Digital Project: The History of Julius Caesar

Birth of Julius Caesar

100 BCE

Born in Rome to the Julii family, a poor noble family in the Roman slums of Subura.

A Brief History of the Life and Death of Julius Caesar

Period: 100 BCE to 44 BCE

This timeline depicts the life of famous Roman emperor, Julius Caesar and the important events that transpired during his reign over Rome

Became Head of Family

85 BCE

When his father died, Julius became head of the household and allied himself with his uncle Gaius Marius against Sulla

High Priest of Jupiter

84 BCE

His Uncle Gaius Marius appointed him High Priest of Jupiter
https://gnosticwarrior.com/priests-of-jupiter-amon.html

Married Cornelia Cinna

84 BCE

married his first wife, Cornelia Cinna, daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornelia_Cinna_Minor.jpg

Daughter born

83 BCE

First daughter, Julia born

Stripped of Priesthood

82 BCE

stripped of his title of high priest of jupiter by Sulla, an enemy of the Julii family, who was named Dictator of Rome following the victory of the battle at Collin Gate (1st November)

Forced into Hiding

81 BCE

was forced into hiding for refusing to divorce his wife, was pardoned later that year

Served in Roman army

81 BCE

served in Roman army in turkey
https://www.historynet.com/julius-caesar-war.htm

Civic Crown

80 BCE

was awarded the Civic Crown for bravery during the siege of Mytilene
https://notjustanotherbook.com/crowns.htm

Return to Rome

78 BCE

Following Sulla, dictator of Rome's death, Caesar returned to Rome
https://owlcation.com/humanities/An-antique-dictaor-LC-Sulla

Law career

77 BCE

Julius Caesar became a lawyer for two years, and was known for the way he attacked and defended in court, an ancient shark!

Held for Ransom

75 BCE

during a trip to Rhodes to learn the art of public speaking, Caesar was captured and held for ransom by pirates for a month

Revenge for Ransom

75 BCE

Julius then set out to find the pirates who held him for ransom and execute them

Third Mithridatic War

74 BCE

Caesar raised his own army and participated in the Third Mithridatic War
https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_mithridatic

Military Tribune

72 BCE

served as military tribune for the year. Military Tribune is an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribune as a stepping stone to the Senate.

Quaestor for Spain

69 BCE

served as quaestor, a low ranking magistrate with financial responsibilities, in Spain

Married Pompeia

67 BCE

Married his second wife, Pompeia, granddaughter of Sulla\
https://todayinhistory.blog/tag/pompeia/

Served as Aedile

65 BCE

served as aedile, responsible for temples, buildings and the Games. He staged lavish Games using money loaned from Crassus

Elected Pontifex Maximus

63 BCE

elected pontifex maximus, the head of the principal college of priests, largely due to bribes.

Second Marriage Ended

62 BCE

Their marriage ended in scandal. In 63 BC, Caesar had been elected Pontifex Maximus. An ambitious young nobleman named Publius Claudius Pulcher entered the house disguised as a woman, ostensibly for the purpose of seducing Pompeia. Rumors swirled about Pompeia's fidelity. Caesar felt that he had no choice but to divorce Pompeia, not because he personally believed the rumours, but because the wife of the Pontifex Maximus had to be above suspicion.

Served as Praetor

62 BCE

a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army or an elected magistratus (magistrate)

Served as Governor of Spain

61 BCE

61-60 BC he served as governor of the Roman province of Spain

Formed the First Triumvirate

60 BCE

formed an unofficial alliance(first triumvirate) with Pompey and Crassus. In return for support Caesar would support measures that would benefit them. Cicero was offered a part of the alliance but declined.

Agrarian Bill

59 BCE

introduced an Agrarian Bill favored by Pompey that would redistribute wasteland in Italy to Pompey's soldiers and homeless poor people

Arrested Cato for speaking against his Agrarian Bill

59 BCE

Cato opposed every law he suggested, especially the agrarian laws that established farmlands for Pompey's veterans on public lands. Caesar responded by having Cato arrested while Cato was making a speech against him at the rostra. So many senators protested this extraordinary and unprecedented use of force by threatening to go to prison with Cato, that Caesar finally relented.

