Table Of ContentH E R O J O U R N A L S
J u l i u s
C a e s a r
Nick Hunter
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Contents
Who is Julius Caesar? ................................. 4
Birth of a genius: my early years ...................6
Making my mark ......................................12
Power and riches ........................................ 18
Conquest ...................................................22
Crossing the Rubicon ..................................28
Taking charge ...........................................34
Caesar in history ........................................38
Timeline ................................................... 40
Write your own journal ............................... 42
Glossary ..................................................44
Find out more ...........................................46
Index ........................................................48
Who is Julius Caesar?
Hi, I’m Julius, but most people call me Caesar. I don’t
mean to be big-headed, but it’s hard to be humble when
you’re one of the greatest generals who ever lived. If you
haven’t heard of me, you must know about the mighty
Roman Empire that stretched from Africa to Britain.
That huge empire would not have existed without my
amazing conquests in Gaul (modern France).
Being one of history’s greatest generals would be enough
for most people, but I also wanted to be a ruler, or even the
greatest Roman of them all. I set out to change Rome and
create an empire that would last for hundreds of years.
Gaul
Gaul was the name for the area north and west
of Rome. It included what is now northern
Italy, France, Belgium, and parts of Germany.
Making enem es
Given how much I did for them, you’d think that the
Romans would appreciate me a bit more. Of course, they
didn’t. Powerful people in Rome didn’t always like my
methods or how popular I was with the ordinary people.
They were always plotting to get rid of me. So what if
I broke a few rules? If you don’t want to get trodden on,
don’t stand in the way!
4
KEY
N
W E Roman empire at the time of Caesar’s death
S
BRITAIN
R C
Atlantic Ocean . Rhine Germany aspia
n
S
e
GAUL a
CISALPINE
FUSRPATHINER R. EbroTRANGSAAUCLLOPARINNSDEICAGAULITALY ILLYRICUM R. DTahnruabece BIT HBYlNaIcAk A SNeDaC PaOpNpaTdUoScia
NEARER SARDINIA
SPAIN MACEDONIA ASIA
CILICIA
SICILY
Parthia
A
Mauretania ANFORVICAA FRIC Mediterranean Sea CRETE SYRIA
A
Judaea
Arabia
CYRENAICA Egypt
I helped to conquer one of the
biggest empires in history for
the people of Rome.
Document it!
Julius Caesar lived
more than 2,000
years ago. We know
about his life from
what others wrote
about him, and what
he wrote about his
own life and military
campaigns. You
The Romans love can write your own
to put up statues journal to record what
of their heroes, happens in your life.
and there were
plenty of me.
5
Birth of a genius: my early years
I was born in Rome on 12 July in the year 100 BC. In
Roman years, that was the year 653 after the founding
of Rome. My family had a proud history, and we used
to say we were descended from kings and even a goddess.
I was called Gaius Julius Caesar, just like my father.
Sadly, although the family was ancient and noble, we
weren’t very rich compared to the greedy people who ruled
Rome. Money and power went together in the Roman
Republic, and we didn’t have much of either.
Ancient Rome
was the greatest
city in the world
for an ambitious
young man to grow
up in.
6
Taking s des
Life was good
for the noble
families of But it wasn’t all bad. People in Rome were
Rome. Slaves did getting sick of the same old faces running
all the hard
work for us. the show. When I was a child, different
leaders were battling for power in Rome
and there were opportunities for ambitious
young men if you supported the right side.
Unfortunately, my family had a habit of
supporting the wrong side.
Republic on the rise
By 100 BC, Rome had defeated a challenge from the rival
city of Carthage. Rome now ruled over many lands around
the Mediterranean Sea. Closer to home, many Romans were
unhappy with the way their city was being run. Rome was a
republic with no king, and just a few powerful and wealthy
families that had control over the whole city.
7
Get ing an edu a on
Of course, I had a bit of growing up to do before I
would worry about the world of politics. Children of noble
families did not go to school. We were normally taught
at home by our parents or a tutor. My tutor was an
ex-slave called Marcus Antonius Gnipho. He taught me
to read and write in Latin (the Roman language) and
ancient Greek. Speaking in public was also important for
anyone like me who wanted a political career.
Noble Romans taught their sons “reading and
writing, the law, physical education, and all
sorts of outdoor skills such as throwing the
javelin, fighting in armour, riding, boxing,
swimming, and how to stand up to heat
and cold”.
8 The writer, Plutarch
Like all noble Romans, I used to watch my father at
work. For a time, he was governor in an eastern province
called Asia Minor, so we lived away from Rome. But
when I was just 16 years old, my father died suddenly. I
was very close to my mother, Aurelia, and she was a very
tough woman. But the world of political power in Rome
was only open to men... I would have to fend for myself.
Document it!
We know very little about Caesar’s
childhood and education. However, writing
about what happens at school and at home
can be great fun, and it can be interesting
to read what you wrote when you’re a bit
older and see how you have changed.
Think about whether you are writing for
yourself or for other people to read it, as
this will affect what you write about.
This marble carving shows scenes from
the life of a wealthy boy, including
riding in a chariot pulled by a goat.
9
