U4 AOS2 - Julius Caesar and the Civil War (100 - 44 BCE)

Question 1

When did Caesar live?

Answer 1

100 - 44 BCE

Question 2

Why was Caesar disliked by Sulla?

Answer 2

When he was 16, he married a girl called Cornelia, who was the daughter of a consol who supported Marius.

After refusing Sulla’s demands for him to divorce her, Caesar fled Italy to pursue his military career.

Question 3

What happened to Caesar during his voyage to Rhodes (the greek island where he studied rhetoric) in 76 BCE?

Answer 3

He was captured by pirates.

Question 4

What was Caesar’s first military appointment?

Answer 4

As a military tribune in 71 BCE; the same year Crassus crushed the slave uprising of Spartacus.

Question 5

Where Caesar’s significant appointments before consolship?

Answer 5

As the Quaestor of Spain in 69 BCE, then Aedile in 65 BCE, then Praetor and pontifix maximus (the highest religious position in Rome) in 63 BCE, then military command of Spain in 61 BCE.

Question 6

When was Caesar’s first consolship?

Answer 6

59 BCE

Question 7

How did Caesar earn his first consolship?

Answer 7

By forming a secret alliance with Crassus and Pompey to manipulate votes.

Question 8

What did Plutarch say about the First Triumvirate?

Answer 8

“Caesar felt that without the help of Pompey and Crassus his own prospects would be hopeless” (Plutarch)

Question 9

What campaign was Caesar granted during his consolship?

Answer 9

The Gallic campaign (58 - 50 BCE)

This campaign made Caesar incredibly wealthy and popular with the people.

“The land of the gauls would become his santuary,” (Henry Freeman)
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Big J.C)

Question 10

Why did Caesar cross the Rubicon on the 10th of January 49 BCE? (returning to Rome)

Answer 10

Pompey was accused of illegal practices during his time as consol in 59 BCE (violence), and war ordered to return to Rome to face trial.

He chose to lead his armies against the armies of Pompey, marking the beginning of the civil war.

“You see what kind of a war it is: a civil war, true, but one originating not from conflict from among the citizens, but from the recklessness of one desperate citizen.” (Cicero)

Question 11

When and where was the Battle of Dyrrachium?

Answer 11

July 48 BCE in the Province of Macedonia.

Question 12

Who won the Battle of Dyrrachium? (July 48 BCE)

Answer 12

Pompey, but still retreated due to lack of resources.

Question 13

When and where was the Battle of Pharsalus?

Answer 13

August 48 BCE in the Kingdom of Greece.

Question 14

Who won the Battle of Pharsalus? (August 48 BCE)

Answer 14

Caesar, the Italian allies swapped sides from the Optimates to the Populares, Pompey fled to Egypt.

Question 15

When and where was Pompey assassinated?

Answer 15

September 48 BCE in the Kingdom of the Ptolemies (Egypt)

Question 16

Who assassinated Pompey? (September 48 BCE)

Answer 16

Septimus, who then took Pompey’s head to Caesar.

Caesar cried :(

Question 17

When and where was the Battle of the Nile?

Answer 17

April 47 BCE in Alexandria, Egypt

Question 18

Who won the Battle of the Nile? (April 47 BCE)

Answer 18

Caesar defeated Ptolomy number 8.

He also started dating his sister, Cleopatra.

Question 19

When and where was the Battle of Munda?

Answer 19

March 45 BCE in the Province of Further Spain.

Question 20

Who won the Battle of Munda? (March 45 BCE)

Answer 20

Caesar defeated Pompey’s two sons, in doing so finally defeating the optimate forces.

Caesar sparred his enemies, offering to return with him to Rome. This grew his opposition leading to his assassination.

Question 21

What cities did Caesar order the rebuilding of for his veterans to settle along with other poverty-stricken citizens from Rome? (45 BCE)

Answer 21

Corinth and Carthage; both of which had been destroyed by Rome a century early in 146 BCE.

Question 22

“As a result of [Caesar’s] victory the Empire had at last…”
Finish the quote from Matthias Gelzer

Answer 22

“…passed into the hands of a man of genuine political ability, who no longer followed selfish party or class interests, but who intended to shape the Empire as a whole in the way that circumstances required.” (Matthias Gelzer)

TLDR: “the Empire had as last passed into the hands of a man of genuine political ability,”

Question 23

What position did the senate offer Caesar in 44 BCE?

Answer 23

dictator in perpetuum (dictator for life)

Question 24

Who assassinated Caesar (15th March 44 BCE) according to Suetonius?

Answer 24

“More than 60 joined the conspiracy against [Caesar], led by Gaius Cassius and Decimus and Marcus Junius Brutus.” (Suetonius)

Question 25

“Caesar stood out with a…”
Finish the quote from Scullard

Answer 25

“Caesar stood out with a colossal stature.” (Scullard)

Question 26

“Julius Caesar was a ________ [transforming] the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.”
Fill the blank in this quote from Mary Beard

Answer 26

“… military genius and political mastermind …” (Mary Beard)