustus never referred to himself in monarchical or dictatorial tones, and he lived in relatively modest quarters. Yet because he amassed supreme power, historians refer to him as Rome's first emperor.

3. His sister married his fiercest rival.

Following Caesar's death, the teenage Augustus raised an army and went to war with Mark Antony, Caesar's former deputy who likewise considered himself the conqueror's political heir. Upon winning his first battle against Antony, Augustus marched on Rome and was elected consul, the highest office of the Roman Republic. He then entered into the so-called Second Triumvirate, in which he, Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus agreed to divide Rome's territories between them. As one of their first orders of business, they teamed up to defeat Caesar's assassins. Meanwhile, in order to solidify the alliance, Antony married Augustus' sister, and Augustus married Antony's stepdaughter. Neither marriage lasted, however, nor did the triumvirate. The final break came in 32 B.C., when Augustus used an illicitly obtained copy of Antony's will to rail against him and his high-profile mistress, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. In the civil war that followed, Augustus blockaded Antony's force off the western coast of Greece. Though Antony and Cleopatra escaped to Egypt, the majority of their soldiers surrendered, and they both ended up committing suicide as Augustus closed in on them. To add insult to injury, Augustus ordered that Antony's heir be killed, along with a son that Cleopatra had with Caesar.

4. He nearly doubled the size of the empire.

Having vanquished his rivals, Augustus set about consolidating his power, improving Rome's infrastructure and beautifying the city. He also looked to expand the empire's borders, bringing Egypt, northern Spain, the Alps and much of the Balkans under Roman control. Progress was made in Germany as well, until three legions were wiped out in an ambush in A.D. 9, forcing the Romans to withdraw west of the Rhine River. Upon hearing news of the defeat, Augustus repeatedly banged his head against the wall and yelled out for the general in charge to "give me back my legions," according to a Roman historian. As part of these expansion efforts, Augustus spent years in Spain, Gaul, Greece and Asia. Yet he was not much of a fighter himself, often getting sick on the eve of combat and depending heavily for strategy on his boyhood friend Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

5. The month of August was named after him.

With Rome in an era of relative peace and prosperity, the Senate voted in 8 B.C. to rename the month of Sextilis after Augustus. During that month, the Senate purportedly explained in its decree, Augustus had first become consul and had won his final victory over Antony and Cleopatra. On the calendar, it followed July (formerly Quintilis), which had recently been renamed in honor of Julius Caesar.

6. He sent his own daughter into exile.

A proponent of traditional values, Augustus built and refurbished myriad temples during his reign, encouraged marriage and childbirth, and criminalized adultery despite allegedly being wildly unfaithful himself. When he discovered in 2 B.C. that his only child, Julia, had been sleeping out of wedlock with numerous influential men, including Mark Antony's son, he banished her to the rocky island of Ventotene. Although he later allowed her to transfer to a less-isolated locale, he never saw her again. Augustus likewise banished his granddaughter for alleged adultery, though in both cases historians believe additional factors may have been in play.

7. His potential heirs kept mysteriously dying.

With no son of his own, Augustus spent considerable time and energy trying to cultivate a successor. He focused his early attentions on his nephew Marcellus, whom he married off to Julia in 25 B.C. But Marcellus fell ill and died a couple of years later around age 21. Next, Augustus turned to Agrippa, his friend and general, who, though 25 years older than Julia, produced three sons and two daughters with her. Augustus adopted and helped raise the two older boys, Gaius and Lucius, only to see the first die at age 23 after being wounded in Armenia and the second die at age 19 after contracting an unknown disease in Gaul. Julia and Agrippa's third son, on the other hand, was purportedly full of rage and sent into exile. Following Agrippa's death, Augustus forced his stepson Tiberius to divorce his beloved wife and marry Julia instead, but they only had one child together who died in infancy. His options having considerably dwindled, Augustus finally turned with reluctance to Tiberius, who would go on to rule Rome from A.D. 14 to A.D. 37. Rumors spread that Tiberius' mother (Augustus' third and final wife) had killed off the other potential heirs so that her son would get the job, but no concrete evidence has ever emerged to that effect.

