The final part about the reign of Julius Caesar in Rome from which you will learn about how Caesar became a dictator, how much time he spent in Egypt, fascinated by Cleopatra, under what circumstances the famous Library of Alexandria burned down, the history of the origin of the catchy Latin phrase Veni. Vedi. Vici, how Caesar received the title of Father of the Fatherland and Emperor, and also about the circumstances under which the life of the glorious Julius Caesar ended.
Veni . Vedi . Vici
The defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus, his inglorious death, as well as the rampage of the plebs on the streets of Rome (the crowd broke the statues of Sulla and Pompey) finally swayed the stubborn Senate to the side of Caesar. The generous senators proclaimed him an indefinite dictator and gave him the right to control the fate of Roman citizens without restrictions. Thinking, the Senate even granted Caesar - that's really from the heart! - the right to a future triumph in a future war against Numidia.
But instead of rushing to the favored Rome, Caesar got stuck in Egypt and settling the succession between the beautiful Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy. This, for perfectly legitimate reasons, caused discontent among the Egyptians in Alexandria, which grew into a revolt against the Romans. The famous Alexandrian Library burned down in the resulting fire. Caesar was forced to swim out of the royal palace. The Romans were under siege until the arrival of reinforcements from Asia. Finally, everything was settled, and Cleopatra, with the help of Roman swords, took the throne, but Egypt was now under Roman protection. Caesar, fascinated by Cleopatra, stayed in Alexandria for nine months, leaving all state and military affairs.
However, the situation in Rome and the provinces forced him to return to harsh reality. There was a threat of consolidation of the Pompeians in Africa, Illyricum and Spain. The son of the Parthian king Mithridates Farnak conquered Pontus and threatened to take away Asia Minor from Rome. In Italy, too, it was restless - even Caesar's veterans rebelled. Caesar himself spoke out against Pharnaces and on August 2, 47 BC. e. defeated him, sending a short message to Rome about such an easy victory:“I have come. Saw. Won". (“Veni. Vedi. Vici.”) In Spain and Illyricum, his legates succeeded.
In September 47 B.C. e. Caesar finally arrived in Rome, where his mere presence calmed all the unrest. It was enough for him to turn to his soldiers not “warriors”, but “citizens”, so that they immediately asked to forgive them and take them with them to the war.
Returning to Rome, Caesar, as if making up for lost time (after all, he refused a triumph in 60 BC), celebrated a quadruple triumph:Gallic, Pharnaces, Egyptian and Numidian. His victorious legions walked in front of the victorious chariot, noble captives passed in chains:Vircingetorix - the defeated leader of the Gauls, Arsinoe - the rebellious sister of Cleopatra, the little son of the king of Yuba. They carried the captured banners and war booty. The total value of the captured treasures was 65 thousand talents (talent is a monetary unit in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome). Among them were 2822 gold wreaths weighing about 8 tons, donated to Caesar by various governments and cities. And in the middle of all this splendor, the triumphant himself rode four times, tall, with a manly face, dressed in a white tunic embroidered with a pattern of palm leaves, and a purple embroidered toga. His chariot was accompanied by lictors, trumpeters and senators. And four times the slave held the highest award over his head - the golden wreath of the victor (corona triumphalis).
No Romans were left behind in the distribution of loot. 22 thousand tables with refreshments awaited the citizens. The spectacles and games in which the infantry, cavalry and even war elephants participated shocked the Romans.
Imperator Gaius Iulius Caesar
There seemed to be nothing to stop Caesar from enjoying the fullness of power now. He is a lifelong dictator. The title "emperor" is added to his name, which becomes part of the name (Imperator Gaius Iulius Caesar). He receives the honorary title of Father of the Fatherland (Parens Patriae) and Liberator (Liberator). Caesar is regularly elected consul. He is given almost royal honors. His generic name is the month in which he was born - July. Temples are built in his honor, his images are placed among the gods. The oath in the name of Caesar becomes mandatory in the courts.
With such vast powers, Caesar implements a number of important reforms:he expands the senate and increases the number of magistrates at the expense of his legionnaires, thereby weakening the power of both the senate and the magistracies. He carried out agrarian reform and developed a new code of laws ("Lex Iulia de vi et de majestate"). Caesar reforms the calendar in order to stop political machinations at the expense of disputes over the calculation of time (see the article "Ancient Rome"). This calendar has since been called the Julian. Caesar has huge plans for the future:build a new theater, a temple of Mars, open Greek and Roman libraries, pacify the Dacians and Parthians. However, these plans were not destined to come true.
Ides of March
Despite Caesar's policy of clementia, discontent is brewing against his authority. Caesar forgave and returned the former Pompeians. Even after the battle of Pharsalus, he burned all Pompey's correspondence, demonstrating that he was not interested in who supported his opponent, and announced that everyone who turned to him would receive forgiveness. However, such mercy ended badly for him.
Rumors have begun to spread around Rome that Caesar aspires to become king, that he will soon move the capital from Rome to Asia Minor. Many who were bypassed by ranks and ranks, as well as those who sincerely feared for the Roman Republic, made up a conspiracy in which about 60 people were involved. Having reached the heights of power and power, the divine Julius suddenly found himself in political isolation.
March 15 (the famous Ides of March) 44 BC e. Caesar in the Senate was killed by conspirators led by former Pompeians - Mark Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, as well as the former Caesarian Decimus Junius Brutus. 23 wounds were inflicted on the all-powerful dictator by conspirators who rushed to him, who in the bustle crippled each other. And only one wound was fatal. But Rome, after the removal of Caesar, could not turn back, and all the efforts of the conspirators to return the old republic were in vain. Soon they themselves died.
Caesar was one of the most significant figures in Roman history. It is from him that the Roman Empire begins its first steps, which lasted another five centuries.
None of the subsequent Roman emperors could compare with the bright and amazing personality of Gaius Caesar from the Julius family, who sometimes committed recklessness with surprising frivolity, but went to the heights of power with incomprehensible firmness. Caesar is much more human than all the rulers of late Rome. He was capable of love and sincere mercy. It is precisely such, and not an arrogant stone statue and an embodied code of laws, that Gaius Julius Caesar appears before us - a writer and a talented diplomat, a brilliant commander and the all-powerful dictator of Rome, who managed to do so little and so much to ensure that his name remained for centuries.
From Encyclopedia.
Rom. The reign of Julius Caesar. Part 1
Rom. The reign of Julius Caesar. Part 2