Who was Julius Caesar?
Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who conquered Gaul, won a civil war and became dictator of Rome. He was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC, the Ides of March.
Caesar was born in about 100 BC into a noble but not very wealthy family. He rose through Roman politics and formed an alliance with Pompey and Crassus. As governor, he conquered Gaul, roughly modern France and Belgium, between 58 and 50 BC and wrote a famous account of the campaigns.
In 49 BC, ordered to give up his army, he crossed the Rubicon River into Italy, starting a civil war against Pompey and the Senate. After winning, he became dictator and introduced reforms, including the Julian calendar, the basis of today's calendar.
His death and legacy
Fearing he wanted to become king, a group of senators led by Brutus and Cassius stabbed him to death in the Senate. His adopted heir, Octavian, later became Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
Did You Know?
The month of July is named after Julius Caesar, and the titles Kaiser and Tsar both come from his family name, Caesar.