Caesar Part 1

Question 1

Caesar’s Birth

Answer 1

-Born Gaius Julius Caesar, 100 BC
-relatively poor patrician family
-Julian family, descended from Iulus and Aeneas (son of Venus & founder of the Roman People)
-no one in the family had held office in many years

Question 2

Caesar Family’s Rise

Answer 2

• Caesar’s aunt, Julia, married Gaius Marius, a wealthy lowborn who was a powerful general loved by the people
• This let Caesar’s father marry his mother, Aurelia, the daughter of a consul
  -They soon had Caesar and later had two more daughters both named Julia, considered small for a Roman family
• Caesar’s father dies 85 BC

Question 3

Tiberius Gracchus

Answer 3

-tribune
-133, Gracchus was murdered by the Senate
-First political murder in the Republic
-His brother, Gaius, also a tribune, kills himself 10 years later to avoid this fate
-political violence worsened following this

Question 4

Caesar Early Life

Answer 4

-born in a small house in the Subura (Roman Ghetto)
-Caesar’s mother, Aurelia, handled business, oversaw his education, and managed slaves
-Caesar and his sisters had private tutors, Caesar gained a love of literature
-Caesar learned to swim in the Tiber and became an expert horseman

Question 5

Roman Political Organization

Answer 5

-bipartisan system
-the populārēs were the people’s party and the optimātēs favored the elite
-three classes of citizens
-the patricians (nobles), the equites (the middle-class), and the plebians (commoners)
-the classes did not relate to political parties

Question 6

The Social War

Answer 6

-91 BC, Italian allies of Rome wanted citizenship and the right to vote
- tribune, Marcus Livius Drusus, took up their cause and was murdered by the Senate
-Italians revolted leading to The Socail War 91-87 BC
-Italians won due to better leadership

Question 7

The Social War Loss

Answer 7

-Senate ignored Caesar’s uncle Marius and gave command to lesser generals
-command was given to Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Marius’ former lieutenant
-88 BC, Pompeius Strabo razed central Italy
-Sulla fought the South brutally put Italy later gained citizenship anyway, making the war and his efforts pointless

Question 8

Sulla’s Recall

Answer 8

-Mithridates, king of the province Pontus, used the chaos of The Social War to overthrow Roman influence in Asia Minor and liberated Greece from Roman influence
-Sulla was appointed to deal with this
-Sulpicius Rufus, a tribune working for Marius, made a scene in the forum
-Senate recalls Sulla
-Sulla refuses and sends his armies on Rome, winning and causing Marius to flee to Africa as an outlaw

Question 9

Marius vs Rome

Answer 9

-Sulla resumes his campaign against Mithridates
-Marius teams up with consul Cornelius Cinna to free the city from Sullan Control
-Senate hires Pompeius Strabo to save them, who dies of natural causes
-Rome surrenders to Marius and Cinna

Question 10

Marius vs Rome Aftermath

Answer 10

• after taking back Rome, Marius hunts down leading senators and displays their heads on pikes in the Forum, the flamen dialis (high priest of Jupiter) was among those killed
  -This was known as the Marian purges
• Cinna uses his troops to stop the Marian purges
• Marius (for the seventh time) and Cinna are elected consuls
  -Marius dies at age 70
  -Rome at peace until Sulla returns, during this peace time Caesar came of age

Question 11

Flamen Dialis

Answer 11

-very sucky job
-served for life
could not leave Rome for a single night
foot of bed covered in mud
had to wear a pointed hat at all times
could not wear knots
could not see a corpse or an army
could not ride a horse
could not touch iron
could not sit at a table without food on it
could not touch or name a dog
could not serve in politics or military
had to be married to a patrician bride, and could not divorce her
- the Marian purges left thenumber of people who could fill the role low

Question 12

Caesar Political Beginnings (unofficial)

Answer 12

-Cinna appoints Caesar as flamen dialis
-Caeasr marries Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna
-While this happens, Sulla negotiates peace with Mithridates and marches on Rome

Question 13

Sulla’s Return

Answer 13

-Cinna raises an Army to defend Rome but is killed by his soliders
-Survivors of the Marian purges joined Sulla, including Marcus Licinius Crassus and Pompey
-Sulla wins Rome and allies of Marius flee the city

Question 14

Sulla’s Reign

Answer 14

-creates the proscription list
-sons of those on the proscription list could not hold office
-appoints himself dictator
-increases number of senators
-weakens the power of the tribunate
-changed juries to favor patricians
-stationed armies near Rome

Question 15

Sulla’s mercy

Answer 15

-Sulla cancels all appointees made by Cinna, freeing Caesar from the Flamen Dialis
-Sulla was merciful on Caesar and demanded Caesar divorce his wife, Cornelia, since she was the daughter of Cinna, something he demanded from all his men
-Caesar refuses, looses all his possessions and is put on the proscription list

