7 facts about the life of Julius Caesar

The history of Ancient Rome cannot be viewed separately from the life of Julius Caesar, who was one of the most influential figures in its history.

Caesar’s character has been portrayed in many literary and cinematic works, and there have been plenty of true and false myths about his life throughout the centuries. Here are seven facts about the life of the Roman dictator.

Caesar had a romantic affair with Cleopatra

The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was another popular historical figure. Ironically, he lived in the same era as Julius Caesar and had a relationship with the Roman dictator.

Their relationship started during Caesar’s Civil War against his former ally Pompey the Great, a renowned Roman general. After Pompey’s army was defeated in the Battle of Pharsalus, he fled and sought refuge in Egypt which was ruled by Ptolemy XIII at the time.

The Death of Julius Caesar (1805) by Vincenzo Camuccini. Oil on canvas, 112 cm x 195 cm.

Ptolemy’s father and Pompey were good friends in the past, but the son was not as friendly against Roman general as his predecessor. He was aware of Pompey’s failures in the Civil War and was afraid that Caesar could be angered, in case Egyptians would support his enemy.

Caesar was indeed outraged, but only because of the way, the Egyptians killed Pompey. He was ready for a war, and locals were seriously concerned. To avoid the potential violence, Ptolemy’s XIII sister Cleopatra was secretly brought to Caesar’s camp, hidden in a rug. He was impressed by her bravery, and romantic feelings soon sparkled one of the most famous affairs in history.

Caesar, who was a well-educated man himself, became fascinated by the intelligent and charming Cleopatra. She also had a great education and knew multiple languages, including her native Greek language. Together they traveled around Egypt and had a cruise of the Nile.

Eventually, Caesar supported her cause to become the Queen of Egypt, and they had a son, Caesarion. The Roman dictator never really acknowledged Caesarion as his son, while Cleopatra made him a co-ruler and Pharaoh of Egypt after Caesar’s Assassination in 44 BC.

Caesar wore a laurel wreath to hide his baldness

Laurel’s wreath nowadays is associated as one of the historical attributes of the Olympic Games and a symbol of triumph. During the Roman period, it had a similar meaning — a symbol of victory of battle-hardened military commanders.

For Caesar, this attribute became a tool to hide his balding head. Contemporaries described the Roman dictator as a “tall and a well-built man, who had a strong health”. However, he was irritated by baldness.

It was important to Caesar to keep his appearance attractive, and ongoing baldness was not anything to be cheerful about. The only way he could make the loss of his hair less visible, was by wearing the laurel wreath on a regular basis.

The Kaiser and Tsar titles were inspired by Caesar

Germans called their Emperors — Kaisers, while Russian Emperors were known as Tsars or Czars. Both of these titles got the influence from the cognomen of Julius Caesar. To make themselves sound more important, the rulers of other tribes nearby the Roman Empire adopted its Latin Caesares title.

A similar story was with the Slavic tribes. However, those more often were using the Greek version — Καῖσαρ (Kaîsar). Throughout the centuries, this word evolved to Tsar. The first Russian ruler, who declared himself the Tsar of Russia, was Ivan the Terrible in 1547. However, in 1721, under the rule of Peter the Great, Tsardom of Russia was succeeded by the Russian Empire. Peter the Great then became an Emperor.

Caesar was a great writer and speaker

The Roman dictator was a multi-talented person. From his early days, Caesar developed a great interest in literature. He wrote several works that included poems and memoirs with valuable historical content. One of the examples includes Caesar’s memories from the Gallic Wars. In these books, he described the history, customs, and religion of the Gallic tribes before the Roman conquest.

The language Caesar used to describe his numerous military experiences was laconic but well-written. He also tended to mention himself as a third person, as Caesar. Still, the quality of his works was magnificent and future Latin language students often had The Gallic Wars as a subject in their classes.

Caesar’s contemporaries also mention that he was a great public speaker, who knew how to captivate the audience with his words and rhetoric. Even the famous Roman philosopher Cicero held Caesar’s orator abilities in high regard. Even by applying simple logic, it would be very challenging for anyone to survive in the Roman political arena without having great orator skills. Caesar gained his power and influence for a reason.

Caesar said the famous phrase: “I came; I saw; I conquered”

Veni, vidi, vici — one of the iconic Latin phrases, said by Caesar. It symbolizes a quick victory his forces achieved during a five-day war against the army of Pharnaces II of Pontus, who had a desire to bring back the Kingdom of Pontus to the former heights.

While the Roman Republic had ongoing internal clashes, Pharnaces II used this as the opportunity to regain some of his father’s (Mithridates VI) lands. Caesar quickly restored the order and crushed the ambitious plans of Pontus king at the Battle of Zela. Later on, many authors of antiquity attributed the “Veni, vidi, vici!” phrase to Caesar.

The month of July was named after Caesar

The Roman calendar had several versions, and it saw numerous reforms. While there was the Calendar of Romulus in use, it featured only ten months, and the year started with Mensis Martius (March). It was named in honor of the Roman god of war and agriculture — Mars. July back then was known as a Mensis Quintilis, or simply, the Fifth Month.

There are two versions of how the Mensis Quintilis became July (the month Caesar was born). Roman historian Suetonius suggested that the name of the fifth month in the Roman calendar was changed during the reign of Caesar. Another version claims that the change happened after the assassination of Caesar, and it was initiated by his close friend, Mark Anthony, who wanted to honor the former dictator of Rome.

Caesar gained power in Rome by force

Caesar’s Civil War lasted for almost five years, and the Battle of Munda that happened on the territory of modern-day Spain marked its end.

It could have ended earlier, but Caesar had the policy of clementia. He promised to show mercy against his opponents. Some of the former Pompeians even became close to Caesar.

While after crossing the Rubicon river, there was no serious resistance on Caesar’s way to Rome, he still had plenty of military action ahead of him. Italian lands welcomed him, but outside of those, Pompeians had plenty of legions ready to challenge Caesar’s ambitions. He had to win several battles in Greece, Spain, and North Africa. His clementia policy often caused a headache that could have been avoided, since the pardoned Pompeians continued their resistance until the Battle of Munda finally gave Caesar full power over the Roman Republic.

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