8. The next five emperors were all his relatives.

Augustus' reputation as the bringer of stability to Rome proved so strong that the emperorship remained in his family until A.D. 68, when Nero committed suicide after being deposed in a coup. Though a short civil war broke out-four emperors served in A.D. 69 alone-it was a minor blip in the 200-year Pax Romana (Roman Peace) that Augustus had ushered in. The empire itself, meanwhile, would survive in one form or another until the 15th century.

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8 Things You May Not Know About Augustus

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Born on September 23, 63 B.C., Augustus grew up in a town about 25 miles southeast of Rome. His father was a senator (who died unexpectedly when he was four), and his mother was Caesar's niece. As a child, Augustus presumably saw little to none of his famous great-uncle, who was out invading Gaul.

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A short biography

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https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/special/timeline_01.html

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The Roman Empire under Julius Caeasar

CAESAR ERA (100 - 44BC)

53-50 BC - Julius Caesar conquers Gaul.
The Gauls resist Caesar's army and revolt, led by a young Gallic chieftain, Vercingetorix. The siege of Alesia forces them to surrender and Gaul is won. Julius Caesar turns his attention to seizing supreme power in Rome itself.

49 BC - Caesar crosses the Rubicon. Civil war begins.
After his victory in Gaul, Caesar is so popular that the nervous Senate calls on him to resign and disband his army or risk being declared an 'Enemy of the State'. Caesar decides to march on Rome and crosses the Rubicon River with a standing army, throwing the empire into civil war.

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The Roman Empire: In The First Century . Special Features . Timeline | PBS

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The Roman Empire under Julius Caeasar CAESAR ERA (100 - 44BC) 53-50 BC - Julius Caesar conquers Gaul. The Gauls resist Caesar's army and revolt, led by a young Gallic chieftain, Vercingetorix. The siege of Alesia forces them to surrender and Gaul is won. Julius Caesar turns his attention to seizing supreme power in Rome itself.

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Annotated bibliography worksheet to be used by students - WEBSITE

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http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/julius_caesar.html

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Bust of Julius Caesar

A superb general and politician, Julius Caesar (c.100 BC – 44 BC / Reigned 46 – 44 BC) changed the course of Roman history.

Although he did not rule for long, he gave Rome fresh hope and a whole dynasty of emperors.

Dangerous times

Born into an aristocratic family in around 100 BC, Julius Caesar grew up in dangerous times. Rome could not yet handle its own size and power. The nobility were widely discredited and order had given way to chaos. The only clear alternative was military dictatorship.

Caesar allied himself against the nobility. As his career took off, he won a number of political offices, not always by reputable means. By 63 BC, he had become a well-known, but controversial figure.

Viva Espana

Despite his notoriety, he was appointed governor of Farther Spain. This was a lucrative position, because it offered him the chance to plunder the local inhabitants at will. He returned to Rome in 60 BC and, the following year, was elected consul, the highest office in the republic.

Now holding real power, Caesar allied himself with two key people, Pompey and Crassus. Pompey was a war hero who had been badly treated by the Senate, while Crassus was a multimillionaire. The two men were rivals but Caesar was able to bridge the gap between them and the three men formed the powerful 'first triumvirate'.

I predict a riot

As consul, Caesar wanted to pay off Pompey's soldiers by allocating them public lands. This was unpopular, so to get the measure through he engineered a riot and used the chaos to get his own way. He then used his power to secure the governorship of Gaul (modern day France and Belgium).

Gaul gave Caesar a power-base to recruit soldiers and conduct the military campaigns that would make his name and secure his fortune.

Conquering Gaul

Between 58 and 50 BC, Caesar used his expertise in military strategy, along with the Roman army's training and discipline to conquer and subdue the rest of Gaul, up to the river Rhine.