Pompey Married Julius Caesar's daughter, Julia

59 BCE

In 59 B.C. Pompey married the much younger daughter of Caesar, Julia, who was already engaged to Q. Servilius Caepio. Caepio was unhappy so Pompey offered him his own daughter Pompeia.

Married Calpurnia Pisonis

59 BCE

married his third wife, Calpurnia Pisonis, who was said to be a very shy and humble woman who tolerated Caesar's infidelities.

Served as Consul

59 BCE

one of the two annually elected chief magistrates who jointly ruled the republic

Defeated Swiss at the Battle of Arar

58 BCE

After 15 days of pursuit, Caesar decided to make a diversion to Bibracte. The Helvetii attacked the Romans but suffered a decisive defeat. The Helvetii Caesar defeated were part of the pagus of the Tigurini, which in 107 BC had slain the Consul Lucius Cassius Longinus, as well as the legate Lucius Calpurnius Piso, the grandfather of the Lucius Calpurnius Piso who was the father-in-law of Caesar.
https://www.estory.io/timeline/view/nZnnRZ/269/The_Gallic_Wars_Pt_1_-_The_Helvetii

Conquers the Swiss

58 BCE

After a decisive victory at the Battle of Bibracte, Julius Caesar and his army defeated the Swiss

Made Governor of Roman Gaul for a four year term

58 BCE

He set about planning to conquer all of Gaul and his subsequent conquest is known as the Gallic Wars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_Wars

Defeated the Suebi at the Battle of Vosges

57 BCE

Caesar had for the moment secured his German border. Caesar did not stop there. He chased them into Germania, building a bridge to cross the Rhine in only 10 days.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vosges_(58_BC)

Defeated the Belgians at the Battle of Axona

57 BCE

Caesar sent three legions and all his cavalry to attack the rear of the Belgic marching column. In his account of this action, Caesar claims that these Roman forces killed as many men as the daylight allowed, without any risk to themselves (as the Belgic forces were taken by surprise and breaking rank, sought safety in flight).
http://dcc.dickinson.edu/images/map-battle-axona-t-dodge

Unrest in Rome

57 BCE

tensions grew high in Rome due to several poor harvests resulting in grain shortage. Many citizens believed Caesar's Agrarain Law was to blame. It did not help that the relations between Caesar's allies Pompey and Crassus were becoming increasingly strained.

Defeated Nervii tribes at the Battle of Sabis

57 BCE

Julius Caesar, commanding the Roman forces, was surprised and nearly defeated. According to Caesar's report, a combination of determined defense, skilled generalship, and the timely arrival of reinforcements allowed the Romans to turn a strategic defeat into a tactical victory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Sabis

Luca Conference

56 BCE

this conference reaffirmed the First Triumvirate and extended his Governorship of Gaul
https://sites.psu.edu/firsttriumvirate/the-problems-and-patching/

Began German Campaign

55 BCE

campaign pushed the Roman territory beyond the Rhine for the first time ever

Two failed expeditions to Britain

55 BCE

During teh first expedition in late August, Caesar landed on a beach in Deal but was unable to push further inland. He made a second expedition in July 54 BC but withdrew to Rome for the winter

Death of Daughter

54 BCE

Caesar's daughter, Julia who was married to Pompey, died in childbirth during September of 54BC

Death of Crassus and Fall of the First Triumvirate

53 BCE

At the decisive Battle of Carrhae, the Roman army found itself surrounded by Parthian archers. Parthian archers shot them all to death with their arrows. Crassus was killed. Caesar and Pompey realized that one of them could actually realize their imperial dreams in the opportunity that they now had. Within four years of Crassus’s death, Caesar crossed the Rubicon River and started a civil war with Pompey in order to acquire this supreme power.
https://sites.psu.edu/firsttriumvirate/crassus/

Siege of Avaricum

52 BCE

Caesar's legions were in no mood to spare any of the 40,000 Gauls within Avaricum, especially after 25 days of short rations and great frustration. Only 800 managed to escape the massacre that followed. After feeding and resting his men at Avaricum until early June, Caesar moved on Gergovia, determined to draw Vercingetorix into battle in a campaign that would eventually culminate in the Battle of Alesia.

