CAIUS JULIUS CAESAR

Cæsar, a title, originally a surname of the Julian family at Rome, which, after being dignified in the person of the dictator Caius Julius Cæsar, was adopted by the successive Roman emperors, and latterly came to be applied to the heir-presumptive to the throne. The title was perpetuated in the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire, and in the Czar of the Russian emperors.

Cæsar, Caius Julius, great Roman general, statesman, and historian, was born B.C. 100, died B.C. 44. He was the son of the prætor Caius Julius Cæsar, and of Aurelia, a daughter of Aurelius Cotta. At the age of sixteen he lost his father, and shortly after he married Cornelia, the daughter of Lucius Cinna, the friend of Marius . This connection gave great offence to Sulla, the dictator, who proscribed him for refusing to put away his wife.His friends obtained his pardon with difficulty, and Cæsar withdrew from Rome, and went to Asia, serving his first campaign under M. Minucius Thermus, the prætor in Asia On the death of Sulla Cæsar returned to Rome, where he distinguished himself as an orator. He afterwards visited Rhodes, when he was taken by pirates, and compelled to pay fifty talents for his release. To revenge himself, he fitted out some vessels at Miletus, overtook the pirates, made the greater number of them prisoners, and had them crucified before Pergamus.

He now returned to Rome, where his eloquence and liberality made him very popular. He was pontifex maximus in 63 B.C., prætor in 62 B.C., and governor of Spain in 61 B.C. On his return to Rome, having united with Pompey and Crassus in the memorable coalition called ' the first triumvirate,' he became consul, and then, obtained the government of Gaul with the command of four legions,

Julius Caesar possessed the coolest brain in the world, his victories beyond the dreams of ambition ; Equal to every occasion, no danger ever appalled him, no novelty ever surprised or baffled him. He was 33 before he became associated with Pompey, the chief man in the Roman Republic, and over 40 before he commanded an army in the field. His military career was rapid and brilliant. He compelled the Helvetii, who had invaded Gaul, to retreat to their native country, subdued Ariovistus, who at the head of a German tribe had attempted to settle in the country of the Ædul, and conquered the Belgae. In nine years he reduced all Gaul, crossed the Rhine twice (B.C.55 and 53), and twice passed over to Britain, defeated the gallant natives of this island in several battles, and compelled them to give him hostages.

The senate had continued his government in Gaul for another period of five years, while Pompey was to have the command of Spain, and Crassus that of Syria, Egypt, and Macedonia for five years also. But the death of Crassus in his campaign against the Parthians dissolved the triumvirate; and about the same time the friendship between Cæsar and Pompey cooled.

The senate, influenced by Pompey, ordered that Cæsar should resign his offices and command within a certain time, or be proclaimed an enemy to the state, and appointed Pompey general of the army of the Republic. He had to chose either to return alone and in disgrace, or with an army and as a conqueror. Between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy there flows the Rubicon, a small river which Caesar has made famous, at this point Caesar made up his mind to return with his army, and challenge the whole force of the Roman Republic. Pompey now become his enemy and champion of the Senate; Upon this Cæsar urged his soldiers to defend the honour of their leader, passed the Rubicon (49 B.C.), and made himself master of Italy without striking a blow, Pompey retiring into Greece. Destined to last five years crowded in incredible glory, Julius Cæsar became master of Italy, dictator of the Republic, emperor of the civilised world. Cæsar then levied an army with the treasures of the state, and hastened into Spain, which he reduced to submission without coming to a pitched battle with Pompey's general.He next conquered Massilia (now Marseilles), and returned to Rome, where he was, appointed dictator. He then followed Pompey into Greece, and defeated him at Pharsalia from which Pompey escaped only to be assassinated in Egypt.

In Rome the senate and the people strove eagerly to gain the favour of the victor. They appointed him consul for five years, dictator for a year, and tribune of the people for life.The city of Rome was at that time a parasite preying on the industry of all the provinces conquered by its legions. Among its 600,000 citizens there were 300,000 pensioners, and the aliens and slaves who did the work of the idle and degenerate Romans who were almost as numerous as the pensioners. The greatest part of the city was a loathsome slum, the roads were poor, law, order and justice were corrupt; the Senate used by the rich for their own selfish ends.

Cæsar brought the Republic to an end, Cæsar alone became responsible, Rome merely the first of the municipalities in the Roman Empire. No longer could the Senate appoint governors, or call pro-consuls to account. No longer would the Roman citizen boast that his city was mistress of the world.

He could not bear to witness the vulgar life lived by the plutocrats, he called to his Senate men from the provinces of Gaul and Spain. He swept away the robbers and assassins, and took the pensions from 170,000 lazy citizens. He appointed work for building, bridges, canals, irrigation systems, and roads which gave employment. He organised emigration and colonisation. He struck at the slave trade, encouraged agriculture, did away with imprisonment for debt, began to codify the laws, and saw that no governor of a province was a tyrant. The name of Rome became greater than it had ever been.

When his dictatorship had expired he caused himself to be chosen consul again, and with. out changing the ancient forms of government, ruled with almost unlimited power.Cæsar was the greatest historian of his age, a writer, scholar and artist, he founded the first public library in Rome. As a lover of astronomy and literature, he encouraged men of science to come to the capital. He did away with Roman time, which was nearly three months slow of real time, and introduced the solar year of Egypt.

In 46 B.C. he crossed to Africa, defeated the Pompeians Scipio and Cato at Thaspus, and returning to Rome he was received with the most striking marks of honour. The term of his dictatorship was prolonged to ten years, the office of censor conferred on him alone; his person was declared inviolable, and his statue placed beside that of Jupiter in the capitol. He soon after was honoured with four several triumphs, made perpetual dictator, and received the title of imperator with full powers of sovereignty.

In February, 44, he declined the diadem which Antony publicly offered him, and next morning his statues were decked with diadems, His glory, however, was short-lived, for a Conspiracy was set on foot by his enemy Cassius, and joined by many of his own friends, including M. Brutus; and, notwithstanding dark hints had been given to him of his danger, he attended a meeting of the senate on 15th (ides) March, 44 B.C., and fell beneath the daggers of the conspirators. Of his writings, we still possess the history of his wars with the Gauls, and with Pompey.

It was said of Caesar's that his ambition would lead to Rome's ruin, powerful enemies were against him, they hated his glory, and loathed him for his power. It was this envy, hatred, and malice, that made pretence to the virtue of patriotism, that sharpened the dagger of conspiracy, that struck Julius Caesar down.

He died on March 15, 44 years before the birth of Christ

Views :- Shakespeare
he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.