Julius Caesar

And the end of the Roman RepublicJulius CaesarChanges in Roman LifeSlaveryupper class was afraidtreated slaves badly to slave revoltsFood/FarmingNot enough food for growing population tension between classes, slaves took jobs desperate PlebsGracchus BrothersTribunes that tried to take land from the wealthy and give it to the poor. They are killed in the streets.SullaGeneral that takes over the dictatorship by force

New Idea in Roman Society:Violence can be used to get the political result that you wantEarly Life: Gaius Julius CaesarBorn 100 BCEPatrician FamilyStrict school training, private tutorsAge 16, forced to flee- Marius is his uncleReturns to Rome and begins a career as a lawyervery interested in politicsInspired by Alexander the Great

What does Caesar want? Who likes him?Wants to get into politicsone method is increase fame and fortune through military. Senate doesnt like him. Realized the key to power in Rome was the masses of plebsPolitical officeentertainment officer (the perfect job)Borrows money to throw games for the poorElected Consul 59 BCE

WAS HE A GOOD CONSUL?Depends who you askedOften acted illegallymade decisions without his co-consul, had senators arrested if they disagreed with him, used bribery to get his way.Uses Consul to advance his own agenda Plebs love him, Senate hates him, Soldiers admire himAfter his consulshiphe heads back out to war

Who is Pompey?Powerful Military GeneralHelped defeat Spartacus slave revoltHelped defeat Mediterranean PiratesPatrician and believed that the wealthy should have more power than the massesBUT was still popular with the crowd because of his victoriesVery popular with the Senate because he supports their power

Caesar + Pompey = Trouble?After his successful military battles, Pompey wants to reward his soldiers with land. The Senate refuses to allow itmaking Pompey mad. He decides to make an alliance with 2 other leaders so he can get his way. One of the other leaders is CaesarIdea was to use Pompeys money and military reputation and Caesars power with the crowd to influence government policy. It Works!Caesar returns to Rome to rally the support of the people. Pompey wins the consulship. Pompey rewards Caesar with high-powered military commands (The Senate hates this!)

Stop and DiscussIs the Alliance with Pompey a good idea.. for Caesar?For Pompey? For Rome?Are Caesar and Pompey friends? NO!

Potential rivals: both military leaders with political goals. Pompey is at the top of his game, Caesar is still rising

The Alliance is temporarily good for both of them butwill it last?

To cement the alliance, Caesars daughter marries Pompey

Caesar ends up in Gaul (modern day France) for a 5-year stretchHe wins great victories and great wealthSoldiers LOVE himSome methods were VERY harshunapproved by the Senate

Where does Caesar end up?MEANWHILE.years passThe alliance between Pompey and Caesar is weakeningCaesars daughter, (Pompeys wife) dies in childbirthPompeys consulship is over, he is back in the field as a military general with limited political powerCaesars victories in Gaul make him more popular than Pompey.

Stop and PredictWhat is going to happen?Civil WarCaesars 5 year term for ruling Gaul was up. The Senate was worried he would return to Rome and get into politics againSome Senators wanted to prosecute him for War Crimes he committed in Gaul and illegal actions when he was a ConsulCaesar was told to return to Rome without his armies, he refusesCaesar comes to Rome WITH his armies (huge breach of Roman lawact of war)The Senate calls their other master general (Pompey) to fight Caesar

Stop and AnalyzeWhy would the Senate want Pompey to be the one to fight Caesar?Why would Pompey do it?What happens?Pompey and many of the Senators are forced to flee Rome Caesar controls the cityPompey finally raises his troops and he and Caesar fight Pompey flees to Egypt where he is killed

Stop and thinkWhy is it important that the Senators were forced to flee the city?Does Caesar end the Republic?NO! Hes too smart! He doesnt get rid of the system---he works within it. How?He becomes consul 4 times in a row and his co-consul is his best friend Marc AntonyHe fills the Senate vacancies with his own supporters and friends

Caesar and the PeopleThe crowd had always loved Caesar and he does more of the same.What does he doFree foodReduces the population of Rome by setting up colonies with incentivesLand to soldiers, farms back to farmersHuge games and banquets for very poorBuilds libraries, public buildings, canals, roads, changes the calendarall without approval from anyone

Stop and AnalyzeWas Caesar wrong to give the people what they wanted and needed? Doesnt this make him a good leader?

How does he consolidate his power?He appoints himself dictator and renews his own dictatorship for several yearsthe people approve

44 BCEPeople approve his dictatorship for life

He acts like the Republic is still the same as ever but with the support of the Plebeians and the armyhe really has all the power

Stop and AnalyzeWere the people right or wrong to trade their freedom and their voice in the government in order to have safety and security?

The End of CaesarThe Ides of March(15th of March), 44 BCE

Senators are upset with his powerthey have been edged out of the Republic. Some fear a king and the end of the Republic, others fear loss of influence

Conspiracy to assassinate Caesar: 60 Senators, including his good friend Brutus, plot to kill himHow does it happen?Caesar goes to the Senate ChamberSession starts and the Senators surround him, knives hidden under their togas One Senator stabs him and the others join inThe Senators who werent in on it are terrifiedThose who werestab Caesar 23 times, he dies in the Senate houseBody lies there for 3 hours as everyone else flees

Stop and discussDo you feel bad for Caesar? Did he deserve what he got?Were the Senators right to kill him? Smart to kill him?

Response to Caesars DeathBrutus and others who thought they were protecting Rome from a tyrant were shocked. Crowd goes wild, burns the homes of the SenatorsPower struggle for control of Rome leads to 3-way Civil WarOctavian (Caesars adopted son and heir)Marc Antony (Caesars Best Friend and long time co-consul)Brutus and Cassius (the leaders of the Senate plot who want to return Rome to a real Republic)

Octavian and Antony join together to defeat Brutus and CassiusThen Octavian turns against Antony and defeats himleaving Octavian in complete charge of Rome First Emperor