Julius Caesar Essay -- essays research papers fc

Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was said to be the greatest man in the Roman world. This man whos name alone commands power, success and respect. Born in 102 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar. His aunt had married as a youth of seventeen to the daughter of Cinna, another leader of the fraction that was opposed to the aristocratic party under Sulla, Marius, great rival. A year or two later, when Sulla had become supreme in the state, the young man was ordered to put away his wife. He refused, and his life was saved only through the intercession of powerful friends in Rome. But though he had been reprieved, Ceasar was far from safe, and for a time he skulled in the mountains until he managed to get acrss the sea to Asia Minor, where he served in the Roman army that was campaigning against Mithridates, the king of Pontus. At the seige of Mitylene in 80 B.C. he first distinguished himself as a soldier when he saved the life of a hard-pressed cmrade. On the death of he kept himself at the bar. His politics and mad e a career for himself at the bar. His political learning were showwn clearly enought, however, when he ventured to act as prosecutor of one of Sulla’s principal lieutnants, who was charged with gross extortion and crueltu when he was governor of the Macedonian province. To improve himself in rhetoric, Casear went to Rhodes to take a course of lessons under a celebrated master of that art, and it was probably at about this time that he had his famous encouter with Mediterranean pirates. These rufians captured the ship in which he was a passenger, and put his ransom. While his messenger was away collecting the money, Caesar made himself quite at home with his captors. He told them amusing stories, joked with them, joined in their exercises, and, always in the highest good humor, told laughed and joined in the fun. But Caesar was as good as his word. As soon as his ransom had been paid some over and he regained his liberty, he went to Miletus, hired some warships, and made stra ight back to the pirates, and ordered them to be crucified as he had assured them that he would. He also got back the money that had benn paid as his ransom. Still on the fringe of the political arena, Caesar spent the next few years as a gay young man about town. His family wasn’t rich, but there were plenty of moneylenders who were glad to accommodate him. He spent money like water, on expe... ...ush them sway, and then struck at them with his meta stilus or pen. Then he saw Brutus was among his assailants. â€Å"what, you too, Brutus† as he said and convering his body with his robe so that he should fall decently, suffered himself to be overborne. He fell, with twenty-three wounds in his body, at the foot of the statue of his great rival Pompey, which, with characteristic magnanimity, he had allowed to be re-erected in the Capitol. Such was their mad fury, some of the murderers had wounded one another in their bloody work. Now they ruched from the scene, sxultingly shouting that the Tyrant was no more. Thy called upon the people who were there to rejoice with them, but the people hung their heads, or muttered a prayer or fled. So Caesar died â€Å"the noblest man†, to quote Shakespeare’s immortal lines again, â€Å"that ever lived in the tide of times Bibliography 100 Great Kings, Queens and Rulers of the World Edited by John Canning School Library Journal Audio Recording Drama Theater Julius Caear http://homepages.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/romans6.html Julius Caesar http:library.thinkingquest.org/17120/data/bios/users/caesar/page_1.html The Word Book Encyclopedia Julius Caesar Vol 3