1. Julius Caesar Background

2. Definitions you should know:
monarchy—absolute rule by a single person (hereditary chief)
republic—a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected offers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (indirect democracy)
democracy—a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them either directly or indirectly through a system of periodically held free elections
dictatorship—a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator (absolute and unlimited rule)

3. Think about... Why might Roman citizen feel oppressed in a monarchy?
Rome’s Beginnings:
Rome began as a Monarchy
Remained this way for 250 years
People felt oppressed and revolted
Think about... Why might Roman citizen feel oppressed in a monarchy?

4. 500 B.C—Roman Republic was established—ruled for over 500 years The new government is made up three parts: Two consuls, a senate, and tribunes.

5. Consuls’ duties and the catch:
Think about...
If the Consuls were supposed to be the leaders, why would they follow the senate’s commands?
Duties
controlled the army
could declare war
controlled taxes, and
established laws
The Catch—they got advice from the senate, so basically they did what the senate told them to do.

6. Elected by the people, for the people!
The tribunes were elected officials. These people could be from any walk of life—noble or common. The citizens of Rome voted them into office and they represented of the people.
Elected by the people, for the people!

7. The Senate upper class, wealthy
have to be born into to (ancestor must be traced from the beginning of Rome)
once you were on the senate, you stayed on the senate

8. Julius Caesar got into politics during a time in which the Senate was having problems. In this time of instability and arguing, he became an outspoken leader who looked to gain support from the citizens of Rome.
Julius Caesar gained support of the people by:
Spending money for public entertainment
Establishing laws that freed farmers and tradesmen from heavy taxes

9. The Republic Begins to fall apart
In 60 BC the first triumvirate (unofficial political alliance) was formed.
Caesar (Gaius Julius Caesar)
Powerful and loved by the people
Crassus (Marcus Licinius Crassus)
Old and getting ready to die
Pompey (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus)
Smart and powerful
Supported by the senate

10. Crassus died, and Pompey began to fear that Caesar was growing too powerful and popular.

11. Battle for Power in 49 BCE
Caesar and his army were far away from Rome, conquering many lands for the Roman Empire.
Pompey ordered him back to Rome. As he returned, Caesar attacked Pompey, defeating his forces and killing him in the midst.

12. The Rise of Caesar—46 BCE
Caesar returned to Rome and was accepted by the people for his military abilities. He was loved for all of the goods he brought back from his conquests, and he was elected Dictator for Life. This meant that he would rule Rome until his death, and the next leader would have to be elected.
We Love Ceasar!!!

13. Many believed that Caesar wanted to be EMPEROR instead of just Dictator for Life. If he was Emperor, Julius Caesar’s son would inherit the throne after his death.

14. To prevent Caesar becoming a monarchy again, some members of the senate carried out a deceitful plan . . .

16. Review of the video
Julius Caesar dared to claim he was a descendant from whom?
As a child, he claimed he was a descendant of the goddess Venus.
In 63 B.C. how many gladiators fought to the death?
640 fought to the death at his first public games.
According to Julius Caesar, what are the 2 secrets to gaining power?
1. playing to the people
2. commanding a successful army
Who did Caesar fall in love with?
Cleopatra
What was Caesar’s motto when he conquered Rome?
Veni, Vidi, Vici

17. More review  What did the Roman people voluntarily vote for? Why?
They voluntarily voted Caesar the absolute powers of a dictator.
He gave the Roman poor what they wanted—no Roman citizen went hungry. Grain to the poor and land to his soldiers—paid for by his own money.
What did Caesar ask the people to do that infuriated the Senate?
He asked them to elect him dictator for life.
How many times was Caesar stabbed?
He was stabbed 35 times.
After his death, what did the Roman people declare Julius Caesar to be?
They declared him to be a god because a comet blazed across the sky.

18. The Romans were a superstitious people
The Romans were a superstitious people. They believed that future events could be seen in dreams, the stars, and unnatural occurrences. Many Romans believed that fate controlled one’s life.

19. The day the play begins...
The Feast of Lupercal—the festival of fertility (wards off evil spirits)
A race where young aristocrats run dressed in a girdle of goat’s skin and carry a leather throng and hit woman who are considered sterile. By hitting the women, it wards off evil spirits and the women are able to reproduce.
On the eve of the feast, February 14th, the boys were to pick the name of a woman who will be his “sweetheart” for the remainder of the year.

20. The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar
Shakespeare compresses the actual historical time of 3 years into a period of 6 days
The play broken down:
Act One: Caesar returns from defeating Pompey’s son and the Feast of Lupercal
Act Two: March 15th, beware of the ides of March
Act Three: Days after death of Julius Caesar
Acts Four and Five: battle and a fight for power

21. Roman Achievements:
law and order; effective road systems; military system unparalleled; at its height the Roman Empire covered all of the Mediterranean area from Gibraltar to Egypt and up into Europe.

22. Themes in Julius Caesar
Chaos results when the prescribed social order is overturned.
Good intentions do not always yield a positive result.
Language is a powerful weapon, and in the hands of a skilled person it can be used to manipulate others.
Violence and bloodshed can never have morally good results.
Pride is the harbinger of destruction.
Great political ambition breeds great political enmity.
Deceit wears the garb of innocence.
Recognize and heed warnings.
One man’s hero is another man’s villain.
Actions often have unforeseen consequences.