Julius Caesar - Rise to Power

Julius Caesar was one of the most influential and memorable leaders in all of recorded history; he may have been the greatest man of all time. Caesars self-promotion style enabled him to have a swift rise to power; Caesar didn’t always follow the rules, and there's no denying that he left a trail of enemies in his past, but his rise to power was spectacular at that. Unlike many Roman Leaders, Caesar proved to his people that he was the best that could have been; fighting in the front lines with his army showed that he was confident as well as a great tactician. His urge for such a quick rise to power brings forth the question of whether his intentions were all for the good of Rome. It was no coincidence that Caesar ended up with the power and position, with him planning and constructing his future using his nature of a tactician for creating a tactical pathway. Caesar was a great leader; in the eyes of his peers and the community he was an influential leader, although in the eyes of his political acquaintances he was a force to be nervous about.

Gaius Julius Caesar was born on the 13th of July during 100 BC. Caesar was born into a patrician family that can trace it’s originality back to Iulus ( the son of Aenas). The Julian clan claim descent from Venus and Mars. Unlike the majority of Roman nobles who were seen residing in lavish homes in the rich neighbourhood ‘Paletine’, this Julian family was not wealthy and they resided in an Insula within the Suburba. Caesar’s father, Gaius Julius Caesar was a former Julian and the family were impoverished but nevertheless linked to a senatorial clique. It is believed that Caesar’s father married Aurelia a Roman patron and a member of the noble family of ‘Cotta’. Caesar’s siblings consisted of his two sisters: Julia minor and Julia major. Caesar experienced the death of his father when he was just fifteen years old and took on the role of paterfamilias. We cannot overlook the fact that Caesar’s role as the head figure from a young age is likely to have benefited his future, political and military ambitions. Caesar also politically benefited from the patronage of his uncle, Caius Marius, through marriage with Caesar’s Aunty, Julia. Caius Marius was the leader of the populares party faction in Roman politics of the time.

As with all Roman nobles, Caesar was extremely well educated. “It was from Gnipho, his teacher, “that young Caesar imbibed Greek as well as Latin language and literature, and principles of oratory” (Kamm). These teachings were especially important because Caesar was a people’s man who needed those social skills to gain the popularity that he used to become such an influential figure. It is also absolute imperative to note that it was through Caesar’s personal experiences with Marius, as modern historian Karl Christ concurs, that he “adopted the tradition of the populares… he profited from the cause and prestige