When battling foreign enemies, Caesar was ruthless. Besieging rebels in what is now the Dordogne part of France, he waited until their water supply ran out and then cut off the hands of all the survivors.

Under threat back home

He now turned his attention back home. His triumvirate was badly strained. Pompey was increasingly jealous of Caesar's success and Crassus still hated Pompey. After Crassus was killed in battle, Pompey and Caesar drifted apart, ultimately finding themselves on opposing sides.

By now, Caesar was very successful, but he had many enemies and found his position and his life under threat. He believed the only way he could protect himself was by seizing power. In January, 49 BC, he led his troops across the Rubicon River into Italy and started civil war.

Civil war

Caesar scored some early victories and, by 46 BC, was dictator of Rome. After a year spent eliminating his remaining enemies, he returned home. Generous in victory, he was kind to his defeated rivals, giving them all amnesties and even inviting some to join him in government.

Yet his position remained insecure. Without a son of his own, he needed an heir. Caesar quickly adopted his great nephew, Augustus. He also moved fast to strengthen the northern borders of the empire and tackle its enemies in the east.

At home, he reformed the Roman calendar, tackled local government, resettled veterans into new cities, made the Senate more representative and granted citizenship to many more foreigners.

Beware the Ides of March

But his rule would be cut short. Old enemies joined forces with some of his supporters, fed up of his dictatorial style. On March15, 44 BC, the Ides of March, Caesar was assassinated in the Senate.

Although his own rule was unremarkable, his victory in the civil war replaced a republic, ruled by the consuls and the Senate, with an empire, reigned over by emperors and their hereditary successors. It was the start of a brand new age for Rome.

Where to next:
Religion in Ancient Rome – Augustus
Emperors - Augustus
Life in Roman Times – Soldiers
Enemies and Rebels - Cleopatra & Egypt

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Emperors. Julius Caeser | PBS

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Bust of Julius Caesar A superb general and politician, Julius Caesar (c.100 BC - 44 BC / Reigned 46 - 44 BC) changed the course of Roman history. Although he did not rule for long, he gave Rome fresh hope and a whole dynasty of emperors.

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http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/emperors.html

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Busts of First Century Emperors

The story of Rome's Emperors in the first century AD has got it all – love, murder and revenge, fear and greed, envy and pride.

Their history is a rollercoaster that lurches from peace and prosperity to terror and tyranny.

Hereditary rule

Why was the first century so turbulent? The first answer is simple: hereditary rule. For most of this period, emperors were not chosen on the basis of their ability or honesty, but simply because they were born in the right family.

For every great leader, such as Augustus, there was a tyrant like Caligula. For every Claudius there was a Nero; for every Vespasian, a Domitian. Only at the end of the period did Rome take the succession into its own hands and select somebody who was reasonably sane, smart and honest.

Force and violence

What's more, the empire started through violence and depended on force. Emperors could only survive if their people believed they could outgun anyone and everyone else. If an army grew dissatisfied, the emperor was in trouble; if dissatisfaction spread further, he was finished.

Civil war had brought Caesar to power. Once emperor and without an obvious heir, he had adopted Augustus. He may have been the first to choose a successor and call it hereditary succession, but he was not the last – Claudius sidelined his own son in favor of Nero, while Nerva "adopted" Trajan to ensure a smooth succession.

With the Imperial throne offering such enormous power, and the rules of inheritance always open to interpretation, it's no wonder that members of the royal family jostled for position or used extreme methods to get the result they wanted.

Job for life

Finally, once on the throne, there was no easy exit. Emperors had no elections or term limits, no early retirement or pension plans. It was a job for life, so if an emperor was mad, bad or dangerous, the only solution was to cut that life short. Everybody knew it, so paranoia ruled.

For many, the sacrifices required to get the top job were enormous: Tiberius had to divorce the woman he loved for one he did not; Caligula saw most of his family executed or exiled; Claudius was betrayed and then poisoned by the women he loved.