Siege of Gergovia (Gallic War)

52 BCE

Given the size of the losses, Caesar ordered a retreat. In the wake of the battle, Caesar lifted his siege and fled the Arverni lands northeastwards in the direction of Aedui territory.

Siege of Alesia (Gallic War)

52 BCE

Alesia proved to be the end of generalized and organized resistance against Caesar's invasion of Gaul and effectively marked the end of the Gallic Wars. In the next year (50 BC) there were mopping-up operations. During the Roman civil wars Gallia was essentially left on its own.

Ordered to Return to Rome

51 BCE

now that Pompey and Caesar's alliance was over, Pompey ordered Caesar to come back to Rome as he was the leader of the senate and Caesar's term as governor of Gaul had ended

Request for Re-Election

50 BCE

Caesar refused to return to Rome without magistrate status under fear that he would be attacked, so he requested that he stay in Gaul and run for reelection. However, the senate refused his request and demanded that he return to Rome

Defeats Pompey Loyalists

49 BCE

defeats forces in Spain that were loyal to Pompey

Lay Siege to Massilia

49 BCE

Caesar lays siege to Massilia, which was loyal to Pompey, leaving the newly raised 17th, 18th, and 19th legions to conduct the siege under the command of Gaius Trebonius. Caesar himself marched with his veteran legions to Hispania to fight the Pompeian generals Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius. He would return to the siege of Massilia after defeating his opponents at the battle of Ilerda. The city fell in September.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Massilia

Returns to Rome

49 BCE

Caesar decides to return to Rome, with the thirteenth legion. This was taken as an act of aggression and forced Rome into Civil War.
http://www.lakesuperiortheatre.com/julius-caesar.html

Pompey Flees

49 BCE

Pompey and other senators flee Rome for Greece, but unfortunately forget to take the treasury with them.
https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=char-dir&f=pompey

Battle of Pharsalus

48 BCE

a decisive victory over Pompey, who fled to Egypt after the loss.

Pursued Pompey to Egypt

48 BCE

Caesar followed Pompey to Egypt, but upon arrival was presented with Pompey's head by Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy had hoped this would gain favor and win the support of Caesar in his Civil War against his sister Cleopatra. Horrified by the murder of Pompey, Caesar demanded the return of the money Egypt owed to Rome. He took the city of Alexandria for his headquarters, and decided to side with Cleopatra rather than her brother.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey

Ptolemy Lays Siege to Alexandria

48 BCE

Caesar backed Cleopatra in the Egyptian Civil War and becomes her lover. Ptolemy then lays siege to Alexandria

Battle of Dyrrhachium

48 BCE

Caesar went against Pompey in Macedonia and was forced to retreat to avoid being defeated.

Siege of Alexandria was Lifted

47 BCE

the siege was lifted due to a large force under Mithridates of Pergamum arrived in Egypt from the North Eastern region of the Empire

Battle of the Nile

47 BCE

Julius Caesar was victorious against the forces of Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy drowned in the Nile

Caesarion Was Born

47 BCE

Cleopatra, who was famously known to be romantically involved with Julius Caesar, may have given birth to his son who was named Caesarion
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/rehabilitating-cleopatra-70613486/

Dictator of Rome

46 BCE

Julius Caesar was (self)appointed Dictator of Rome for ten years

Battle of Thapsus

46 BCE

Julius Caesar defeated Pompey loyalists under Metellus Scipio

Introduced the Julian Calendar

45 BCE

created the calendar which set the year at 365.25 days divided into 12 months. It remained in effect until the 16th century

Battle of Munda

45 BCE

Forces loyal to Pompey's sons were defeated and the elder son was killed

Announced His Heir

45 BCE

Octavius was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and heir. Along with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, he formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at the Battle of Philippi, the Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic among themselves and ruled as military dictators.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus

Appointed Dictator of Rome for Life

44 BCE

self appointed himself as the dictator for life, greatly angering the rest of the senators and the citizens of Rome

Assassinated

44 BCE

Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by disgruntled senators