Julius Caesar

Childhood and youth He was born on July 12 or 13, 100 BC, in Rome, into the patrician family of the Julii. The family was considered ancient and noble, but by the time of Caesar's birth, it no longer belonged to the wealthy elite. His early years were spent in the Subura district, one of Rome's liveliest neighborhoods, home to markets, workshops, and taverns. The future commander's father held the position of praetor, but died when Caesar was about sixteen years old. After this, young Gaius became the de facto head of the family. He received a good education, which included rhetoric, philosophy, and Greek literature. He later perfected his oratory skills in Rhodes under the renowned rhetorician Apollonius Molon. He came from the ancient patrician family of the Julii. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org * In 60 BC, he organized the first triumvirate with two influential politicians, Gnaeus Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org* From 58 BC, he spent more than eight years in the Gallic War in what is now Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany, and Great Britain, annexing a vast territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rhine to the Roman Republic. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org * At the beginning of 49 BC, he began a civil war due to irreconcilable differences with the senators. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org* Within four years, the supporters of the Senate, grouped around Pompey, were defeated by Caesar in Italy, Spain (twice), Greece and Africa, and he also defeated the troops of the rulers of Egypt and Pontus. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org * During Caesar's lifetime, his deification began; the honorary title of a victorious commander, "emperor," became part of his name, but he rejected the authority of the ancient Roman kings. ru.ruwiki.ru ru.wikipedia.org* During his dictatorship, Caesar carried out a number of reforms: he introduced the Julian calendar, which became the basis for the modern calendar, expanded the Senate, began founding colonies for veterans, and reformed the tax system and provincial governance. science.mail.ru Caesar wrote not

Career His political career developed along the traditional ladder of positions for Roman aristocrats—the cursus honorum. Caesar held the posts of quaestor, aedile, pontifex maximus, and praetor. In 59 BC, he was elected consul. The most famous military achievement was the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC). During these campaigns, the Roman army conquered vast territories of modern-day France, Belgium, and part of Germany. One of the most famous episodes of the war was the siege of the fortress of Alesia, where Caesar's troops were able to encircle and defeat the army of the Gallic leader Vercingetorix. In 49 BC, Caesar launched a civil war against the Senate party. After several campaigns, he defeated Pompey's army and became sole ruler of Rome. During his dictatorship, Caesar carried out a number of reforms: he introduced the Julian calendar, which became the basis for the modern calendar; expanded the Senate; began founding colonies for veterans; and reformed the tax system and provincial governance. He died on March 15, 44 BC, the victim of a conspiracy.

Personal life He was married three times. His first wife was Cornelia Cinilla, and they had a daughter, Julia. In 67 BC, Caesar married a second time, to Pompeia Sulla. His third wife, Calpurnia Pisonis, became his third wife in 59 BC, and he lived with her for 15 years, until his death. Caesar had no children with either wife. diletant.media Heritage Caesar has gone down in history as one of the key figures of antiquity. The main reasons for his fame are his conquest of Gaul and the expansion of the Roman Republic, his victory in the civil war and the establishment of his personal rule, the introduction of the Julian calendar, and the creation of literary works about his military campaigns. science.mail.ru The name Caesar became a symbol of power: the titles Kaiser and Tsar came from the Latin Caesar. science.mail.ru Caesar's works are considered classics of ancient Roman literature and are used in Latin teaching. For example, the seven-book Commentary on the Gallic War describes Caesar's battles in Gaul from 58 to 52 BC. ru.wikipedia.org

Appearance Some descriptions of Caesar's appearance: According to Suetonius, Caesar was tall, fair-skinned, well-built, with a slightly full face and black, lively eyes. q.yandex.ru vk.com Plutarch noted that Caesar had white, soft skin, but he considered his physique to be weak. vk.com A noticeable feature was his bald head. Caesar tried to hide it by combing his thinning hair from the crown to his forehead. He also enjoyed wearing a laurel wreath to disguise this feature. diletant.media q.yandex.ru vk.com According to contemporaries, Caesar carefully took care of his body: he cut, shaved and plucked his hair, although many reproached him for this. q.yandex.ru vk.com Coins minted shortly before Caesar's death depict a haggard face, a wrinkled neck, a pronounced Adam's apple, and a laurel crown. q.yandex.ru vk.com Some material evidence has survived: The Tusculan Portrait is the only surviving sculptural portrait of Caesar made during his lifetime. q.yandex.ru ru.wikipedia.org A bust discovered in the Rhône River (in southern France) has been identified as a possible portrait of Caesar during his lifetime, but the accuracy of the reconstruction remains a matter of debate. vk.com It is important to note that many ancient portraits of Caesar were created after his death, and in them personal features may have been muted or idealized, especially in the part related to his baldness. q.yandex.ruCharacter Some of Caesar's character traits: Hypertrophied ambition and narcissistic traits. He demonstrated an unshakable belief in his own exceptionalism and strove for absolute power. b17.ru Impulsiveness and a penchant for risk-taking. Caesar often acted on impulse, such as when crossing the Rubicon and during other military campaigns. His behavior sometimes contradicted rational calculation. b17.ru Phenomenal performance and hypomanic activity. According to sources, Caesar could dictate several letters simultaneously, sleep only a few hours, and combine governance, military campaigns, and literary work.