Julius
Caesar was a great general and an important leader in ancient Rome. During his
lifetime, he had held just about every important title in the Roman Republic
including consul, tribune of the people, high commander of the army, and high
priest. He suggested new laws, most of which were approved by the Senate. He
reorganized the army. He improved the way the provinces were governed. The
Romans even named a month after him, the month of July for Julius Caesar.
When Julius Caesar said he had something to say, the people flocked to the
Forum to hear his ideas. His ideas had been good ones. The people trusted him.
Julius Caesar told the people that he could solve Rome's
problems. Certainly, the Republic had problems. Crime was everywhere. Taxes
were outrageous. People were hungry. Many were out of work. It was easier to
use slaves to do work than hire Roman people. The people were angry that their
government had not been able to solve the many problems facing the Republic.
As
Julius Caesar became more powerful, and more popular with the people, leaders
in the Senate began to worry. They were afraid that Julius Caesar wanted to
take over the government and rule Rome as a king. The leaders of ancient Rome
had vowed that the Roman people would never be ruled by a king again. That
promise went back over 500 years in time, to when the Roman Republic first
began.
One
of the laws of the original Twelve Tables was that no general could enter the
city with his army. Julius Caesar ignored this law. In 49 BCE, he
entered Rome with the Roman Legion, and took over the government. The
poor people of Rome, who made up the bulk of the population, were glad. The
people called him "father of the homeland“. The
Senate was furious.
To
find out what happened next, explore the links below.
Julius Caesar (Germantown Academy)
Julius
Caesar (Horace Mann School)
Julius
Caesar (end of the Republic)
Julius
Caesar (BBC)
