Julius and Octavian Caesar
The history of ancient Rome is divided into eras based on the leader at the time. Two such leaders were Julius Caesar and Octavian, later Augusts, Caesar. The two men were alike in genealogy, close in time and temperament, and yet one was a pronounced success, heralded centuries and even millennia later, while the other is considered a failure when it came to creating a role for himself as sole ruler. What determines a man is successful or unsuccessful? Historically, little is considered of individual successes or failures or who gained or lost the most domains for their empire. It is the will of the people that ultimately decides which is the better man. A tyrant may be an angel if he wins over the people, so too a benefactor may become a monster. History is written by the memory of the survivors. In the case of ancient figures, what is known about them is more mythology than merit, but from what is known about the two Caesars, Octavian succeeded in setting himself as emperor and Julius Caesar was assassinated for the endeavor.
Julius Caesar ruled Rome when the empire was still a Republic with Senators and other politicians holding equal power to the one man in charge. Caesar was beloved by the people and his role as emperor was one that was given to him by the people. It was not the choice of the Senate and many of his fellow politicians felt this gave Caesar far too much power over them. Rather than allow for their Republic to become an Empire ruled by a "dictator in perpetuity." Julius Caesar was not political enough when he accepted this position. Had he been so, there is a great likelihood that he would not have been assassinated by these self-same politicians on the Ides of March.
When Julius Caesar began his political career, Rome's government was determined by elections and campaigns, much like democratic elections today. Just like modern elections, chicanery often occurred with those running for office muckraking and scandal-mongering to make his opponent look bad. Politicians were no more above the use of bribery back in the ancient times than they are today, as well. This may well have had a good deal to do with Julius Caesar's...
After Cato saw that his forces were defeated by Caesar, in traditional Roman fashion, he fell on his sword and committed suicide. Despite this great loss for the Senatorial faction, Pompey's sons Gnaeus Pompeius and Sextus Pompeius, together with Titus Labienus, Caesar's former propraetorian legate (legatus propraetore) and second in command in the Gallic War, escaped to Spain, where they continued to resist Caesar's dominance of the Roman world. Caesar
Octavian and Roman Empire Roman Empire witnessed the rise and fall of so many emperors that it is hard to decide which one of them had the greatest influence on the empire. But historians have still made an attempt to found out just which ruler proved to be most influential in consolidating the empire and they unanimously agree that Octavian was the man who can be called the greatest emperor because
Conventional literature would come to see Cleopatra as an exploitive whore, responsible for the downfall of virtuous men like the Ptolemies, Julius Caesar and, inevitably, Marc Antony as well. So is this reported by historical accounts such as that by Cassius Dio who reflected that "Indeed she so enchanted and enthralled not only Antony but all others who counted for anything with him that she came to entertain the hope that she would rule the
Ancient History The ancient histories of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations have much in common. Both regions were inhabited since prehistoric times by nomadic groups, which began to settle down in towns and villages by around 6000 BCE. Consistent settlements soon grew into larger cities; in both Egypt and in Mesopotamia, these cities became city-states with complex lifestyles and forms of government. Some of the first written languages were created simultaneously in
Sumptuary Laws in the Roman Empire The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire were both grandiose and both are a major part of the history of the world. However, they were quite different in many significant ways but they were also similar in some ways as it relates to social structure, the way people dressed and how society proceeded and developed. The major difference between the two was that the Senate
Summary of the Punic Wars The Punic Wars refer to the collective names of a series of three separate wars between Carthage and Rome, which took place from 264 to 146 BC. The wars were fought between the two strongest contenders for control over the central Mediterranean Sea of the time. These wars ended with the destruction of Carthage, thus ending the city's period as an independent power and an important
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now