Roman Empires Essay

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Report On Roman Empires The first famous Emperor from Rome that this report will be on is Julius Caesar. Julius was born in Rome on July 12 in 100 B.C.E. Julius’s father was Gaius and his mother was Aurelia, although his father died when Julius was only sixteen years old. His family was part of the original aristocracy in Rome ( called Patricians ). Though, Julius’s family was not that influential. In order to gain recognition, Julius was able to get himself appointed with the help of an uncle to minor political office in 86 B.C.E. In 84 B.C.E Julius married his first wife, Cornelia who is also the daughter of Lucius Cornelius China- a radical politician. Then in 82 B.C.E. he was ordered to divorce his wife by Sulla- a powerful enemy of the radicals. Julius refused and left for military service in Asia. Then he returned in 78 B.C.E after Sulla died and he continued his political career. In 77 B.C.E. he left for Rhodes to study rhetoric which is a language. On the way he was captured by Cilician pirates. He persuades them to raise his ransom to gain prestige. Once Julius was released he raised a naval force , found the pirates and crucified them. Julius returned back to Rome in 73 B.C.E. By 68 B.C.E. Julius has gained some political offices , but sadly Cornelia died soon after. Caesar and Cornelia had only one child- a daughter.

Julius then got married again in 67 B.C.E to Pompeia who was a relative of Pompey because her family had strong political influences . Then divorced Pompeia after a scandal in 62 B.C.E. In 62 B.C.E. Julius spoke at the funerals of both his aunt Julia and his wife Cornelia. On both occasions , he emphasized his connections with Marius and the ancient nobility of his family , descended from the first kings on his mother's side and from the gods on his father's ( revealing a notable talent for self –dramatization and a conception that there was something exceptional about him ). Caesar was elected quaestor and obtained a seat in the Senate. Caesar supported Gnaeus Pompey and helped him get an extraordinary generalship against the Mediterranean pirates , he later extended to command of the war against King Mithridates in Asia Minor. Julius ended up being elected curule aedile and spent lavishly on games to win popular favor. Large loans from Crassus made these expenditures possible. There were rumors going around that Caesar was having an affair with Gnaeus Pompey's wife , Mucia, as well as with the wives of other prominent men. He returned from Spain and joined with Pompey and Crassus in a loose coalition called by modern historians “The First Triumvirate ” and by his enemies at the time “The Three-Headed Monster.” In 62 B.C.E , Pompey had returned victorious from Asia , but they had been unable to get the Senate to ratify his arrangements and to grant land to his veteran soldiers because he had disbanded his army on his return and Crassus was blocking his efforts. Caesar persuaded the two men to work together and promised to support their interests if they helped him get elected to the