#Cato the younger vs gaius julius caesar series#

Thus a unified Senate could project a nearly-irresistible influence over the voters, enabling it to maintain control of public affairs.Ĭato was a member of Rome’s senatorial elite and supported its traditional ability to run the state, but things were changing quickly in his lifetime. This cooperation was usually arranged by the most senior and important senators, who were normally able to bring the Senate to a consensus position on major issues, and that consensus among Rome’s leading men was usually sufficient to guide the votes of the citizens.

As a result, so long as the senators and their families worked together, they were usually able to deploy their combined influence to control the outcome of elections and legislative votes. The citizens in their assemblies made laws and elected magistrates, but they were very deferential to the social rank and moral authority of Rome’s senators. Cato championed the traditional system of government that for centuries had enabled the senatorial elite to use its collective influence and resources to dominate Roman politics, religion, and society. Cato was a staunch champion of the traditional prerogatives of the aristocratic elite in the Senate, and so a fierce antagonist of any man who sought to gain individual influence and power at the expense of the Senate. Marcus Porcius Cato ‘The Younger’ was one of the most fascinating and important men in a critical era of Roman history: the mid-first century BC, when the Roman Republican system of government finally collapsed and gave way to an imperial monarchy. Poems by Julius Caesar are also mentioned in ancient sources.Fred Drogula examines the truth behind the man and his times. Among his lost works are his funeral oration for his paternal aunt Julia and his Anticato, a document written to defame Cato in response to Cicero's published praise. A few sentences from other works are quoted by other authors. Only Caesar's war commentaries have survived. Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history.ĭuring his lifetime, Caesar was regarded as one of the best orators and prose authors in Latin - even Cicero spoke highly of Caesar's rhetoric and style. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources. Much of Caesar's life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and from other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began. Caesar's adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in the civil war.

#Cato the younger vs gaius julius caesar series#

A new series of civil wars broke out, and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. But the underlying political conflicts had not been resolved, and on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed 'dictator in perpetuity', giving him additional authority.

Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war put him in an unrivalled position of power and influence.Īfter assuming control of government, Caesar began a programme of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with the 13th Legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both the Channel and the Rhine, when he built a bridge across the Rhine and crossed the Channel to invade Britain. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Their attempts to amass power as Populares were opposed by the Optimates within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Gaius Julius Caesar, known as Julius Caesar, was a Roman politician, general, and notable author of Latin prose.