do you feel that julius caeser was ambitios in becoming dictator and why do you feel this way?

Question

through the novels point of view

Answer 1

Although it would be useful to know whether this is help in History or Literature, the traditional view is that Caesar was a man of particular skills in war, in love and in politics. He expanded the territory of the Roman Republic substantially, including conquering Gaul (pretty much equivalent to modern-day France). He advanced on power in a way that was almost expected of a man of his social standing, taking high office several times. The question is whether he envisaged himself becoming Dictator for Life at any point substantially before he became it. The classic point at which he is deemed to have decided his fate was when he crossed the Rubicon river, and essentially invaded his own city of Rome. This is understandably pegged as a key event in the transformation of a man who sought high office into the man who sought Dictatorship for Life.

My own view, based on essential first principles, is that any man who would have defined a role for himself in his own mind of Dictator for Life substantially before it became an absolute necessity to become one, would have been able easily to outwit and put down the assassination attempt that so rapidly overtook him.

Before crossing the Rubicon, he was in Gaul, having - and this is crucial - used most of the territory's wealth NOT to swell the Senate's coffers, but to pay off his own debts and establish his own financial independence. As he anticipated it would, this caused severe consternation among the Senate and particularly among his peers, who felt this was taking his power too far. So, being a bold, acquisitive 'rising star', what was he left to? Accept the potential punishment of the Senate, that could see him fall, and even be instructed to commit suicide? Or make another bold move, and push forward into territory that hadn't been seen in some time? Becoming Dictator would theoretically put him beyond that kind of censure, and having achieved it, enraging more nobles in the process, how do you step down and keep you rlife and fortunes intact? Give up the protection of the Dictatorship and you're as good as dead. So I believe he got there because he had the imagination and the military success to establish himself, and clung on simply because he had no other realistic choice.

Answer 2

His difficulty was that Rome was a republic and its Consuls, Tribunes etc were elected for a year or two at a time. So as a successful General and veteran of several campaigns, he had to try and overturn all that to install himself as Emperor. Small wonder Cassius Brutuis and other members of the Senate decided he had to be murdered to stop him. Remember Brutus was a friend of his.

On his death on the Ides of March, the triumvirate of his adopted son, Octavian, Crassus, a financier and Mark Anthony, a general did not last long and Octavian with army support was able to stage a coup and rule as Emperor Augustus Caesar for many a long year and the idea of a hereditary ruler then replaced the idea of a republic electing its leaders, relatively painlessly.

Answer 3

yes you can tell in his actions that he wanted to become dictator