Peter Delich
Italian 230
Research Paper
Julius Caesar Julius Caesar; he came, he saw, and he conquered. Caesar is one of the most well-known Emperors of Rome and one of the most influential historical figures. Caesar was a politician and general of the late Roman republic, who greatly extended the Roman Empire before seizing power and making himself dictator of Rome, paving the way for the imperial system. The story of Caesar’s rise to power and fall from grace is one that has been told since the time of the Romans. His accomplishments and contributions to Roman society and the world will surely never be forgotten. Julius Caesar was a distinguished general, influential politician, and a fierce dictator. Julius Caesar was born in Rome around July 13, 100 BC. Although, he hailed from Roman aristocrats, his family was far from rich. When Caesar was 16 his father, Gaius Caesar, died. “His family was closely connected with the Marian faction in Roman politics” (Historical Figures, Julius Caesar par. 2). At around the time of his father's death, Caesar made a large effort to side with the country's nobility. “His marriage to Cornelia, the daughter of a noble, had drawn the ire of Rome's dictator, Sulla, who ordered the young Roman to divorce his wife or risk losing his property” (Caesar Julius, par 5). Caesar refused and found escape in the military, serving first in the province of Asia and then in Cilicia. Following the death of Sulla, Caesar returned to Rome to begin his career in politics as a prosecuting advocate. He relocated temporarily to Rhodes to study philosophy, but during his travels there was kidnapped by pirates (Caesar Julius, par 6). In an impressive display of his negotiation and counter-insurgency tactics, he convinced his captors to raise his ransom. He then organized a naval force to attack them. The pirates were captured and executed.