by Connor

JULIUS CESAR

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-13 17:45:27 UTC

The statesman and general Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) expanded the Roman Republic through a series of battles across Europe before declaring himself dictator for life. He died famously on the steps of the Senate at the hands of political rivals. Julius Caesar is often remembered as one of the greatest military minds in history and credited with laying the foundation for the Roman Empire.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-13 17:50:33 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-13 18:03:21 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-13 18:07:43 UTC

A politically adept and popular leader of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar significantly transformed what became known as the Roman Empire, by greatly expanding its geographic reach and establishing its imperial system. While it has long been disputed, it's estimated that Julius Caesar was born in Rome on July 12 or 13, 100 BC. While he hailed from Roman aristocrats, his family was far from rich. When Caesar was 16 his father, Gaius Caesar, died. He remained close to his mother, Aurelia. The Rome of Caesar's youth was unstable. An element of disorder ruled the Republic, which had discredited its nobility and seemed unable to handle its considerable size and influence. At around the time of his father's death, Caesar made a concerted effort to side with the country's nobility. His marriage to Cornelia, the daughter of a noble, had drawn the ire of Rome's dictator, Sulla, who ordered the young Roman to divorce his wife or risk losing his property. Caesar refused and found escape in the military, serving first in the province of Asia and then in Cilicia.Following the death of Sulla, Caesar returned to Rome to begin his career in politics as a prosecuting advocate. He relocated temporarily to Rhodes to study philosophy, but during his travels there was kidnapped by pirates. In a daring display of his negotiation and counter-insurgency tactics, he convinced his captors to raise his ransom. He then organized a naval force to attack them. The pirates were captured and executed. His stature was enhanced further in 74 BC when he put together a private army and combated Mithradates VI Eupator, king of Pontus, who had declared war on Rome. When Caesar returned to Rome he began to work with Pompey, a former lieutenant under Sully, who'd switched sides following the dictator's death. Not long after, in 68 or 69 BC, Caesar was elected quaestor (a base political office) and then went to serve in several other key government positions under Pompey. His personal life meanwhile offered up tragedy when his wife, Cornelia, passed away in 69 BC. Two years later he remarried, taking Pompeia, a distant relative of Pompey, as his wife. Their marriage lasted just a few years, and in 62 BC the couple divorced. Caesar's political ascendency, however, continued. In 61-60 BC he served as governor of the Roman province of Spain. He also continued his close alliance with Pompey, which enabled him to get elected as consul, a powerful government position, in 59 BC.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:14:16 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:17:50 UTC

EARLY YEARS

Caesar's reforms greatly enhanced his standing with Rome's lower- and middle-class populations. But his popularity with the Senate was another matter. Envy and concern over Caesar's increasing power led to angst among a number of politicians who saw in him an aspiring king. History had shown that Romans had no desire for monarchical rule. Legend had it that by the time Caesar came to power it had been five centuries since they'd last allowed a king to rule them. Caesar's wish to include his former Roman enemies in the government helped spell his downfall. Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus were both former enemies who'd joined the Senate. Together, the two of them led the assassination of Caesar on the Ides of March (the 15th), 44 BC. It's not altogether clear whether Caesar knew ahead of time of the plot to kill him. What was clear, though, was that the conspirators, who dubbed themselves "the liberators," needed to act fast. By all accounts Caesar had plans to leave Rome on March 18 for a military campaign in what is now modern-day Iraq. There he hoped to avenge the losses suffered by Crassus. Brutus' involvement in the killing packed the most complicated backstory. He had originally sided with Pompey during Rome's earlier civil war, but then had been encouraged to join the government after Caesar's victory. His mother, Servilia, was also one of Caesar's lovers. Following Caesar's death, a power struggle ensued in Rome, leading to the end of the Roman Republic. A mob of lower- and middle-class Romans gathered at Caesar's funeral, with the angry crowd attacking the homes of Cassius and Brutus. Caesar quickly became a martyr in the new Roman Empire, and just two years after his death he became the first Roman figure to be deified. The Senate also gave him the title "The Divine Julius." Playing on the late ruler's popularity, Caesar's great-grandnephew, Gaius Octavian, assembled an army to fight back the military troops defending Cassius and Brutus. His victory over Caesar's assassins allowed Octavian, who would assume the name Augustus, to take power in 27 BC and become the first Roman emperor.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:23:47 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:29:25 UTC

ASSASSINATION

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:31:47 UTC

INTRO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JO565zLOQSc

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-14 17:35:26 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-15 17:48:40 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-15 17:50:42 UTC

I think that this article from bio.com would help someone learn about Julius Caesar's assassination and how it created a power struggle in the Roman Republic. I chose this article because it is very clear, nicely written and the website is very trustworthy.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-15 18:00:44 UTC

This small article will give readers some general info about Julius Ceaser. I chose this intro because I want to give my readers an overview of why Julius Caesar was so important.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-16 17:44:45 UTC

This video will give my readers an idea of who Julius Ceaser was and what he accomplished in his life. I chose this video because it has actual historians that tell about Julius Ceaser.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-16 17:59:31 UTC

"Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 16 May 2014

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-16 18:09:42 UTC

"Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 16 May 2014

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-16 18:09:48 UTC

kis7ss.wikispaces.com

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-16 18:11:15 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:09:54 UTC

I added this map of the Roman empire because I think that it will help my viewers understand the magnitude of what the Romans conquered and from where they started their civilization.

BY:CONNOR KEENAN

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:13:49 UTC

Caesar has always been one of the most controversial characters of history. His admirers have seen in him the defender of the rights of the people against an oligarchy. His detractors have seen him as an ambitious demagogue, who forced his way to dictatorial power and destroyed the republic. That he was gifted and versatile there can be little doubt. He excelled in war, in statesmanship, and in oratory.His literary works are highly esteemed. Of Caesar's literary works, his commentaries on the Gallic Wars (seven books) and on the civil war (three books) survive. They are masterpieces of clear, beautiful, concise Latin, and they are classic military documents. Caesar wrote poetry, but the only surviving piece is a poem on Terence.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:21:34 UTC

Julius Caesar Author History.com e History.com Year Published 2009 Julius Caesar http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/julius-caesar May 21, 2014r A+E Networks

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:24:32 UTC

"Julius Caesar." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Middle Search Plus. Web. 21 May 2014.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:27:20 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:36:47 UTC

I added this article to help my readers learn about what Julius Caesar's young adult years were like.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-21 17:39:03 UTC

I chose this article because it provides two different perspectives on how Julius Caesar was perceived. To some he was a man of the people and to some he was a dictator.

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:31:38 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:32:29 UTC

I chose this picture to give my readers an understanding of Julius Ceasar looked like.

www.chud.com

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:39:04 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:48:58 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:50:40 UTC

I added this picture because it will show my viewers what Julius Ceasar"s assassination was like.

www.knerger.de

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-22 23:52:52 UTC

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-23 00:52:52 UTC

I chose this picture because I want to show my viewers that Julius Caesar was so powerful that he was put on an official form of currency.

What was Julius Caesar's childhood like?

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-23 01:17:21 UTC

Why was Julius Caesar assassinated and how did this change Rome?

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ckeenan2 — 2014-05-23 16:13:11 UTC

www.wildwinds.com

ckeenan2 — 2014-05-23 16:14:20 UTC