Former politician turned army general and ultimately remembered as dictator of the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar lived a fascinating life full of conquest, lust and betrayal.
Here are some interesting facts about him!
30. Holier Than Thou
Before settling on complete and total domination, Caesar worshipped the god Jupiter. This almost led him to a life of priesthood. Priests at the time were not permitted to touch horses and that was obviously problematic since he also wanted to join the military and you know…. murder people on horseback.
29. Rumor Has It
Julius Caesar’s enemies would attempt to slander his name by stating he had an affair with Nicomedes IV of Bithynia early in his career. The rumor persisted and Caesar even had to deny them under oath once.
28. Card in Hand
It’s speculated that the King of Diamonds in a deck of cards is representation of Julius Caesar.
27. Leap
In 45 BC, the Roman dictator added an extra day to the month of February every four years, creating the leap year. This was due to his concern that the calendar and seasons had become out of sync. Maybe he just watched An Inconvenient Truth and jumped the gun on global warming.
26. Thrice A Liar
In the historical play about Julius Caesar written by Shakespeare, a clock chimed three times to add dramatic effect. However, chiming clocks were not invented until 1400 years after Caesar’s death.
25. It’s Alive!
Rumor was tnhat Julius Caesar was born by Cesarean Sectio, which was the reason for his name. This story was proven wrong, though another rumor that he got the name from ancestors being born by C-section persists.
24. Show Me The Money
In his younger years, Julius Caesar went to the military and bartered a deal for financial compensation for his leadership in important battles. Luckily it paid off, as Julius was able to capture many key areas and win major encounters for the Empire.
Julius Caesar, as depicted in Spartacus.
23. Cult Figure
Julius Caesar was the first of his time to be posthumously deified. A cult formed around the life and divinity of Caesar after his death and remained popular for many years. Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na Caesar!
22. That’s My Boy
Having been in an affair with a prominent woman named Servilla, Julius Caesar believed her child, Junius Brutus, was his son. It is said that the man to lead Caesar’s assassination was Brutus himself.
21. You Dog, You
It is known that Julius Caesar took mistresses during his many marriages, including his infamous affair was with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. They lived together for 14 years and it is believed that if Julius were permitted to marry someone who wasn’t a Roman citizen, it would have been her.
20. Get It Right, Shakespeare
The famous line “Et tu, Brute?” from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar was made famous and written in as Julius’ last words. However, a council member present at the assassination said Caesar’s last words were, “You too, child?” This bolsters the claim that Brutus was Caesar’s son.
19. Third Times The Charm
Julius Caesar married three times. First to a woman named Cornelia who died in childbirth. He remarried to a woman named Pompeia, whom he divorced 7 years later. His last wife, Calpurnia, is the most well known spouse and was with him until his death.
18. Crystal Ball
Roman historian Suetonius claims Caesar was warned of his death by a soothsayer (psychic) who told him to “Beware the Ides of March”.
17. God Complex
The Julia clan, to which Julius Caesar belongs, believed they were descendants to the god Venus.
16. Once, Twice, Three Times A Dictator
48 BC was when Julius Caesar was first briefly appointed dictator. In 46 BC, he was appointed for 10 years and finally, on February 14th 44 BC he was appointed dictator for life.
15. Sister, Sister
Julius Caesar had two sisters who were both named Julia. Feel free to pitch that one to a major network.
14. Beat That
Having earned the title “Third Founder of Rome”, Julius Caesar’s uncle through marriage, Gaius Marius, is one of Roman history’s most important figures.
13. We All Start Somewhere
Julius Caesar started his military career at the Siege of Mytilene in 81 BC. For his efforts, he was awarded the second highest military honor, the Civic Crown.
12. Put On The Red Light
Caesar at one point had his inheritance confiscated and lived in a working-class section of Rome that was a notorious red-light district.
11. Vote Quimby
Julius Caesar became a lawyer to earn income. He especially enjoyed prosecuting corrupt government officials.
10. Final Victory
Caesar’s final major triumph came on the battlefield at The Siege of Alesia in 52 BC. It was a Gallic stronghold where Julius built two lines of forts to defeat two larger armies.
9. Overkill
At the time of his assassination, Julius Caesar was surrounded by a mob of senators who stabbed him a total of 23 times.
8. All Gone
Unlike other historical figures like Genghis Khan who has an estimated 16 million descendants living today, Julius Caesar has no living descendants.
7. Britain’s Got Talent
Although he never achieved a full invasion of the British Isles, Julius’ writings were among the first of the area. Based on expeditions, his work gave a detailed account of the area and helped set the groundwork of the successful Roman takeover in 43 AD.
6. You OK, Dude?
Modern Scholars are divided on the matter of Julius Caesar’s health conditions. Though they mostly agree he had major health problems, they aren’t sure whether it was epilepsy, migraine headaches, malaria or tapeworms. Medical records were too poorly kept to know what he suffered from for sure.
5. All In The Family
Julius Caesar granted citizen’s rights to all conquered people of the Roman Empire. He felt this would unite the Empire and make new Romans more willing to accept dictatorship rule.
4. Remember Me
Part of the reason why Julius Caesar is remembered so well was due to how much he wrote about his own life. Writings like his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, a history of the Gallic Wars, made it easier to pass on his story in his own words.
3. Greatest Form of Flattery
Julius Caesar was an inspiration to several historical tyrants. Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini saw himself as a new Caesar and actively imitated the ways of the Roman Empire.
2. Biblical Proportions
There is a verse in the Bible that references Caesar, which reads “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s”.
1. You’re Gonna Need More Booty, Mates
During a return trip home, pirates hijacked Julius Caesar’s boat. Instead of cowering, Caesar befriended the nappers and persuaded them to double their ransom. Once paid by his uncle, Julius took a fleet of men, chased down the pirates and slit all their throats. What’s the moral here? Know who you’re kidnapping, folks.
