Page 20 - History of War - Issue 05-14

The rise and fall of...

JULIUS

CAESAR

Ancient Rome: Like Alexander the Great before him, Julius Caesar was a man whose
ambitions knew no bounds. A ruthless gambler, he used every tactic imaginable to control and
conquer. But, as Nick Soldinger explains, his single-mindedness was the cause of his downfall
T a million souls: gladiators, slaves and w MOTHER OF
HE RUBICON RIVER IS
Senators rubbed shoulders on its busy,
a shallow, slow-flowing
A MURDERER
sunlit streets or in the shadows cast
stretch of water that runs
ONE OF THE
by its bathhouses, amphitheatres and
about 80 miles from
WOMEN
aqueducts. It was simultaneously the
CAESAR WAS
the Apennine Mountains
to the Adriatic Sea
INVOLVED WITH
politically violent place on the planet.
in north-eastern Italy.
WAS SERVILLA
Its name is derived from the Latin word centre of civilisation and the most ROMANTICALLY
rebeus, meaning red – a reference to Power struggle CAEPIONES,
THE MOTHER
the local mud deposits that can turn its Not much is known of Caesar’s childhood, OF BRUTUS
waters to the colour of blood. except that – like many great leaders – – ONE OF
In ancient times, the Rubicon marked it was short. When he was just 15, his THE MEN WHO
the border between the Roman homeland father died and young Julius suddenly WOULD LATER
and Roman Gaul to the north, and it found himself the head of the family. An MURDER HIM.
was here, on 10 January 49BC, that early influence at this time was his uncle
Julius Caesar crossed into Italy at the Gaius Marius, a Senator and champion
head of his most battled-hardened legion. of the people, from whom Caesar would
It was a defiant act that broke Roman learn the importance of the common
law, announced his intention of a coup touch. But Marius had troubles of his
d’état and plunged Rome into a four- own. A power struggle with Rome’s
year civil war that would rage across the then-dictator, Sulla, resulted in a short-
Mediterranean and change the course
of western civilisation forever. Not bad It was a de ant act
for a kid from the slums.
Gaius Julius Caesar was born in Rome that broke Roman law,
in July 100BC. Although his family were
of noble origins, they’d not enjoyed announced Caesar’s
wealth for generations, and young Julius
the Palatine Hill but in the seedy, brothel- intention of a coup d’état
grew up not in the wealthy splendour of
lined back alleys of the city’s notorious and plunged Rome into
Subura district. The Rome of Caesar’s
childhood was a thrilling place. It was a four-year civil war
the world’s greatest city, populated by
20 HISTORY WAR
of