Was Julius Cesar a good man?

Loyalty defined means faithfulness to one’s friends, country, ideals, etc. What would one do when these things conflict with one another? When they coincide? One would have to choose. A choice that can make or break a man, which I believe broke many men in the play, Julius Caesar. One did not know who was friend or foe. One’s dearest friends actually your foes? Not possible, is it? Yes, it is. That is the story of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar, a great, nobleman. A man for his country. A man loved by many and respected by all.

Even respected by the men that cursed him with death. Why would mean that loved and respected ones kill them? Loyalty is the answer. A feeling of loyalty for your country that surpassed the loyalty of righteous virtues. Perhaps if loyalty had not been involved, the country of Rome would not have been torn apart. Or perhaps if loyalty to all and everything had been involved a great ruler named Caesar would have reigned for years. If the people of Rome would have remained loyal to Caesar perhaps the war would not have occurred, in fact, it most certainly would not have.

After the death, the angry mob should have put the conspirators to death, not et them toy with their minds as they would a five-year-old. The mob, like a great many people, believes what is easiest to hear. In the mob of people did loyalty exist? Doubtful, little if any. What coexisted in the crowd with that little loyalty was ignorance and much of it. I believe that Brutus showed the greatest amount of loyalty to his country. He just went about showing it in a corrupt manner. He sacrificed a great friend for what he thought would better Rome.

Perhaps Brutus was one of the noblest in the play, but he was also the most misled. He was noble for assassinating not for selfish needs, but for the needs of the country. However, I believe he was weak. Weak for believing that Caesar was “ambitious”. Brutus believed the one side of things that he heard, and that was from Cassius. Brutus is a prime example of people believing what is easiest heard. If someone would have mentioned Cassius’s attitude and actions I am most certain that Brutus would have seen a sign of tyranny. Brutus was a man that held loyalty to his country close to his heart.

Perhaps this blinded him. It made him oblivious to the idea of Caesar being a good man with innocent motives. Mark Antony, another man who possessed loyalty. However, with Antony, loyalty to friends and to that of his country did not conflict. He saw Caesar for what, I think, he truly was, a noble Roman. Antony was a wise man. Not being sure of the conspirator’s plot, he gave them a fair chance to justify their unjustifiable assassination. When wise Antony saw no reason for the death of Caesar he played smart. He did not verbally attack the conspirators, he waited. Because Antony was noble and wise, he waited.

He gave citizens of Rome something to think about. He turned the mob, who had turned against Caesar, for Caesar, against the conspirators. Noble Antony was willing to go to war to claim to vindicate Caesar’s death. He was going to get revenge on the murderers of “the noblest man that ever lived in the tide of times.” Julius Caesar, the man that deserved to be dead the least, was deceased. He was loyal to his friends, the country, even the strangers of Rome. He showed it too. I believe that being loyal to a country means also being loyal to the citizens of it and that he was.

Antony painted the perfect picture of how much Caesar cared when he pointed out in his soliloquy that “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept.” Being caring is indeed a good part of being loyal. Caesar, a man who gave to his country, even after death. Is this a man that should have been killed? The world still today needs a leader like him. The death of Caesar affected many. Brutus’ wife, Portia, was suffering because of the plot she knew of. I believe that Brutus made a terrible mistake of telling Portia. Because of the sinful acts of her husband, Portia took her life.

Initially, people were not grief-stricken, but in time they remembered the love they had for Caesar. People, like Octavius’ servant, felt the heavyweight of sorrow immediately after stumbling upon the death. Because of this assassination, a war broke out. Mark Antony and Octavius’ troops versus Brutus and Cassius’ troops. Many people suffered through this war. Portia stricken with sadness took her life. Not too long after Brutus followed, as did Cassius and Titinius. Perhaps a message to readers is when one is blinded and refuses to see open-minded there is no hiding from vindication.

Caesar was a man of the time, he was a good leader and did his job, he certainly wasn’t a Hitler or Stalin like the other answerer said, to say that shows how ignorant they are.

 A person of the time period means that we should judge historical people based on the principles of the time. 

Even today we do things that we might consider to be ok, but  in years to come historians may look back and call us evil or hitlers. 

Julius was a Roman General. He was called to Rome (he fought the Germans) by the Senate to keep the peace. And, so, he did by usurping all authority. At that time Rome was a Republic. “Would you rather Caesar were living, and you all die slaves, than that Caesar were dead, and you all live as freemen?”-Brutus

Cesar is only remembered by his evil deeds.

Define what you mean by a "good" man.

Good in what respects? Good for whom, or for what? Morally good, or good as a leader?

No point in discussing someone if we all mean different things by "good". Define your terms, please.

