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Biography of Julius Caesar:The First Thirty Years

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years ago

 

 

 By Emma L.

Julius Caesar:The First Thirty Years

 

100 B.C. - 72 B.C.

 


 

The information on this page is intended to shed light on Caesar's beginnings in order to achieve greater understanding of the man, his motives, and ambitions.

 

Birth and Childhood

A Portrait of Young Caesar

    Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 12th or 13th, in Rome, in the year 100 B.C. There is controversy as to the exact date of his birth because of the calendar change that was instituted by Caesar himself in 46 B.C. Caesar's father was Gaius Julius Caesar and his mother was Aurelia. Legend has it that Caesar was born by Caesarian section, but in reality that procedure would only have been performed on a dead woman.

    The early life and childhood of Julius Caesar is not well known. He grew up in an apartment in a lower-class neighborhood in Rome, called the Subura. As a young boy Caesar was educated in Greek and Latin by a tutor, Marcus Antonius Gnipho. It is also known that Caesar was a generally healthy child, although later in life he suffered increasingly from epileptic seizures. He had a close relationship with his mother, as his father died in 85 B.C.

The Julii Caesares

    Caesar was born into the Caesar branch of the Julius family. His family supposedly traced itself back to Julus, the grandson of the goddess Venus. The family was well-known and of patrician ancestry, but was not rich or influential at the time of Caesar's birth. During that period the former Plebian families held much of the power, as the patrician families were too few and too weak to protest.

 

Early Career

Association with Radical Politics

    At the time of Julius Caesar, the way for a Roman to gain distinction and honor was to become elected to public office. Caesar also realized at an early age that the key to power was money, and a lot of it. At the age of sixteen, he was nominated for the position of flamen dialis, the high priest of Jupiter. As the priest, he would have been restricted from touching metal or riding horses. Although he never was placed in the position, he became connected with radical politics.

    As  young man Caesarn was also influenced by his paternal uncle by marriage, Gaius Marius. Gaius Marius was a general of the Roman army, who became very rich and politically powerful. When he was fifteen, Marius died and left Caesar with much wealth and property. His uncle Marius and his supporters had often opposed the Roman dictator, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. When Caesar inherited Marius's property, he also inherited the enmity with Sulla. His connection to his uncle also identified him with extremist politics.  

Marital and Military Exploits

    In 84 B.C., Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna, who was Marius' right-hand man (see Personal Relationships for Caesar's marriage to Cornelia). In 82 B.C., Sulla demanded that Caesar divorce his wife, but Caesar refused. Realizing the possible consequences of his refusal, Caesar left Rome to hide, but not before Sulla confiscated Cornelia's dowry and blocked Caesar from becoming flamen dialis. Sulla pardoned Caesar and his family, but Caesar chose to travel to Asia and Cilicia, where he was involved in many military operations. He showed so much bravery in key battles that he was awarded the oak crown, the highest honor given to a non-commander. His military exploits demonstrated his bravery and determination, and gained him much prestige.

Julius  Caesar leading troops in one of many military expeditions.
The corona civicus, or civil crown, was a wreath of oak leaves awarded for bravery of a non-commander in battle. Julius Caesar was awarded the honor, pictured here on a Roman coin.

Caesar is Kidnapped by Pirates

    Caesar returned to Rome in 78 B.C., after the death of Sulla. He became a lawyer, and soon was well-known for his good speaking skills and unforgiving nature, two skills that stayed with him for the rest of his career. On a trip to Rhodes for further study, he was kidnapped by Cilician pirates. He was seemingly unperturbed by the course of events, and willingly sent his supporters to collect the ransom money. He joked with his captors and threatened to have them crucified. As soon as he was released, Caesar organized a naval force and captured the men, and executed them by crucifixition. The episode demonstrated his relentless determination, a quality which would prove to be useful in many other situations.

Caesar Enters the World of Politics

 

    After studying in Rhodes, Caesar returned to Rome. One year later, in 72 B.C., he was elected military tribune. This was his first real step into the political world, and he soon gained importance because of his military experience and his good oratory skills.

 

Personal Relationships

 

Broken Betrothal

    From a young age Caesar was intended to marry Cossituia. The marriage was arranged by his father for the purpose of acquiring wealth. However, Caesar broke the engagement in 84 B.C. to marry Cornelia.

Marriage to Cornelia

    Cornelia Cinnilla was the daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna, a supporter of Marius. Caesar loved Cornelia, and she had a very large dowry. Also, she came from the patrician class, and was thus an appropriate match. Caesar's marriage to Cornelia linked him even more closely with the radical politicans that had opposed Sulla, leading to the dictator's order for divorce between the couple.

Alleged Relationship with King of Bithynia

 

    In 79 B.C., Julius Caesar was sent to Bithynia to obtain a fleet of ships. Although Caesar secured the ships, it was rumored that his success was due only to the fact that he slept with King Nicomedes IV, who was a homosexual. The tale was never confirmed, but it was used many times in later years by his political opponents.

 

This  Bithynian coin is printed with an image of King Nicomedes IV, with whom Caesar was rumored to have had a relationship.

 

Rise to Power

Caesar's rise to power was due to inherent factors, experience, and political connections. His personal characteristics of ambition, determination, and bravery helped him gain prestige. His military and oratory experience made him an excellent candidate for the position of military tribune, the first step in his political career. Last, his connections to Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna secured for him great wealth and property.

 


View Caesar's Early Life and Rise to Power for an in-depth description of Caesar's political and military achievements during the first half of his life.

BE SURE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE TIMELINE OF CAESAR'S LIFE

Be sure to visit Nicole's page for information on the second half Julius Caesar's life.

 


Works Consulted:

 

 

 

 

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