Although the rewards of power were enormous, many smaller players – like Titus, Galba or Vitellius – barely had time to try on the imperial robes before they died. In the first century, politics could seriously damage your health.

Where to next:
The Social Order in Ancient Rome – Emperors and Patricians
Religion in Ancient Rome – Roman worship

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Emperors. Emperors | PBS

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Busts of First Century Emperors The story of Rome's Emperors in the first century AD has got it all - love, murder and revenge, fear and greed, envy and pride. Their history is a rollercoaster that lurches from peace and prosperity to terror and tyranny. Hereditary rule Why was the first century so turbulent?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVA7yXrMx7c

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15 Things You Didn't Know About Julius Caesar

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How to use MLA

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https://www.ancient.eu/Julius_Caesar/

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Gaius Julius Caesar was born 12 July 100 BCE (though some cite 102 as his birth year). His father, also Gaius Julius Caesar, was a Praetor who governed the province of Asia and his mother, Aurelia Cotta, was of noble birth. Both held to the Populare ideology of Rome which favored democratization of government and more rights for the lower class as opposed to the Optimate factions' claim of the superiority of the nobility and traditional Roman values which favored the upper classes. It should be understood that the Optimate and the Populare were not political parties in conflict with each other but, rather, political ideologies which many people shifted toward and from, regardless of class in society. The concept of appealing to the people for support, rather than seeking approval from the Roman Senate or the other Patricians, would work well for Caesar later in life.

Youth & Military Service

When he was sixteen, his father died and Caesar became the head of the family. Deciding that belonging to the priesthood would bring the most benefit to the family, he managed to have himself nominated as the new High Priest of Jupiter. As a priest not only had to be of patrician stock, but married to a patrician, Caesar broke off his engagement to a plebian girl and married the patrician, Cornelia, daughter of a high profile and influential member of the Populares, Lucius Cinna. When the Roman ruler Sulla declared himself dictator, he began a systematic purge of his enemies and particularly of those who held to the Populare ideology. Caesar was targeted and fled Rome but his sentence was lifted through the intercession of his mother's family. Still, he was stripped of his position as priest and his wife's dowry was confiscated. Left without means of supporting himself or his family, Caesar joined the army.

He proved himself an effective soldier, even being awarded the civic crown for saving a life in battle, and was promoted to the staff of the military legate to Bithynia to secure a fleet of ships. In this, as in his time as a soldier, Caesar was successful and, when Sulla died, he decided to return to Rome and try his luck as an orator (a modern-day lawyer). In this, too, he proved a success and became well known as an eloquent speaker.

It is said that when pirates told him he would be ransomed for twenty talents, Caesar claimed he was worth at least fifty.

In 75 BCE, while sailing to Greece, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. In keeping with the high opinion he had of himself, it is said that when the pirates told him he would be ransomed for twenty talents, Caesar claimed he was worth at least fifty. While he was held captive by them, Caesar was treated well and consistently maintained a friendly relationship with the pirates. He is said to have repeatedly told them that, upon his release, he would hunt them down and have them crucified for the affront to his family and personal dignity and this threat the pirates understood as a joke. Upon his release, however, Caesar made good on that threat. He had the pirates' throats slit before crucifixion, however, in a show of leniency owing to their easy treatment of him in captivity. This determination of Caesar's, to do exactly what he said he would do, became one of his defining characteristics throughout his life.

Back in Rome, Caesar was elected military tribune and, his wife Cornelia having died, married Pompeia, a wealthy Optimate granddaughter of the Emperor Sulla. Rising now in prominence in Rome, Caesar had enough prestige to effectively support Gnaeus Pompeius (later known as Pompey the Great) for a generalship. During this time he also became friends with the wealthiest man in Rome, Marcus Licinius Crassus. Crassus, it is thought, helped fund Caesar's bid for election to the position of Chief Priest (Pontifex Maximus) which he won in 63 BCE. In 62 he was elected praetor, divorced Pompeia after a scandal she was implicated in with another man, and sailed for Spain in 61 as Propraetor (governor) of Hispania.

