Two Caesars
The contrast between Julius Caesar and Gaius Caesar, also known as Caligula, can be distinguished quite easily. Julius Caesar was a powerful dictator, whose name is remembered as one of the great Roman leaders, and the last dictator of the Roman Republic. Caligula, a Roman emperor, is known as the complete opposite and is known to be a crazy cruel vindictive leader. Julius Caesar worked hard gaining the power he had when he was assassinated. Caligula, on the other end of the spectrum, had the power fall into his hands when Tiberius fell ill and the senate named Caligula the sole emperor of Rome. The lives of Julius Caesar and Caligula give an insight to the lives of Roman emperors in the first century.
Julius Caesar the divine, lost his father at the age of 16 and was
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Julius Caesar had an affair with Cleopatra and Servilia Caepionis, the half-sister of Cato the Younger. Extra-marital affairs are not seen as moral in our culture, however in the Roman culture, the Roman gods weren’t interested in the morality of affairs. Affairs were acceptable especially for the elites of Rome. If anyone were to be punished it would be the wife who committed adultery. Same sex affairs were also acceptable, Julius Caesar was taunted with charges of being the lover of King Nicomedes of Bithynia. Marriage was not a religious act in the eyes of Romans. Their gods would not become upset with them if they were to get a divorce. Most Roman dictators and emperors remarried due to the deaths of their wives or the loss of their wives due to divorce. Caligula married Milonia Caesonia in 41 A.D. and married Lollia Paulina in 38 A.D. Caligula was involved in many affairs and was even suspected of incest with his sister, Julia Drusilla, according to Suetonius, a great Roman historian. Sex was not seen as symbolic in the Roman culture, it didn’t create a stronger bond between two
The two film posters I will be discussing in this essay are Julius Caesar (1953) and Hail, Caesar! (2016).
For thousands of years people have been talking about the great powerful Caesar. He is one of the greatest known dictators known to people today mostly because of all of the things he was able to accomplish during his rein as emperor. After reading primary sources about Caesar, it has given me a better understanding of what other people thought of him during this time period. It’s safe to say that Caesar was obsessed with power and respect from other people that would explain his thirst for war and land, which is one of his greatest strengths and helped in making Rome a great empire.
Gaius Julius Caesar, born 100 B.C.E. in Rome to the impoverished patrician Julian Clan, knew controversy at an early age. Nephew to Populare Gaius Marius, he was earmarked by the Optimate dictator Sulla for prosciption after his refusal to divorce his Populare wife, Cinna. Fleeing Rome, and not returning until after Sulla’s resignation in 78 B.C.E, upon his return he gained a position as a pontificate, an important Roman priesthood. Slowly but surely throughout his lifetime he worked his way up the political ladder, eventually becoming Consul, and finally Dictator Perpeteus – Dictator for life. One of the most influential political and military leaders of all time, Caesar was also a highly intelligent man and an exceptional orator. However, acquiring this absolute power was no mean feat, and Caesar had well equipped himself through previous expeditions with all the resources necessary to gain power in Ancient Rome.
Julius Caesar was the dictator of Rome in his prime. Some say his journey to the top was paved in corruption, other claimed he was a man of the people. His enemies knew to fear him for his ruthlessness. His followers adored him because everything that he had succeeded in was done for them. Unfortunately, his betrayal transpired by his senators who felt he had grown too powerful and stabbed him to death. However, Julius Caesar’s connection to the political world, his innate ability as an army general, and his desire to advocate for the rights of his people made him a great leader.
Although these emperors committed crimes and acts of kindness, they were considered bad; a big part of this came from their personalities. Commodus was a man with a weak character and was easily swayed by pressure; he was prone to cruelty and excessive behavior. This was proven when he had thought his father had died, he then took control and utter chaos broke out (Cavazzi F, n.d.). Nero on the other hand was a passionate music lover, kind, and controlled but over time his loving personality degraded due to obsession of power and some thought lead poisoning, One example of Nero’s good personality was his love for music, people loved his music so much they called him “The New Apollo” (Champlin, E, 2003). On the other hand Caligula was on his own level being self-indulgent, self-absorbed, extravagant, and had a loose temper. This leads him to being easily angered and murdered who had angered him, many lived in fear of his tyranny. Examples of his anger and selfish are stated later. Commodus was the best out of the three worst, although he did acts that made him not so good in the eyes of the Romans
People got divorced because of adultery, politics, or simply because they didn’t work well together. Punishment for adultery varied at different times in Rome’s history. Most times adultery was considered a family matter and most times didn’t need the attention of a court. “If the woman was the one who committed adultery, the husband could keep some of her dowry if she got divorced,” quote by “Women’s Rights in Ancient Rome”. That woman would also have to wear a toga instead of a dress. If there were children in the marriage then the husband would have full custody of them. The wife would go back to her family. Julius Caesar's second wife was divorced when she was caught in a compromising situation with another man. The man was thrown in jail. Politics had a bigger impact on a marriage than love did. Men wanted to have wives that were from influential and important families. All of Julius Caesar's wives were daughters or granddaughters of important government men. Many elite Romans got remarried if they got divorced or their spouse died. It was customary for a woman to mourn for 10 months before remarrying. Even women who were pregnant got remarried. Livia Drusilla got married to the first emperor of Rome, Augustus (Octavian), when she was pregnant with her previous husband's child. Her ex-husband was even at the wedding between her and
One of the grandest dominions in all of the world was once ruled by a man whose name is Julius Caesar. His decisions impacted the structure of government throughout Rome’s lifespan. Caesar shaped the Republic of Rome on his own, and would conquer much of Europe in his time. Caesar’s life was influenced mainly by war and hate, which would also lead to the end of his own life. Julius Caesar would enter history as one of the most impinging rulers in all of Europe and the world.
