From Republic to Empire

Julius Caesar was a singular individual of rare gifts who made a single decision that changed the course of history. That decision was his crossing of the Rubicon River in 49 with his army headed for Rome, a crossing that chased his more powerful rival, Pompey the Great, from the city and initiated a civil war that would make him, against all odds, the sole ruler of Rome. It had been 450 years since Rome had come this close to having a king, and it is Caesar who can be considered the proximate cause of the conversion of an ostensibly democratic republic into an autocratic empire. Such a series of events undertaken and accomplished by such an individual raises many questions, near and far. Readers of history who wish to speculate upon the relationship between individuals and historical action have much to reflect upon in regard to Caesar's life and actions. Student of politics should take note as well if they wish to understand political regimes and how they transform themselves under the influence of extraordinary individuals and circumstances.

Caesar was surely extraordinary. He was a man of unusual intelligence and audacity, a skilled and far-sighted politician, and a general perhaps never matched for his tactical and strategic acumen. Rarely have the statesman and the soldier coalesced to such a degree in one person. For this to have happened Caesar had to have many virtues and, from an early age, it became apparent that he did. He was born in the year 100 into the distinguished Julian family that traced its lineage back to the regal period and claimed to trace the origin of its name centuries earlier than that of Iulus, the son of the Trojan hero, Aeneas. The family, however, had left little trace of itself in the consular records and only recently was emerging from obscurity. But Caesar would change all of that and much more. In life and legend, there is arguably no one in Roman history who has attracted as much attention as he has.

Gifted Youth in a Hurry

The power the consulship had of elevating its holders and their families to the nobility may help us understand part of what motivated Caesar, a young man driven by ambition, for himself and for his family.