Asher Sisneros

Julius Caesar became the most powerful man in the world, but his journey to success was long and bloody. After the death of Sulla—a Roman commander who later became consul and restored strength to the republic’s political traditions—Rome fell under disarray. Everyone who was anyone put their hat in the ring to compete for power. It was a civil war, and the young Julius Caesar, who started out as a mere lieutenant in Sulla’s army, became Rome’s quasi-emperor.  This is how Julius Caesar played his cards right and solidified himself in world history.

Caesar was always ambitious, and as a military soldier, he was just as strategic. Ambitious calculations bled into every aspect of his life, including marriage. First, he married a prominent woman whose love admitted him into the influential Marian Party. After that, he married a second woman, who was Sulla’s granddaughter.

As much as those marriages helped Caesar, it wasn’t enough. Popular voices such as Cicero, Verres, and Cato the Younger opposed him, and since he didn’t have an army like Sulla did, he couldn’t imprison or kill them.  Still, his influence permeated Rome.

Two other promising titans stood in Rome’s political arena—Crassus and Pompey. Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome. Through ethically questionable and unscrupulous ploys, Crassus accumulated immense fortune and power. He also led the campaign against Spartacus’ slave rebellion. Pompey was a military and political leader, which were synonymous in Rome. He gained prominence through his wins against Mithridates, Sertarius, various rogues, a campaign in Spain, and victory against Mediterranean pirates. Instead of wasting effort fighting each other, Pompey and Crassus allied and ran for the two consulships. In 70 BC, they won.

A decade after Pompey and Crassus became consuls, they made a secretive pact with Julius Caesar, a rising star in Rome. The three of them formed the first triumvirate covenant. Similar to his marriages, the triumvirate propelled Caesar’s political career. The three gentlemen agreed to help each other achieve their goals, enrich themselves, and squash all their enemies. It worked. Nobody, not even the Senate could oppose them. At the triumvirate’s peak, Caesar became a consul and led the military in Gaul. To solidify their agreement, Pompey married Julian, Caesar’s daughter. Later, Pompey and Crassus became consuls again and earned provincial governorship in Spain and Syria.

Unfortunately, the triumvirate collapsed by 53 BC. The first signs of weakness emerged when Julian died. One year later, Crassus also died, and Caesar and Pompey became misaligned.

The friendship grew stale but didn’t end with a peaceful parting. After Caesar won the Gallic Wars, Pompey grew jealous. The senate sided with Pompey as the “lesser of two evils” and tried to oust Caesar from possessing power. Rome ordered Caesar to disband his legions, relinquish his command, and retire. He didn’t. In retaliation, he marched against Rome. By crossing the Rubicon River, he chose his fate. Either he was going to solidify his power or die a traitor. After years of combat, Caesar became a master at identifying who was strong and who was weak. While the Senate tried to clasp power, Caesar forced them to concede. One year after he invaded Rome, Pompey was killed. By 48 BC, Caesar became dictator, and sequestered and consolidated power in Rome.

Four years later, the infamous Julius Caesar was assassinated by his close friend, Brutus. Such was the backstabbing nature of government in Rome. With Caesar’s death, another civil war ensued.