From his affair with Cleopatra to getting kidnapped by pirates...stay tuned to number
1 to find out 10 things you didn't know about Julius Caesar!
Number 10: The Birth Of Caesar
Born on the 13th of July, 100 BC, this great leader, warrior, and dictator would become
a name that would be remembered for centuries.
Known by most simply as Julius Caesar, his full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, and he
was named after his father who shared the exact same name.
Caesar had two sisters, named Julia Major and Julia Minor and his mother's name was
Aurelia Cotta.
Common belief is that Julius was born through Caesarian section but, although it was a method
that was already in use by that time, the mother of the newborn rarely survived, and
it would only be used in a case where the mother was in critical medical condition.
Instead, it is thought that one of his ancestors were born through caesarean section and that
was the beginning of the namesake.
Theories of this being the origin of his name come from the Latin word for "cut" being Caesus,
but there are also other possible origins behind the name.
For example there is Caesaries, which means long hair in Latin, or Caesai which is the
act of killing an elephant in battle.
Number 9: Caesar's Early Years.
Caesar was born into a ruling family in Rome and, despite them being one of the main ruling
families, they were not originally politically influential.
Things began to change, though, and his father was made governor of the Roman province of
Asia.
During Caesar's early teen years, a war broke out between his uncle Gaius Marius and his
bitter rival Lucias Cornelius Sulla.
His father was killed in the war, and at the age of just 16, Caesar was made the head of
his family.
He then married the daughter of one of his uncle's allies, but was ordered to divorce
her after Sulla was victorious in the war.
But Caesar refused to divorce his wife and to keep his love, he fled Italy...where he
was staying at the time...by enrolling in the military where he first served under the
province of Asia before changing to serve under Cilicia.
Number 8: Kidnapped By Pirates.
In the year 78 BC, Caesar was in his twenties when he learned that Sulla had passed.
As such, he retuned to Rome and reclaimed his inheritance and the house that had been
confiscated after he fled.
He lived there for three years before setting out for the Aegean island of Rhodes in order
to study oratory under the famed professor, Apollonius Molon.
Before we talk about the connection to pirates, though, take a moment to like this video and
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While in transit, however, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held hostage on board their
ship, and they demanded 20 talents of silver for his safe return.
Talents were a unit of weight in those times, and one talent weighed around 75 pounds.
At today's prices, a talent is estimated to be valued around 1.4 million dollars!
Caesar insisted that they ask for 50 talents, however, so that they had more to spend while
he hunted them down after his release.
Eventually, the ransom was paid to the pirates and Caesar was released, he then immediately
raised a fleet of ships and pursued the pirates...capturing them and crucifying them as he had said he
would while captured.
Number 7: The Gallic Wars.
The Gallic wars are believed to be Caesars greatest conquest, and it wasn't just one
long battle, but a series of battles in the same region.
In this case it was the Gaul region, and the entire conquest lasted for over eight years.
Gaul covered the area that is present day France and Belgium and Caesar was heavily
outmanned in the battles that took place there, but with his leadership and ability he led
his troops to victory each time.
The entire war consisted of 8 battles, with the greatest battle taking place at Alesia,
it was the last of the great battles between the two nations and it is possibly the most
defining battle out of Caesars entire conquest as it cemented his victory against the Gaul.
His success threatened the leader Pompey, and in 50BC Caesar was ordered to disband
his army before returning home, but he refused and crossed the border through the Rubicon
River.
His actions sparked a civil war against Pompey and his recently allied Senate.
Number 6: Creation Of The Leap Year.
Before Caesar's time in power, the Romans, and in fact most of the world, worked off
of a 355 day year and while Roman officials were meant to add extra days to the lunar
calendar each year in order to keep it aligned with the seasons, it didn't always happen.
This resulted in the calendar becoming extremely confusing and farming, and the like, fell
out of sequence with the seasons, causing problems with crops.
This calendar system was even abused by politicians who used the confusing calendar to extend
their time in power.
Caesar consulted with the astronomer Sosigenes and began implementing a new system, it was
to be called the Julian Calendar, and would consist of a 365 day year.