Question 16

Caesar the Outlaw

Answer 16

-Caesar runs to southern Italy, constantly on the move
-contracts malaria, and suffers from anemia, fevers, and exhaustion
- is caught by a Sullan henchman, uses the last of his money to be released
-allies of Caesar beg for him to be allowed back in to Rome, Sulla concedes after 2 years

Question 17

Caesar Military Beginnings

Answer 17

-Caesar begins his military career at age 19 in Bithynia which was ruled by Nicomedes
-Caesar is sent to retrieve a fleet from Nicomedes
-Caesar easily obtains the fleet but people think he slept with Nicomedes to do so

Question 18

Caesar’s First Military Victory

Answer 18

-Caesar did not appreciate the remarks about his sexuality
-Caesar led his own fleet in the Siege of Mytilene 81 BC, which would be his first military victory
-Caesar earned the corona civica for saving another soldier’s life

Question 19

Death of Sulla

Answer 19

-79 BC Sulla retires from dictator
-78 BC Sulla dies by being eating from the inside by worms
-Caesar deems it safe enough to return to Rome

Question 20

Caesar’ Law Beginnings

Answer 20

-78 BC Caesar begins his law career, prosecuting several high-profile cases
-76 BC Caesar has a daughter, Julia, but needs to focus on his career
-75 BC Caesar leaves to study with Apollonius, a famous rhetoric teacher, but is intercepted by pirates

Question 21

Caesar’s Capture by the Pirates

Answer 21

-the pirates are stoked to have a Roman noble
-Caesar was not scared and acted like a chill, nonchalant guy
- Caesar is insulted by the low some they try to ransom him for, insists they increase it (12mil to 30 mil/ 20 talents to 50 talents)
-Caesar sends two of his companions to retrieve the money and stays behind with one friend and two slaves

Question 22

Caesar’s Captivity by the Pirates

Answer 22

-imprisoned for 40 days but is treated like a guest, jokes of their crucifixion
-the pirates were sad to see him leave once they gained their money
-Caesar laughed and waved as he left

Question 23

Caesar’s Revenge on the Pirates

Answer 23

-Caesar goes to Miletus and commandeers ships and soldiers
-captures the pirates and takes their loot
-leaves them in prison and seeks the governor, Marcus Juncus’ permission to punish them but Juncus wants to sell them into slavery
-Caesar opposes, breaks them out of jail, and cuts their throats before crucifying them
-Caesar sets off for Rhodes again but is prevented by Mithridates

Question 24

Caesar vs Mithridates

Answer 24

-Caesar offers his help to Juncus who refuses to take action
-Caesar takes Juncus’ armies anyway and defeats some of Mithridates’ forces
-now 27yo Caesar is appointed pontifex and returns to Rome

Question 25

Rise of Spartacus

Answer 25

-Spartacus, a former slave turned gladiator, escapes with 70 other gladiators from their school in 73 BC
-Spartacus and Crixus are elected leaders of the group
-slaves from across southern Italy flee their masters to join Spartacus

Question 26

Spartacus vs Crassus

Answer 26

-Spartacus wins the initial fights against the armies sent by the Senate, but knows it won’t last
-his men want to plunder Italy but Spartacus wants to flee to Gaul
-the Senate appoints Marcus Crassus to lead an army against Spartacus
-many young nobles joined Crassus and Crassus reinstates decimation (killing one of every ten men who flee or drop their weapons in battle) to bring discipline
-Spartacus flees to Scilily to raise new troops

Question 27

Spartacus’s Defeat

Answer 27

-Spartacus is robbed by the pirates he hired for transport to Sicily
-Crassys builds a wall 40 miles long to trap Spartacus but Spartacus escapes
-Spartacus’ troops split into fractions whom Crassus defeats in successive battles
-71 BC Spartacus squares off against Crassus and dies
-His remaining men flee to the north but are caught by Pompey, they are all crucified
-Pompey takes credit for defeating the rebellion

Question 28

Pompey and Crassus’ election

Answer 28

-Caesar served in Crassus’s army against Spartacus and gained valuable knowledge
-Pompey refuses to dismiss his armies and wants to run for consul despite not meeting the prereqs
-The Senate turns to Crassus for advice, who unexpectedly joins Pompey
-Pompey and Crassus are both elected consul in 70 BC

Question 29

Pompey and Crassus as Consuls

Answer 29

-Pompey and Crassus dismiss their armies
-they repeal Sulla’s edict on juries, restore the veto power of the tribunes, and remove over 60 of their political enemies from the Senate
-Caesar avidly supports both of these consuls

Question 30

Caesar’s Political Beginnings

Answer 30

-69 BC Caesar is elected quaestor and positioned in Further Spain, finally putting him in the Senate
-His aunt, Julia, dies and he is tasked with the funeral, as her husband and son are dead

Question 31

Caesar’s Oration on Marius

Answer 31

-Marius is still hated by the Senate
-Caesar enters the forum with images of Marius and delivers a speech on his uncle and the divinity of his bloodline
-Veterans and the public loved it but the Senate was enraged