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In Spain, Caesar defeated the warring rival tribes, brought stability to the region, and won the personal allegiance of his troops through his skill on the battlefield. He was awarded a consulship by the senate. Returning to Rome with high honors, Caesar entered into a business/political agreement with Pompey and Crassus, in 60 BCE, dubbed The First Triumvirate by modern scholars and historians (though no one in ancient Rome used that term). Caesar married Calpurnia, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful Populare senator, and married his daughter Julia to Pompey to further cement their arrangements. The three men together then effectively ruled Rome, Caesar as consul, by pushing through measures favored by Pompey or Crassus in the senate. Caesar proposed legislation for reform of government, opposing Optimate sentiment, and a redistribution of land to the poor, both long-held Populare goals. His initiatives were supported by Crassus' wealth and Pompey's soldiers, thus solidly aligning The First Triumvirate with the Populare faction. As long as Caesar was a public servant he was safe from prosecution by his Optimate enemies for his legal indiscretions but, once his consulship ended, he was sure to be indicted. Further, Caesar was deeply in debt, both financially and politically, to Crassus, and needed to raise both money and his prestige.

Recognizing the wealth to be gained through conquest, Caesar left Rome with his legions and went to Gaul in 58 BCE. He defeated the tribes there just as he had done in Spain and secured the borders of the provinces. When the Germanic tribes seemed threatening to invade, Caesar built a bridge over the Rhine River, marched his legions across in a show of force, then marched them back and had the bridge dismantled. The Germans understood the message and never invaded. He defeated the tribes of the north and twice invaded Britain (Rome's first incursion into the British isles). At the Battle of Alesia, in 52 BCE, Caesar defeated the Gallic leader Vercingetorix and completed the conquest of Gaul. He was now effectively the sovereign of the province of Gaul with all the attendant wealth at his disposal.

Back in Rome, however, The First Triumvirate had disintegrated. Crassus was killed in battle against the Parthians in 54 BCE and, that same year, Julia died in childbirth. Without Caesar's daughter and his financial and political backer tying him to Pompey, the latter aligned himself with the Optimate faction in Rome which he had long favored. Pompey was now the sole military and political power in Rome and had the senate declare Caesar's governorship of Gaul terminated and, further, ordered him to return to Rome as a private citizen. This would mean Caesar could be prosecuted for his actions when he was consul.

Rather than returning to Rome as ordered, Caesar crossed the Rubicon River with his legions and marched on the city in 49 BCE. This was considered an act of war as the Rubicon was the border between the province of Gaul and Rome. Pompey, rather than meet Caesar's legions in battle, fled to Spain and then to Greece where he was defeated by Caesar's much smaller force at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BCE. Pompey himself escaped from the battle and went to Egypt where he expected to find friends from his time spent there. News of Caesar's great victory reached Egypt before him, however, and the Egyptians, believing that the gods favored Caesar over Pompey, had Pompey killed as he stepped on shore.

Caesar, arriving in Egypt in pursuit of Pompey, claimed outrage over Pompey's death, proclaimed martial law, and took over the royal palace. According to the historian Durant, he then secretly sent for Cleopatra VII, co-regent with Ptolomey XIII who had been deposed and was in exile, who had herself smuggled through enemy lines rolled up inside a carpet (according to other sources, Cleopatra took the initiative herself, recognizing in Caesar her only hope to regain the throne). Caesar deposed the co-regent, Ptolemy XIII, and aligned himself with Cleopatra, igniting war between Caesar's legions and the Egyptian army. Besieged in the palace by the Egyptians under Achillas, Caesar and Cleopatra held out for six months until reinforcements arrived in March of 47 BCE and the Egyptian army was defeated.