Your question cannot be answered by a single  yes or no.  Julius Caesar has many facets to his character and it depends on which aspect you focus on.  His reduction of Gaul shows him to be a ruthless military commander but in the Civil Wars Caesar showed clemency to his enemies.  This clemency was extremely unusual for the time as it was common practice to put one's enemies to death. The methods Caesar used in the siege of Alesia were excellent military tactics which ended the Gallic Wars.

Caesar was interested in science and and used Egyptian knowledge to reform the calendar. 

In terms of politics Caesar enacted social policies which bettered  the lives of the plebians and angered the upper classes of senatores, equites, and the most influential families.  That being said Caesar did manage to destroy the Roman Republic and paved the way for Roman emperors. 

Caesar, like the rest of us is a mixture of the good and the bad.  Whether Caesar is good or bad depends on how you want to view him. 

no he ate my great great great great great great great (etc.) grandma

Genocide of nearly half a million Gauls.

Hell NO!  

He was a butcher barbaric General responsible for possibly Millions dead.  Plus enslaved.  

Then power hungry leader that forced Rome into  a Civil war.

consider him the equivalent of Hitler or Stalin.  The difference between him and Hitler, is he won while Hitler lost.  History is written by the Victors.

He was a very good general and a sterling example of the Roman patrician class of his time.  Politicking in his time was brutal and life was cheap.  He'd have been in front of the Hague for genocide and crimes against humanity today.  Read his own accounts of his military exploits, they're not hard to understand.  The thing is that every other military leader of the time would also be up in front of the Hague so he can't be judged against our own times.

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Julius Caesar

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This article is about the Roman dictator. For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation) and Caesar (disambiguation).

Gaius Julius Caesar

Retrato de Julio César (26724093101) (cropped).jpg

The Tusculum portrait, possibly the only surviving sculpture of Caesar made during his lifetime. Archaeological Museum, Turin, Italy.

Born 12 July 100 BC[1]

Rome, Italy, Roman Republic

Died 15 March 44 BC (aged 55)

Rome, Italy

Cause of death Assassination (stab wounds)

Resting place Temple of Caesar, Rome

41.891943°N 12.486246°E

Notable work

Bellum Gallicum

Bellum Civile

Office Dictator (49–44 BC)

Consul (59, 48, 46–45, 44 BC)

Political party Populares

Spouse(s)

Cossutia (disputed)

Cornelia (84–69 BC; her death)

Pompeia (67–61 BC; divorced)

Calpurnia (59–44 BC; his death)

Children

Julia

Caesarion (unacknowledged)

Augustus (adoptive)

Parent(s) Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia

Military career

Years 81–45 BC

Conflicts Siege of Mytilene

Gallic Wars

Caesar's civil war

Alexandrine war

Awards Civic Crown

Gaius Julius Caesar (Latin: [ˈɡaːiʊs ˈjuːliʊs ˈkae̯sar]; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus and Pompey formed the First Triumvirate, a political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power as Populares were opposed by the Optimates within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar rose to become one of the most powerful politicians in the Roman Republic through a string of military victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, which greatly extended Roman territory. During this time he both invaded Britain and built a bridge across the Rhine river. These achievements and the support of his veteran army threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. Leaving his command in Gaul would mean losing his immunity to criminal prosecution by his enemies; knowing this, Caesar openly defied the Senate's authority by crossing the Rubicon and marching towards Rome at the head of an army.[2] This began Caesar's civil war, which he won, leaving him in a position of near unchallenged power and influence.

After assuming control of government, Caesar began a program of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. He gave citizenship to many residents of far regions of the Roman Republic. He initiated land reform and support for veterans. He centralized the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator for life" (Latin: dictator perpetuo). His populist and authoritarian reforms angered the elites, who began to conspire against him. On the Ides of March (15 March), 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Brutus and Cassius, who stabbed him to death.[3][4] A new series of civil wars broke out and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. Caesar's great-nephew and adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in a civil war. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began.

Caesar was an accomplished author and historian as well as a statesman; much of his life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns. Other contemporary sources include the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. Later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also important sources. Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history.[5] His cognomen was subsequently adopted as a synonym for "Emperor"; the title "Caesar" was used throughout the Roman Empire, giving rise to modern cognates such as Kaiser and Tsar. He has frequently appeared in literary and artistic works, and his political philosophy, known as Caesarism, inspired politicians into the modern era.