This took effect in 45BC and because each year is actually 365 and a quarter days long,
Caesar added an extra day, called a leap day every four years in order to make up for the
difference.
Number 5: Caesar The Dictator.
Caesar was first appointed as a dictator in 49BC, and was re-elected the following year
to continue his reign.
Roman dictators were given a wide range of powers; they were entrusted with the full
authority of the state and were usually either left to deal with the military or to watch
over some specific area.
Then, in 46 BC, after the Egyptian civil war had ended and Caesar had won multiple battles
against the remaining supporters of his former ally-turned-enemy, Pompey, he was appointed
dictator for at least the next 10 years.
But then, just two years later in 44BC, Caesar was appointed a dictator in perpetuity and
he used his power to fill the Senate with his supporters, raising the amount of senators
to 900, thus ensuring that he would remain in power and that no one could consider overthrowing
him.
Number 4: Caesar and Cleopatra.
49 BC saw the start of the Great Roman Civil War, with Caesar driving Pompey's army out
of Italy and then later in Spain.
After his defeat in Spain, Pompey fled to Egypt and Caesar followed after him, in an
attempt to end the war once and for all.
Unfortunately for Caesar, though, by the time he had arrived in Egypt, Pompey had already
been assassinated and Caesar then aided in Egypt's own civil war.
It is believed that the pharaoh Ptolemy XIII actively tried to keep Cleopatra away from
Caesar, but she managed to smuggle herself into his camp by rolling herself up in a carpet
and having herself be delivered to him.
Caesar was married at the time, to Calpurnia, but her visit sparked an affair between the
two that lasted years; and many believe that if Caesar was allowed to wed somebody not
of Roman birth that he would have married her too.
Number 3: Caesar's Children.
It is well known that historic leader Genghis Khan still has an estimated 16 million living
descendants today, while it is also believed that Caesar has no living descendants, at
least none that are known of.
Caesar is only known to have had three children, despite being a known womanizer.
His first born was a daughter with his wife Cornelia; who he later married off to his
then ally, Pompey.
The second born was thought to be a son with Cleopatra herself, although, some dispute
whether Caesar was actually the father of Cleopatra's son, but he believed that he was,
and he was unable to leave his kingdom to him because he was raised as an Egyptian and
was born out of wedlock.
His third child was an adopted son he had taken on to inherit his kingdom, as he had
no sons through wedlock that could continue his name.
Number 2: The Death of Caesar.
The events surrounding Caesars death are quite well known through different writings from
the time, and it is through this that we know that there were around 30 people involved
in his assassination...stabbing him a total of 23 times.
Contrary to popular belief, however, and thanks to Shakespeare's play on Julius Caesar, most
people believe that his last words were "Et tu Brute?"
meaning, you too, Brutus.
But in actual fact many people that had witnessed his death wrote that his final words were
"Kai su, teknon" meaning You too, child.
This information also offers some evidence towards some other theories surrounding his
death.
Many believed that Brutus was Caesar's son, having had an affair with his mother some
years prior.
His actual final words offer two interesting points to note.
First, that Brutus was one of the main people involved in his assassination, a theory that
most people already suspected.
And second, that Caesar knew, or at least also suspected, that Brutus was his child,
having called him son in his dying moments.
Number 1: Rome After Caesar.
As we have mentioned before, Caesar had no sons that could continue his name, and thereby
continue his dynasty or inherit his wealth.
He remedied this by adopting his great nephew Octavian and making him his sole heir.
Octavian was granted great power and after Caesars death he tried to uphold Caesars legacy.
Caesars death had caused a civil war and by the end of it, the Roman republic had collapsed
and Octavian was made the de facto emperor of Rome.
Through the war, Rome was transformed from a barely functioning Republic to a monarch
Empire that then lasted for the next 1400 years.
On the 1st January 42 BC Octavian was given the title Divus Julius, meaning The Divine
Julius, and became the first ever Roman to be compared to a deity.
Even today we are reminded of Caesars legacy each year, because shortly before Caesar was
assassinated...the month of Quintilis was renamed to July in honor of Caesar.
What is your most significant moment in Julius Caesar's history?
Let us know in the comments below and...take care!
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