Julius Caesar

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

Gaius Julius Caesar (July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a military leader and politician of the Roman Republic in very early times.

Caesar first took power with two other politicians, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) and Marcus Licinius Crassus. These three men ruled Rome and were called the Triumvirate. Because of their agreement, Caesar became the governor of Gallia. Gallia is the area which is today North Italy, Switzerland, and France. Caesar was leader during the Gallic War, which was fought between the Gallic people and German people, who wanted to move into Gallia. Caesar wrote about this eight-year war in his book De Bello Galico ("On the Gallic Wars"). This book was written in the Latin language, and is thought to be one of the best examples. Many people think it is the first geographic description of France.

The governor of Gallia couldn't enter Rome without the Senate's permission. When the time he served as the governor of Gallia was almost finished, Caesar had political problems and thought he should return to Rome as soon as possible, or his political enemies would catch up with him. He brought his armies and entered Rome and took power.

Caesar married two Roman women during his life, but had no children. Caesar travelled to Egypt and met Queen Cleopatra. They fell in love. They had a son. They called him Caesarion. They couldn't marry according to the Roman Law. Caesar didn't make his only son his heir, who would get all that he had after his death. Instead, his sister's son, Octavianus became his heir. Octavianus was later known as Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor.

Some Roman people who were in favor of a powerful senate were not happy to see that only Caesar had much power. On the Ides of March (March 15) 44 BC, Caesar was called to the Senate and killed by the Senators who waited for him.

William Shakespeare wrote a drama Julius Caesar.