Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar is known as one of the most famous figures in history. In his time, known for his great military and political expertise, Julius Caesar was a well loved leader by most, but not by all. Though branded as a dictator after winning a Roman civil war, Julius was as a strategic genius and had the support to go with him. After being assassinated by his closest friends and former supporters, Julius was not recognized as a great leader until several years later when his nephew, Augustus took power, and renounced his late uncle’s name.

Not much is know about Julius Caesar and his youth. He was born in 102 B.C. into a patrician family that didn’t really have too much political involvement, only having three relatives involved in Roman councils. Growing up, his father did not have many connections, but his brother-in-law, Gaius Marius, was given the rank of praetor, the second highest of the Republic's elected magistrates. This is believed where Julius was influenced to begin his career in the Roman army, and one day become a General.

In his military career, Julius had many close brushes with death, and some of his best stories are not known among the rest. While rising in the ranks, shortly after gaining the Civil Crown for his part in the siege of Mytilene, he was on his way across the Aegean Sea and was kidnapped by Cilician pirates. Held prisoner in the Dodecanese islet of Farmaks, He maintained an attitude of superiority throughout his captivity. When the pirates thought to demand a ransom of twenty talents (which is about 100 pounds) of gold, he insisted they ask for fifty. After the ransom was paid, Caesar raised a fleet, pursued and captured the pirates, and imprisoned them in Pergamon. The governor of Asia as the time refused to execute them as Caesar demanded, preferring to sell them as slaves, but Caesar returned to the coast and had them crucified on his own authority, as he had promised to when in captivity… a promise the...