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Caesar and Cleopatra seemed to have become lovers shortly after meeting, perhaps even that very night, and he remained in Egypt with her nine months. The historian Suetonius writes, he "often feasted with Cleopatra till daybreak and would have gone through Egypt with her in her royal barge almost to Ethiopia had not his soldiers threatened mutiny." In 47 BCE, Cleopatra gave birth to a son, Ptolemy Caesar (known as Caesarion) and proclaimed him her heir and successor to the throne.

At this time, Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, fomented rebellion in the east and Caesar rose to crush it. Leaving Cleopatra as ruler in Egypt, Caesar led his legions through Asia Minor, defeating the tribes and subjugating the people there, and then turned his attention to his enemies in Rome. At the battle of Thapsus (near modern Tunisia) Caesar's legions defeated the forces of the Optimate faction in 46 BCE and, in July of that year, he returned to Rome triumphant.

Egypt & the Roman Reforms

In Egypt, Cleopatra hoped Caesar would recognize and legitimize Caesarion as his son and heir. Caesar, however, named his grandnephew, Gaius Octavius Thurinus ( Octavian) heir. He did, however, bring Cleopatra, their son, and her entourage, to Rome and set them up comfortably in a home which he visited frequently, despite the fact that he was already married to Calpurnia. Although the senate seemed incensed by this indiscretion (as the bigamy laws in Rome were strictly enforced) Caesar was granted the title Dictator Perpetuus (dictator for life) in 44 BCE. Contrary to popular belief, he never held the title `emperor'.

He initiated many reforms including further land redistribution among the poor, land reform for veterans which eliminated the need to displace other citizens, as well as political reforms which proved unpopular with the senate. He ruled without regard to the senate, usually simply telling them which laws he wanted passed and how quickly, in an effort to consolidate and increase his own personal power. He reformed the calendar, created a police force, ordered the re-building of Carthage, and abolished the tax system, among many other pieces of legislation (of which quite a few were long-time Populare goals). His time as dictator is generally regarded as a prosperous one for Rome but the senators, and especially those among the Optimate faction, feared he was becoming too powerful and could soon abolish the senate entirely to rule absolutely as a king.

Caesar's Death & Aftermath

On March 15, 44 BCE, Caesar was assassinated by the senators in the portico of the basilica of Pompey the Great. Among the assassins were Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar's second choice as heir, and Gaius Cassius Longinus, along with many others (some ancient sources cite as many as sixty assassins). Caesar was stabbed twenty three times and died at the base of Pompey's statue. The assassins, however, made the mistake of neglecting to plan what they would do following Caesar's death and, in so doing, mistakenly allowed Marcus Antonius ( Mark Antony), Caesar's cousin and right-hand man, to live. Mark Antony turned the tide of Roman popular opinion against the conspirators and, allied with Octavian, defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE.

Mark Antony later allied himself with Cleopatra VII of Egypt following the victory and, Octavian thought, presented a substantial threat to Rome. In time, the former allies went to war and met in final battle. Cleopatra's and Antony's forces were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE and they killed themselves a year later. Following their deaths, Octavian ordered Cleopatra's son, Caesarion, murdered. After Octavian consolidated his power as the first emperor of Rome, he had Caesar deified and, as his adopted heir, proclaimed himself a son of god and took the name Augustus Caesar, Emperor. In doing so, he initiated the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

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Gaius Julius Caesar was born 12 July 100 BCE (though some cite 102 as his birth year). His father, also Gaius Julius Caesar, was a Praetor who governed the province of Asia and his mother, Aurelia Cotta, was of noble birth.

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https://www.ancient.eu/augustus/

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Augustus Caesar (27 BCE - 14 CE) was the name of the first and, by most accounts, greatest Roman emperor. Augustus was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus on 23 September 63 BCE. Octavian was adopted by his…

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School expectations - Academic Honesty Policy

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http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/age.html

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The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Age of Augustus | PBS