The Hamartia of Julius Caesar and his Quest for Power

Even as a young man, Julius Caesar idolized power, leadership, and politics. Early in his quest for power Caesar was a student of the great Crassus. Eventually and gradually, Caesar built his own power, and than he made an alliance with Pompey and Crassus known as the first triumvirate. Later on, Caesar ended up more powerful then the other two men and became the last man standing. Julius Caesar started to take part in many small leadership positions, which eventually led to Caesar’s establishing the trust of society and the eventual reign of Julius Caesar. Caesar’s rise as a political leader and politician was blemished with a fatal flaw in his character known as hamartia. Caesar’s hamartia was his pride, arrogance and individual quest for power, self-superiority and use of popularist tactics to further own political gains. On the one hand, it led to political and military leadership as well as to democratic and popularist tactics to advance his career as a politician and ruler of Rome. On the other hand, Caesar’s hamartia fostered many enemies for him politically, who ultimately conspired against him, thus causing his death.

Hamartia was the driving force behind Caesar’s rise in politics, his first consulship, and the formation of the first triumvirate early in his career. However, he demonstrated many admirable qualities in battle as was evident in his first campaign under Minucius Thermus when he was rewarded the “civic-crown” for saving the life of a fellow-soldier (Encyclopedia Britannica 938). Upon returning to Rome after Sulla’s death, Caesar worked towards gaining the respect of the people in Rome and proving his right to be their leader by exposing both the corruption of two senatorial governors and the senatorial tri...

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...ts. He also revised the Roman calendar and formed the 365 day calendar. He valued writing and expressed his thoughts in his diaries. In summary, Caesar’s reforms and other superior advances he creatively developed were all evidence for why Caesar was a superb man.

An opposing issue is whether Caesar’s characteristic traits worked for the good of the people or really just for his hubris. Julius Caesar, known for the creation of Roman success, was infamous for his ego and tyrannical policies. As a military leader it was incontrovertible that Julius Caesar achieved his power and success by annihilating his enemies. He also used his military power to advance and endure the position of consul and finally to become a dictator and supreme ruler of Rome. His hubris would not allow him to share the glory with his fellow leaders, which led to the tragedy of Julius Caesar.