Gaius Julius Caesar

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Sara Schwartz
History of Civilization
Gaius Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar served as a key ruler in creating the Roman Empire. He is considered one of the world’s greatest generals and a wise politician. He took opportunities and used them to their fullest for self improvement. Characteristics such as confidence and charisma made Caesar a born leader. Over the course of his lifetime he flew through the political ladder in the Roman Republic and set forth a new way of ruling as a dictator. He was born as Gaius Julius Caesar on 13 July 100 B.C., the only son of Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia. He did have two other sisters, Julia Caesaris the elder and younger. In Roman naming practice a child is given three names at birth, a praenomen, a clan or family names (Julii), and a cognomen, which is a nickname that distinguishes the person from another. He was born and raised in Subura of Rome which was very poor. His family didn’t have the money for a home on Palatine Hill. The Julii lost some of their former glory because they were one of the last known Patrician (aristocratic) families. This was inconvenient at the time because political power was in the descendants of the old Plebeian families. These are those who had married into old patricians and now joined were now known as the Nobility. He was only expected to stay at the bottom of the political ladder. Also, Rome was in a period of unrest and civil war. The empire had grown in size and cheap labor had taken over. This lead to much unemployment. During the time he was born, Caesar's uncle, Gaius Marius, was consul. He had saved the Roman republic several years before by defeating two Germanic tribes, the Teutones and the Cimbri . At age 16, Caesar's father died at Pisa while on military duty. From then on he knew his life would be a challenge. He wanted to restore his families glory and make a name for himself. The same year in 84 B.C. he married the daughter of Cinna and became...
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