Question 32

Death of Cornelia

Answer 32

-Cornelia suddenly dies before Caesar can leave for Further Spain
-He can’t stay and grieve however, as his career demands he goes
-He leaves his daughter, Julia, with his mother, Aurelia
-Caesar delivers a speech remembering his wife in the forum, something not done for young women, in turn showing his softer side to the people

Question 33

Caesar as quaestor in Further Spain

Answer 33

-Caesar was tasked with settling tax payments, settling land disputes, and other property/money issues

Question 34

Caesar’s Visit to the Temple

Answer 34

-Caesar visits the temple of Hercules
-sees a statue of Alexader the Great and gets up set that he has done nothing noteworthy at the same age
-has a fever dream about incest with his mother and a soothsayer tells him his mother is the earth and he is destined to conquer it

Question 35

Caesar’s return from Further Spain

Answer 35

-Caesar leaves his post as quaestor early and travels back to Rome
-along the way he lends a sympathetic ear to the people north of the Po river over their citizenship, leading to friendships forming with the Celts and northern Romans
-Returns to rome in 67 BC

Question 36

Upon Caesars’ Return from Further Spain

Answer 36

-marries a young woman named Pompeia, an optimate and the granddaughter of Sulla
-Caesar was made caretaker of the Appian Way, giving him engineering and construction experience, and allowing him to make more friends throughout Italy
-Caesar’s own money was often spent for the roads

Question 37

Pirate Problem

Answer 37

-Pirate problem in Italy had spiraled out of control
-a tribune proposed a bill that would allow one man to serve as a pirate dictator and would give him complete control of the Mediterranean,
the ability to choose 15 senators to assist, Requisition 200 of the best ships
and Unlimited access to the treasury

Question 38

Pompey and the Pirate Bill

Answer 38

-the people were excited but the Senate feared that much power in one man, Caesar was the only senator to support it
-Pompey had paid and arranged for the bill
- Senate rejects the bill and the bill goes to the People’s assembly
-a tribune vetos but removes thier veto after public backlash and a raven falls
-Pompey is appointed in the role

Question 39

Pompey as Pirate King

Answer 39

-Pompey divides the Mediterranean into 13 districts of which he patrols closely
-clears pirates out in 40 days
-returns home with lots of loot and is hailed as a hero by the people
-Senate is jealous that he did what they could not

Question 40

Pompey post Pirate King

Answer 40

-Mithridates returns
-Pomey’s tribune proposes that Pompey be given complete command of the East, replacing Lucullus who was doing well but had been ineffective
-Senate opposes, Caesar supports, and the people pass it

Question 41

Pompey vs Mithridates

Answer 41

-Pompey surrounds Mithridates near Armenia, crushing his army
-Mithridates escapes, and begins to build an army in Russia but is undermined by his son Pharnaces who stages a rebellion
-Trapped in his own fortress, Mithridates kills himself

Question 42

Pompey’s Rampage

Answer 42

-After defeating Mithridates, Pomey conquers various natives in the East over the next three years
-Establishes Syria as a Roman province
-Puts down a squabble in Jerusalem, sees the Ark of the Covenant and leaves it be
-Does all this without Senate approval

Question 43

Caesar’s Party Phase

Answer 43

-65 BC Caesar is elected aedile, putting him in charge of public gatherings and buildings
-2 aediles at any given time
-Caesar spent his own money and threw the biggest festival in Roman history
-Caesar begins to get boogey with his tastes

Question 44

Bibulus

Answer 44

-Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus was Caesar’s co-aedile
-Caesar regularly upstaged and took credit for Bibulus’ ideas such as staging the largest gladiator match in honor of his father

Question 45

Caesar’s Tp of the Temple of Jupiter

Answer 45

-Caesar and his followers sneak into the Temple of Jupiter and set up displays of Marius and his trophies
-The people cheer but the Senate is furious
-Senate leader, Lutatius Catulus demands Caesar be punished
-Caesar gaslights them with a speech and avoids punishment

Question 46

Caesar and Crassus

Answer 46

-Crassus hates Pompey and needs a win so he turns to Egypt
-Rome had been left Egypt after Ptolemy XI died, but had not yet been annexed
-Crassus proposes the annexation be now and negotiated by Caesar
-The Senate opposes and the bill goes out to the people
-Cicero speaks out against it and the bill fails

Question 47

Cato the Younger

Answer 47

-Marcus Porcius Cato is elected quaestor in 65 BC
-The Catos were an extreme family, like that curly-haired dude from the new Hunger Games
-Quaestors were a lax job but not under Cato

Question 48

Cato’s Reform

Answer 48

-Cato yells at the bookkeepers to fix their wasteful spending and corruption
-Cato continued to yell and no one could stop him
-Cato began to charge Roman nobles for their debts regardless of their political standing
-pressed murder charges on those who received money from the proscriptions list under Sulla
-so many court cases came from this ath special judges, including Caesar were appointed to keep up