2.8: Julius Caesar: from Republic to Empire - P -

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

The Time of Greeks and Romans

2.8: Julius Caesar: from Republic to Empire

What is this lesson about?

•  How the republic ended and Rome became a monarchy again.

• When? 1st century BC
• Who? Julius Caesar

• Structure of this lesson:
•      a. Caesar's War in Gaul
•      b. Civil War (Caesar against the senate)
•      c. Caesar becomes dictator, but he is murdered.
•      d. More Civil Wars 
•      e .Rome becomes a monarchy again.

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• How Caesar conquered Gaul
• How Caesar started a civil war
• Why Caesar was murdered
• How the republic changed into a monarchy again
• How Augustus became the first Roman emperor
• Where our word "keizer" comes from

people in this lesson

Julius Caesar

consul / dictator

Rome

Cleopatra

queen

Egypt

Octavian Caesar

a.k.a "Augustus"

1st emperor

Rome

Vercingetorix

chieftain

Gaul

Mark Anthony

Caesar's friend

Rome

Founding of Rome

(Romulus becomes king)

753 BC

509 BC

Rome becomes a Republic (senate and tribune)

Monarchy

27 BC

Octavian becomes emperor of Rome (Augustus) 

Empire

Republic

Form of government in Rome

Punic Wars

100 BC

Julius Caesar 

Which statement is FALSE

1. A king can become an emperor
2. A monarchy is hereditary
3. A king rules a country and an emperor rules an empire
4. Only a king is a monarch

What does 'hereditary' mean? Give the correct translation first and then describe the meaning

Julius Caesar

• Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome in 100 BC in a well-off  patrician family, but not rich by Roman standards.
• in 59 BC Caesar was elected consul, but he wanted more power > he needed military glory

• After his year as consul he accepted the senate's offer to become the commander of the Roman army in Gaul (Gallië) 

Gaul was the area which is today's France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy. 

This is the land of the Gauls, or Celts (in Dutch: Galliërs of Kelten).

The Gauls rebelled against Rome and Caesar spent the next 9 years fighting the Gauls. Caesar's soldiers won many victories and they loved Caesar. After all, a succesful commander could distribute a lot of war booty between his men.

The soldiers became more loyal to Caesar than to the Senate in Rome.

Caesar in Gaul

• Caesar was given control of four legions, about 20,000 professional soldiers. 

• To achieve military glory > Caesar decided to expand the Roman empire and started the Gallic Wars ( 58 BC until 51 BC). 
• Gaul was populated by dozens of tribes, the largest of which numbered about 200,000 people. 

Caesar captured almost all of Gaul in four years and moved the Roman border to the Rhine (So even in the Netherlands!)

Clash between the Roman army (bottom) and Gallic or Celtic warriors. The Gauls did not have a professional army like the Romans. They also lacked the superior training and equipment that the Roman legionaries had.

The Gallic Wars

Vercingetorix was the leader of the Gauls > He united many Gallic tribes and convinced them to fight against Caesar together 

Vercingetorix' stronghold was a fortified mountain called Alesia. He felt safe believing that the Romans could never take it

Caesar however, ordered his soldiers to build two walls around the mountain > Vercingetorix was now surrounded and trapped. 

Why did Caesar build walls around the mountain Alesia? Discuss your answer in pairs.

Caesar ordered his soldiers to build a wall around the mountain of Alesia. This way, vercingetorix was trapped inside his fortress on top of the mountain.

Vercingetorix Throws Down His Arms at the Feet of Julius Caesar, painting made in 1899, by Lionel Noel Royer

Why did Caesar build walls around the mountain Alesia? Explain your answer and write in full sentences.

The Gallic Wars

Why did Caesar build walls around the mountain Alesia? 

Because building a wall around the mountain made sure that Vercingetorix was trapped in his stronghold. To defeat him, all Caesar needed to do was wait until the food and water ran out, then the Gauls were forced to meet the Romans in battle. 

Vercingetorix' army broke out of the fortress but it was defeated by the Romans. 

Vercingetorix surrendered to Caesar. Gaul was conquered and Caesar was in charge of it.

Caesar ordered his soldiers to build a wall around the mountain of Alesia. This way, vercingetorix was trapped inside his fortress on top of the mountain.

Vercingetorix Throws Down His Arms at the Feet of Julius Caesar, painting made in 1899, by Lionel Noel Royer

Some people in Rome were afraid of Caesar's power.

In 49 BC Caesar and his army set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his army.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a civil war.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

 

primary and secondary sources

We already learned about primary and secondary sources. Just to remind you:

A primary source is a source that was created in the time of the events it describes.

A secondary source is a source that was created after the events it describes.

(a secondary source often uses primary sources for its information)

This book was written BY Julius Caesar himself, during the Gallic Wars. Therefor it is a primary source.

This is a modern book, written by a modern author ABOUT Julius Caesar. Therefor it is a secondary source.

During his time in Gaul, Caesar kept a diary. This diary is called "the Gallic War", or in Latin: "commentarii de bello gallico".  The words in this book are written by Caesar himself, more than 2000 years ago. So it is a primary source. Even if the original text is TRANSLATED into modern Dutch, and printed in a modern book: it still remains a primary source!!

Homework for tomorrow 

Make question 1 up to and including question 5 from the practice questions

Homework for after spring break:

Read 'Caesar disobeys the senate' and 'The civil wars' from 2.8

Subject in the next class

Caesars dictatorship, the Roman civil war and the start of an empire

Some people in Rome were afraid of Caesar's power.

In 49 BC Caesar and his army set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his army.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a civil war.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

 

Caesar disobeys the senate.

Caesar was now rich and powerful.

Rich, because as an army general, he could keep all the war booty for himself.

