It was at this point that Caesar uttered the famous Alea iacta est, meaning “The die is cast”.His act started a civil war, from which he emerged victorious, and assumed the reign over Rome. Had he returned to Rome without his troops, he would have been an ordinary citizen liable to prosecution, so he decided to defend himself. Caesar refused and marched his troops towards Rome instead, crossing the Rubicon River on the way. This would cause Caesar to lose all political influence in Rome. Pompey ordered Caesar to disband his troops. When Caesar was in Gaul with his troops, the Roman Senate backed up his rival, Pompey the Great. According to the astronomers of Alexandria, a year was 365.25 days long.Ĭaesar came up with the idea to add one day to the calendar every four years.Julian calendar was adopted and used until it was revised and replaced by Gregorian calendar in 1582. It turns out that the people of Ancient Rome did not fully understand how long it takes to Earth to revolve around the Sun. Caesar implemented leap yearĪs pontifex maximus (high priest of ancient Rome), Julius replaced the Roman calendar with a more accurate one, adding an intercalary day and reforming the old calendar in 46 BC. For example, he implemented a system of punishments for crimes perpetuated against a member or lower social class, for example, when a member of the elite social class injured or killed a member of the lower social class, the property of the perpetrator fell into the hands of the Roman state. Confiscation as the punishment for crimes against a member of a lower class.Ĭaesar advocated a variety of reforms and addressed various issues. Some historians, however, claim that what he suffered from was hypoglycemia. Several testimonies and witnesses about the health of his family members suggest that Caesar suffered from epilepsy, and sometimes had seizures during battles. Rumour has it that Caesar, similar to Napoleon, Joan of Arc or Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, suffered from epilepsy. 4 facts you may not have known about Gaius Julius Caesar 1. In order to fund his campaigns, he plundered one Gallic city after another, and it was no secret that he sold tens of thousands of slaves. As customary law consisted of tradition-based and often unwritten laws, disputes were nor rare.Ĭaesar’s influence helped him secure several provinces, such as Illyria or parts of Gaul, and he was able to gain more territory. They followed customary law, which was handed down through generations. Senators had the power to dismiss officials, managed the state finances, passed decrees, and took care of foreign relations. The most prestigious institution in the Roman Republic was, however, the Roman Senate. He proposed a bill allowing redistribution of land among the poor. Together with the politician Marcus Licinius Crassus and Pompey the Great, they formed an informal political alliance known as First Triumvirate.The Triumvirate helped Caesar rise to the position of consul (the highest civil and military official). In Rome, Julius Caesar had to face and fight against the interests of the conservative, wealthy and influential Roman citizens who were pushing for a Roman Senate at any cost. Those weapons were ideal for combat in formations. In Caesar's time, soldiers used short swords called gladii (gladius in singular). As a newly elected Roman army officer, he led several successful campaigns into Hispania. And this time, he had remarkable experience in negotiation. When Julius' uncle (consul Marius) died, who lost a civil war to the politician and dictator Cornelius Sulla, Caesar had to flee Rome.Īfter Sulla's death, Julius returned to Rome. One of them was married to Caesar's rival and warlord, Pompey the Great. Julius had two sisters, both named Julia. His family were patricians, i.e., Members of Rome’s original aristocracy, entitled to participate in government functions in the city. Caesar was born in 100 BC and died in 44 BC in Rome.
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