Defeating Pompey the Great
Conquering the Mediterranean
- Pompey had strong support in Spain and Macedonia
- Caesar attacked Spain first and defeated Pompey's main army there
- Caesar laid seige to Pompey's base at Dyrrhachium but failed to draw Pompey's armies out and retreated to Thessaly
- Pompey followed Caesar to the plains of Pharsalus, where Caesar was victorious in the battle
- Pompey fled to Egypt where he was executed by Ptolemy XIII
- as Caesar returned to Rome from Egypt in 47 BCE, he went by way of Asia Minor
- among other successful battles, he defeated the forces of Pharnaces of Pontus at Zela
- sent a message to Rome saying "Veni, vidi, vici", or "I came, I saw, I conquered"
Civil War in Italy
Final Defeat of the Pompeians
- although Pompey was dead, he still had supporters
- Caesar fought two battles to defeat the Pompeians, one at Thapsus in North Africa, and one at Mundo in Spain
- Caesar defeated the forces of Scipio, an ally of Pompey's, and Cato, who supported Scipio, at Thapsus in 46 BCE
- Caesar defeated the sons of Pompey at Mundo in 45 BCE
- Caesar was now dominant over all of the Greco-Roman world
- Crassus dies in 53 BCE, leaving Pompey and Caesar as rivals
- Pompey persuades Senate to try to force Caesar to give up his province and retire from office
- Caesar refuses and in 49 BCE, he crosses the Rubicon, saying "The die is cast" and sparking civil war
- Caesar quickly takes over Italy, forcing Pompey to flee to Macedonia in only 70 days
- Caesar sets up a temporary government with himself as dictator
Map of Caesars Conquests
Julius Caesar's Rise to Power
Caesar - Dictator for Life
From Consul to Emperor - 59 BCE to 44 BCE
Caesar in Gaul
- Caesar had become immensely powerful
- he had himself appointed dictator for life in 44 BCE
- was able to raise himself to power through his talent as a politician and military leader - his strategic portrayal of himself in the eyes of the Romans and successful strategies as a military commander helped to promote him to power
- his reign ended on the 15th of March 44 BCE when he was assassinated by conspiring members of the Senate
Caesar Is Elected Consul
- In 58 BCE, Caesar became commander of Roman forces in Gaul (modern day France)
- 58 BCE - successful campaign against the Helvetians of Switzerland
- 58 BCE - successful campaign against Ariovistus and the Germanic tribes
- 57 BCE - defeat of tribes in Belgae, Normandy and Brittany
- 55 BCE and 44 BCE - Caesar leads expeditions across the Rhine to Britain
- 52 BCE - 50 BCE - Caesar crushes Gallic resistance led by Vercingetorix
- gains reputation as great warrior and an organized leader
- elected Consul for the year 59 BCE
- formed First Triumverate with Crassus and Pompey
- gained popularity through reforms beneficial to former soldiers