Powerful, because he let his soldiers share in his glory and wealth. He had given his soldiers glorious victories and he even shared his booty with them. His soldiers loved him for that. This made Caesar powerful, because he now commanded four legions that were more loyal to him than to the senate in Rome.

Some people in Rome were becoming afraid of Caesar's growing power.

Caesar, Vercingetorix and the battle of Alesia have been pictured in several Asterix albums.

The Civil Wars

In 49 BC Caesar and his armies set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. 

Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his legions.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a Civil War.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies in Italy (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

In 45 BC Caesar had beaten all his enemies. The Civil War was over and he returned to Rome.

Caesar crosses the Rubicon. This was a decisive moment, because now Caesar openly defied the orders from the senate to leave his troops in Gaul. There was no turning back for Caesar anymore. He had two choices: be killed as an enemy of Rome, or become the ruler of Rome. 

Caesar and Cleopatra as seen in a Hollywood movie.

Some people in Rome were afraid of Caesar's power.

In 49 BC Caesar and his army set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his army.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a civil war.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

 

Caesar assassinated

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

He made himself "dictator", a ruler with absolute power.

To many senators, "dictator" sounded much like "monarch".

They believed that Caesar wanted to become a king and turn the republic into a monarchy.

Outraged, some 60 senators met secretly. They planned to assassinate (murder) Caesar. The leader of the group was Brutus, the so-called friend of Caesar.

On the "ides" (the 15th) of March 44 BC Caesar was murdered in the senate.

Brutus and his men believed that they had saved the Republic. But many Romans were outraged by Caesar's murder. Caesar was well-liked because he had improved peoples' lives. He had lowered taxes and had given many people land to farm. 

The senators encircle Julius Caesar in a painting by 19th-century artist Carl Theodor von Piloty.

After Caesar's death: more Civil Wars 

After Caesar's death, Rome still remained a republic. Caesar had no son that could succeed him. But he did have a nephew: Octavian Caesar, who was 19 years old when his uncle was murdered. Octavian found out that he had been adopted by Caesar as his heir. Octavian began to gather political support in the Roman Senate as well as military support in the form of Caesar's legions. He soon was a formidable power in the city and was elected to the position of consul.

His rival was Mark Anthony, a friend of Julius Caesar. Anthony wanted to become a dictator. He clashed with Octavian and a new Civil War broke out. 

Mark Antony allied himself with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. At the sea battle of Actium, Octavian's troops defeated Antony and Cleopatra's armies. Upon their defeat, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.

the sea battle of Actium, in which octivian's fleet defeated the fleet of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra

After learning about the defeat (and probable death) of her lover Mark Anthony at the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra committed suicide by letter herself be bitten by a poisonous snake.

Painting: The Suicide of Cleopatra, by Domenico Riccio (1516-1567).

Some people in Rome were afraid of Caesar's power.

In 49 BC Caesar and his army set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his army.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a civil war.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

 

The end of the Republic, the birth of the Empire.

With Marc Antony dead Octavian was the most powerful man in Rome. In 27 BC the Senate gave him the title of Augustus (which means: the sublime) and he would be known by this name for the rest of his life. He became the ruler and emperor of Rome. The basic government of the republic, such as the senate and other officials, was still in place, but the emperor had the ultimate power.

When Augustus became emperor, Rome had experienced many years of civil war. He brought peace to the land and began to rebuild much of the city and the empire. He built many roads, buildings, bridges, and government buildings. He also strengthened the army and conquered much of the land around the Mediterranean Sea. Under Augustus' rule, Rome once again experienced peace and prosperity.

The next 200 years were years of peace for the Roman Empire. This period is often called the Pax Romana, which means "peace of Rome". Augustus is often given credit for establishing such a long period of peace.

Some people in Rome were afraid of Caesar's power.

In 49 BC Caesar and his army set out for Rome, where he intended to be elected consul again.

The senate ordered Caesar to come without his army. Caesar refused. He crossed the Rubicon river (the border between Gaul and Italy) and entered Italy with his army.

The senate declared that Caesar was now an enemy of Rome. This marked the start of a civil war.

With his army Caesar defeated all his enemies (mostly senators) and chased them across the empire, even in Egypt. Here he fell in love with Cleopatra, sister of the pharaoh.

Back in Rome he was now the only ruler. He allowed the Senate to remain, but he did not want to share his power with the senators.

 

The name Caesar became the word for "emperor".

When Augustus became Rome's first emperor, the word "emperor", or "keizer", did not exist. Augustus did not call himself king or emperor, but used the title Princeps Civitatis, which meant "First Citizen".

But to honour his uncle Julius he put Caesar's name before his own title. So everone called him Caesar Augustus.

Augustus ruled up until his death in 14 AD. His step-son, Tiberius, became the second emperor of Rome.

Tiberius also took on Caesar's name to honor him, so everybody called him: Caesar Tiberius. 

The next emperors did the same: Caesar Claudius, Caesar Nero, Caesar Trajan, etc.

Eventually, the name Caesar became a title, meaning emperor. And we still see that in our word 'keizer" today.

The Roman historian Suetonius, who lived in the 2nd century AD, wrote a book about 12 successive Roman rulers; Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. 

Interesting facts about Julius Caesar and Augustus

• 
  
• Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates while still a young man. He joked with them that he would have them executed once he was free. They laughed, but Caesar had the last laugh when he later captured them and had them crucified.
• The month of July is named after Julius Caesar. Prior to this the month was called Quintilis, which means "the fifth month".
• The month of August is named after Augustus. Prior to this the month was called Sextilis, which means "the sixth month".
• Augustus rebuilt much of the city of Rome. He said on his deathbed that "I found a Rome of bricks; I leave to you one of marble".

Painting depicting the pirates, after being crucified. 

Videos from these tv series used in this lesson:

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