Julius Caesar?

Question

How did Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon help destroy the Roman Republic and create a dictatorship?

Answer 1

"There are many change models in existence today which could be used to examine the fall of the Roman Republic. Fullan (2001) has a model as does Beer, Eisenstat, and Spector (1990), and Hamel (2000). All of these are worthwhile. However, the author of this essay has decided to use the Kotter and Cohen (2002) model as it is presented in The Heart of Change. The eight steps in this model are easy to discern and then apply to a historical setting.

In addition, this analysis will focus on Julius Caesar as the leader seeking change. Although many individuals had a hand in the destruction of the Republic, history has long fingered Caesar as the man who destroyed it. Wrote Jimenez (2000) in acknowledging this point, “For all of his success on the battlefield and in politics, Caesar failed as a statesman because he had no vision of how Rome should function, except at his bidding, and allowed to govern it but himself. For the next five hundred years his successors would adhere to his example” (p. 241).

However, it can be argued that Caesar did have a vision. It was his intent to destroy the Republic and establish rule by one man. He was spectacularly successful in achieving his vision as a statesman. He did destroy the Republic and that was what he wanted. This paper will examine this motive as the “heart of change” that Caesar intended for the Roman Republic."

For more, please see the link below.

Answer 2

The river Rubicon was an ancient boundary between Gaul and Italy. Roman law forbade any general from crossing it with an army. The river was considered to mark the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul to the north and Italy proper to the south; the law thus protected the republic from internal military threat. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC, supposedly on January 10 of the Roman calendar, to make his way to Rome he broke that law and made armed conflict inevitable.

Answer 3

nicely, in Rome, long term in the past, human beings had 3 names to designate them: a million- the praenomen (or first call, the single moving into the previous the nomen). for this reason, the praenomen in Gaius. besides the shown fact that it replaced into written Caius! and stated Gaius. 2- the nomen, which for this reason is Julius, as a results of fact Caesar replaced into from the Julii family contributors. So it replaced right into a family contributors call. 3- the cognomen, is virtually like a surname, a nickname. for this reason Caesar. So it particularly is Caius Julius Caesar (stated Gaius Julius Caesar) who replaced into an identical and basically Julius Caesar, the single that conquered the Gauls and wrote the Commentarii de bello Gallico, or comments proper to the Gallic conflict. Historians for this reason can choose for between Julius Caesar, Caesar, and Gaius Julius Caesar, or perhaps Caius Julius Caesar. ineffective to declare, the guy replaced the full international, like Alexander the large, like Cyrus the large, and in comparison to all the others, even if in the event that they choose to faux marking their time in any way.

Answer 4

Caesar himself was not the direct cause for the collapse of the Roman Republic, but a catalyst that took a long festering problem and ignited it. Though it is important to remember that Caesar never assumed what we know of today as imperial power. That honor belongs to his heir, Caesar Augustus.

Overall, Rome was experiencing unprescendented growth. She held Hispania, Africa, Italy, and Greece. Her economy was white hot, as peace reigned within the boarders of the Republic, trade flourished, and massive trade networks grew. For example: ice became a hot commodity during the warm summer months, where Roman logistics were able to coordinate its shipment down from the cooler northern areas. But the Republic as an institution was in bad shape during this period, which came from two statesment and rivals; Sulla, and Gaius Marius.

Gaius Marius was most popularly known as the man who reformed the legions. However, he was never able to secure veterans' rights from the senate; it became up to the general of the army to secure land and pensions for his retiring soldiers. This placed soldiers loyalty to his general first, and to his country second. This would come back to haunt Rome for the rest of her existence.

Sulla was the man who reinstituted Optimate values back into Rome. the Optimates were the conservatives, who backed Republican values. However, they also backed a plutocratic aristocracy, and slavery. It was he who was first elected dictator-for-life, and purged the senate of his political opponents, filling it instead with his allies and yes-men, and in a uniquely Roman fashion, resigned from his post.

The problems of the Republic can also be demonstrated by the murder of the Gracchi brothers, who pushed the idea of giving more power to the lower classes, and limiting the aristocratic powers, which was using slave labor to put themselves at an unfair advantage over Plebian workers.

This was creating a huge disconnect between the lower classes, and the aristocracy, which was demonstrated by the re-growth of the populist party, due especially to their most gifted member: Gaius Julius Caesar.

What Caesar did when he entered Rome in triumph after the civil war with Pompey, was little different from what Sulla had done, nearly 40 years ago. Caesar was remarkably clement with his foes, and was even planning an expedition to conquer Persia, which is not the behavior of a tyrant looking to consolidate his power. However, his assassination left a power vacuum which was soon filled by the second Triumvirate, of which the brilliant Octavius, who did not share Caesar's clemency, rose to power, carefully structuring the new Principate to appear to be one of modest unofficial power (his official title was 'princep', which means first citizen), when in reality, Augustus was an absolute monarch in all but name.

Answer 5

You need to check out this awesome history channel documentary!

Gaius Julius Caesar Biography 1/2
http://infoplanetonline.com/Joomla/content/view/566/
Gaius Julius Caesar Biography 2/2
http://infoplanetonline.com/Joomla/content/view/567/

Answer 6

He crossed his army and by doing so started civil war.Roman General's were supposed to disband there army's before crossing the Rubicon.His intention being to march on Rome.