Contents

1 Early life and career

2 Consulship and military campaigns

2.1 Conquest of Gaul

2.2 Civil war

3 Dictatorship and assassination

3.1 Dictatorship

3.1.1 Political reforms

3.2 Assassination

3.3 Aftermath of the assassination

3.4 Deification

4 Personal life

4.1 Health and physical appearance

4.2 Name and family

4.2.1 The name Gaius Julius Caesar

4.2.2 Family

4.3 Rumors of passive homosexuality

5 Literary works

5.1 Memoirs

6 Legacy

6.1 Historiography

6.2 Politics

6.3 Depictions

6.4 Battle record

7 Chronology

8 See also

9 References

10 Sources

10.1 Primary sources

10.1.1 Own writings

10.1.2 Ancient historians' writings

10.2 Secondary sources

11 External links

Early life and career

Main article: Early life and career of Julius Caesar

Gaius Marius, Caesar's uncle

Gaius Julius Caesar was born into a patrician family, the gens Julia, which claimed descent from Julus, son of the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas, supposedly the son of the goddess Venus.[6] The Julii were of Alban origin, mentioned as one of the leading Alban houses, which settled in Rome around the mid-7th century BC, following the destruction of Alba Longa. They were granted patrician status, along with other noble Alban families.[7] The Julii also existed at an early period at Bovillae, evidenced by a very ancient inscription on an altar in the theatre of that town, which speaks of their offering sacrifices according to the lege Albana, or Alban rites.[8][9][10] The cognomen "Caesar" originated, according to Pliny the Elder, with an ancestor who was born by Caesarean section (from the Latin verb to cut, caedere, caes-).[11] The Historia Augusta suggests three alternative explanations: that the first Caesar had a thick head of hair (Latin caesaries); that he had bright grey eyes (Latin oculis caesiis); or that he killed an elephant during the Punic Wars (caesai in Moorish) in battle.[12] Caesar issued coins featuring images of elephants, suggesting that he favored the latter interpretation of his name.

Despite their ancient pedigree, the Julii Caesares were not especially politically influential, although they had enjoyed some revival of their political fortunes in the early 1st century BC.[13] Caesar's father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, governed the province of Asia,[14] and his sister Julia, Caesar's aunt, married Gaius Marius, one of the most prominent figures in the Republic.[15] His mother, Aurelia Cotta, came from an influential family. Little is recorded of Caesar's childhood.[16]

In 85 BC, Caesar's father died suddenly,[17] so Caesar was the head of the family at the age of 16. His coming of age coincided with a civil war between his uncle Gaius Marius and his rival Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Both sides carried out bloody purges of their political opponents whenever they were in the ascendancy. Marius and his ally Lucius Cornelius Cinna were in control of the city when Caesar was nominated as the new flamen dialis (high priest of Jupiter),[18] and he was married to Cinna's daughter Cornelia.[19][20]

Following Sulla's final victory, though, Caesar's connections to the old regime made him a target for the new one. He was stripped of his inheritance, his wife's dowry, and his priesthood, but he refused to divorce Cornelia and was forced to go into hiding.[21] The threat against him was lifted by the intervention of his mother's family, which included supporters of Sulla, and the Vestal Virgins. Sulla gave in reluctantly and is said to have declared that he saw many a Marius in Caesar.[16] The loss of his priesthood had allowed him to pursue a military career, as the high priest of Jupiter was not permitted to touch a horse, sleep three nights outside his own bed or one night outside Rome, or look upon an army.[22]

Caesar felt that it would be much safer far away from Sulla should the dictator change his mind, so he left Rome and joined the army, serving under Marcus Minucius Thermus in Asia and Servilius Isauricus in Cilicia. He served with distinction, winning the Civic Crown for his part in the Siege of Mytilene. He went on a mission to Bithynia to secure the assistance of King Nicomedes's fleet, but he spent so long at Nicomedes' court that rumours arose of an affair with the king, which Caesar vehemently denied for the rest of his life.[23]

Hearing of Sulla's death in 78 BC, Caesar felt safe enough to return to Rome. He lacked means since his inheritance was confiscated, but he acquired a modest house in Subura, a lower-class neighbourhood of Rome.[24] He turned to legal advocacy and became known for his exceptional oratory accompanied by impassioned gestures and a high-pitched voice, and ruthless prosecution of former governors notorious for extortion and corruption.

Dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla stripped Caesar of the priesthood.

On the way across the Aegean Sea,[25] Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held prisoner.[26][27] He maintained an attitude of superiority throughout his captivity. The pirates demanded a ransom of 20 talents of silver, but he insisted that they ask for 50.[28][29] After the ransom was paid, Caesar raised a fleet, pursued and captured the pirates, and imprisoned them. He had them crucified on his own authority, as he had promised while in captivity[30]—a promise that the pirates had taken as a joke. As a sign of leniency, he first had their throats cut. He was soon called back into military action in Asia, raising a band of auxiliaries to repel an incursion from the east.[31]

On his return to Rome, he was elected