Caesars Quest for Power - 1139 Words

â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici† (I came, I saw, I conquered) (Source1). This Julius Caesar quote can be used to describe his rise to power in the Roman Republic and destruction of it in the process. Caesar was an extremely influential, yet controversial figure in Rome’s history. He had all the power any Roman could dream of but he abused it. Julius Caesar was a destroyer of the Roman Republic because his arrogance made the government benefit only him, his ruthlessness endangered others, and he undermined the authority of the Roman Senate. Julius Caesar can only be seen as a destroyer of the Roman Republic as he was arrogant, egotistic, and manipulated the government to his advantage. The Roman Republic’s republican form of government was intended to†¦show more content†¦In this invasion, he slaughtered up to one million people, including many innocent women and children (Source 4). After the battle, the leader of Gaul, Vercingetorix, was shown no mercy although he surrendered. â€Å"Chained like an animal he was taken to Rome and paraded as proof of Caesar’s success,† this refers to the treatment of Vercingetorix following his capture. Usually Roman criminals were sentenced quickly, but Caesar had Vercingetorix spend five years in prison and ritually strangled after the procession for no reason save exercising Caesar’s â€Å"superiority† (Source 2). Caesar did not only kill foreign innocent people but caused the death of many of his own as well. Caesar started a civil war, endangering Roman citizens just to support his rise to power (Source 4). To Caesar, his own citizens were simply pawns in his game of rising to authority. His ruthlessness caused him to put countless innocent people at risk, both his own and foreigners while gaining authority and displaying it. Caesar’s ruthlessness is directly linked to the destruction of the Roman Republic, leaving him its destroyer. Romans were famous for their republican from of government, which was heavily reliant on the Senate. Julius Caesar can be credited with destroying the Roman Republic because he undermined the republican government and therefore, the authority of the Roman Senate. Caesar first reduced the power of the Senate when he formed the First Triumvirate with CrassusShow MoreRelatedThe Triumph Of Love During Handel s Giulio Cesare1371 Words   |  6 Pagesopera, Giulio Cesare, one may find many examples of the classic operatic archetype of power, particularly in relation to love and fear in how they are both tools that are oftentimes used to gain power. In this specific opera, Handel heralds the greater power-seizing potency of love when compared to its counterpart-- terror. In this essay, I plan to examine how the Egyptian character Cleopatra utilizes the power of love in order to achieve her own political and personal gains. I shall use text examplesRead MoreJulius Caesar - William Shakespea re731 Words   |  3 Pagesmarch,† which he promptly ignores. Cassius, a worried upper class man, grooms Brutus, a good man, to be sure of himself and to worry about Caesar. Brutus tends to represent the morality and public opinion. The upper class learn that Mark Antony, Caesar’s right hand man, offered Caesar the crown three times which he, â€Å"thrice refused.† Rome has some bad weather. Brutus receives a letter supposedly from the people decrying Caesar, but that might not be so true. Brutus, Cassius, and some other upperRead MoreImagery Usage in Shakespeare ´s Julius Caesar760 Words   |  4 PagesWhat comes to mind when one thinks of â€Å"Romans†? Power, dominion, or even greatness could describe these noble people. The Romans were arguably one of the most powerful civilizations in history, so how could a people of such greatness come to such ruin? Power is a dangerous privilege for any worldly nation to possess, and when mixed with a scandalou s concoction of greed and corruption, could spell the end of an entire civilization. Julius Caesar showcases Shakespeare’s own interpretation concerningRead MoreThesis : Should Julius Caesar Be A Revered Figure?796 Words   |  4 PagesIt seems that the calamities of Caesar’s conquest of Gaul were too extensive to be justified. Thus, it is reasonable to consider Caesar as a war criminal as he was deemed that by the senate. Plutarch writes, in ten years Caesars’ legions killed one million in battle and an equal amount were taken prisoners (Plutarch, Caesar, 15). According to Velleius Paterculus, these figures are exaggerated stating that more than four hundred thousand Gauls were killed by Caesar’s army and a greater number wereRead MoreAmbition In Julius Caesar756 Words   |  4 PagesJulius Caesar’s greatest mistake was that he became overly ambitious in his ultimate pursuit of power. The conspirators against his ideals, such as Brutus and Cassi us, charged Caesar with such ambition, and his behavior substantiates this judgment: he does vie for absolute power over Rome, reveling in the homage he receives from others and in his conception of himself as a leadership figure that will live on forever through his legacy. However, his unwavering faith in his own permanence eventuallyRead MoreJulius Caesar Seminar Questions Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesBrutus obviously feels that if their intentions and motivations to carrying out the assassination of Caesar, they do not need an oath. An oath causes people to get lazy because they begin to lean on the idea that, no matter what happens. 3. Caesar’s response to Calphurnia’s fears adds credence to Brutus’ and Cassius’ fears about Caesar because he does not heed warnings. This response might add to the pattern Caesar might follow when other senators bring up new ideas. This can be very seriousRead More Julius Caesar Essay: Decision Making in Julius Caesar862 Words   |  4 Pageslead to endless perils. Decisions must be made when dealing with power, loyalty, and trust. Yet, unlike other decisions, ones that are about these three fields are the most important, due to the risk involved, and because of the consequences that might follow. nbsp; Power- power is the complete domination of others, and since all men want to dominate those around them, power is valued as one of the most important possessions. Power is highly sought after, thus the correct decisions must be madeRead MoreOctavius Augustus Ceasars Thirst for Power821 Words   |  3 PagesOctavius Caesar was known as a cruel, power hungry leader, that had the desire and thirst, to obtain all the power he could. Octavius had such a hunger for power, he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way of getting it. Octavius Caesar, otherwise known as Caesar Augustus, was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Octavius was born in September of 63 B.C, and died sometime in august of 14 A.D. He lived to be 76 years of age, there are many conspiracies that say his wife may have poisoned him, butRead MoreCaesar : A New Temple Honoring Cleopatra1735 Words   |  7 Pagesthings that ultimately led to Caesar’s death. Several Roman senators, led by Marcus Brutus and Longinus Cassius, began meeting to make a plan to assassinate Caesar. So on the 15th of March (commonly known as the ides of March), 44 B.C., Caesar was called for a meeting of the Senate. Even though everyone had heard of this plot, Caesar saw himself too high to die in such a way, and no matter how many times Cleopatra and even Mark Antony pleaded for him not to go. Even Caesar’s own wife had a dream the nightRead More Julius Caesar Essay: Loyalty and Chaos1036 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare suggests that a society witho ut loyalty will inevitably find itself in chaos. Loyalty and similar traits of love and faithfulness arguably form the framework of societies present and past. Negative forces such as ego, greed and the quest for power continually attack this framework. Julius Caesar illustrates the rapid decay of a Roman societys law and harmony, until it finds itself in the chaos of civil war before concluding in an uneasy order. The absence of loyalty in a society does not