Julius Caesar was born on the 13th day of the month Quintilis (now July) in the year of 100 B.C. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, the same as his father's name. Gaius was his given name and Julius was his surname. Caesar was the name of one branch of the Julian family. Its original meaning was "hairy.” Caesar's family was not prominent, but they claimed to be descended from Venus as well as the kings of Alba Langa. In spite of that fiction, Caesar was well connected through his relatives and received some important government assignments during his youth. Julius Caesar was the dictator of Rome from 61-44 BC. At the time of his birth, Rome was still a republic and the empire was only beginning. Caesar made his way to be considered a head of Rome by 62 BC, but many of the senate felt him a dangerous, ambitious man. The senate did their best to keep him out of consulship. He finally became consul in 59 BC. In Caesar, they saw only the threat of a king, a word that was linked with the word “tyrant” that is cruel or unjust rule.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is an intimate portrayal of the famed assassination of Julius Caesar and the complex inner workings of the men who committed the crime. In one particularly revealing scene, two of the men closest to Caesar, one a conspirator in his murder and one his second-in command, give orations for the deceased. Despite being simple in appearance, these two speeches do much of the work in developing and exposing the two characters in question. Though both have a love for Caesar, Mark Antony's is mixed with a selfish desire for power, while Brutus' is pure in nature, brought to a screeching halt by his overpowering stoicism. These starkly-contrasted personalities influence the whole of the play, leading to its tragic-but-inevitable end.
Julius Caesar was a politician and general of the late Roman Republic, who vastly extended the Roman Empire before seizing power and making himself dictator of Rome, paving the way for the imperial system. Which eventually led to a senatorial coup, and the assassination of Julius Caesar, on the Ides of March. Which also led to the power struggle in Rome shortly after his death, leading to the end of the Roman Republic.
In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two speeches are given to the people of Rome about Caesar's death. In Act 3, Scene 2 of this play Brutus and Antony both try to sway the minds of the Romans toward their views. Brutus tried to make the people believe he killed Caesar for a noble cause. Antony tried to persuade the people that the conspirators committed an act of brutality toward Caesar and were traitors. The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both Antony's and Brutus's speech to the people are conveyed through tone and rhetorical devices.
How would you feel if the man you thought could fix the wrong doings of your past leader turned out to be even worse? Well that is what happened in the case of Galius Caesar, or more commonly known as Caligula. He was a tortured man and after reviewing the symptoms of Galius Caesar I diagnose him with a Narcissistic Antisocial Personality Disorder because of his sudden obsession with himself as a god, murderous ways, and sexual desires.
Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome in July 100 BC. Rome was a Republic at this time. He was a statesman, Roman general, Consul, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a significant role in the events that led to the collapse of the Roman Republic and rise of the Roman Empire. He was a leader in a nation where the people were not involved in the government decision-making process. Thus, he had majority of the power in the Republic and was able to form a huge army. He was able to triumph, conquer new lands with the army at his grasp and command. As Caesar acquired more power over the years, som...
civilization has had a range of great people; two of the most brilliant and influential leaders were Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. The turning points in history they were involved in were their individual conquests and their unfortunate deaths. Alexander's greatest victory was over the Persians; Caesar's greatest victory was his defeat of Pompey. Their actions and beliefs had their influence on their society and society of today.
Julius Caesar - A Comparison of Brutus and Cassius In the play Julius Caesar, written and performed by William Shakespeare, there are many characters, but two, Brutus and Cassius, stood out. The play begins in Rome, where a celebration of Julius Caesar's victory over the former ruler of Rome, Pompeii. The victory leads to Caesar's betrayal by his jealous companions. Senators and other high status figures are jealous of Caesar's new and growing power, while others, like Brutus, fear the tyrannical rule Caesar could enforce.