Page 43 - 100 Events That Made History

The fall of the Gauls
By the age of 40, Caesar was
ELECTED CONSUL. He formed
an alliance with Crassus and
Pompey, the two other most
powerful men in Rome. He was
hailed as Rome’s finest general
after a successful campaign in
Gaul (modern-day France). In
Rome, the Senate worried that
Caesar wanted to seize power, Did you know?
and ordered him to disband his Caesar created the
army before he returned. Vercingetorix, the chief of 365-day calendar, which
the Gauls, surrendered to is the basis of the one
Caesar in 52 BCE. still used today. “July”

is named after him.
Fateful river
An ancient Roman law forbade
generals with a standing army from
crossing the Rubicon river and entering
the Roman republic. Caesar had a
choice—disband the army and stand
down, or cross the Rubicon and
try to seize power for himself.
He bellowed “THE DIE IS NOW
CAST!” as he crossed the river.

How it
changed
the world

Power struggle
Caesar’s victory over the
Caesar and his army entered Rome
republicans meant that Rome
was now ruled by one
and triggered a fierce war over who
should rule. After years of fighting all
person, with power passed
over the empire, Caesar emerged as
on through families. Caesar’s
the winner. He returned to Rome in
heirs would be declared
triumph and was declared Rome’s
all-powerful emperors, and
DICTATOR FOR LIFE.
even worshipped as gods.
What came after…

In 64 CE, the GREAT FIRE OF ROME In 313 CE, Constantine
swept through and destroyed became the first Roman
much of the city. The emperor, emperor to TOLERATE
Nero (left), was blamed by the CHRISTIANITY and end
people for not doing enough to centuries of Roman
fight the fire or help the victims. brutality to Christians.
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