Gaius Julius Caesar was a great political figure, a general and statesman of the Roman Empire. Born in around 100 BC, Caesar played an important role in the gradual change that was brought about in the Roman Empire through the Roman Republic. Caesar is also well known for the political tragedy that was written on him by playwright William Shakespeare in the 16th century.

Here are some interesting facts about Julius Caesar:

Caesar’s lineage can be traced back to the Julii, who is believed to have been the first king of Rome, Romulus and the Goddess Venus.
Julius Caesar was born to parents Gaius and Aurelia.

It was Julius Caesar who led the first Roman Invasion of Britain in 55 BC. Apart from this invasion, he had also conquered nations like Gaul and aided in the extension of the Roman territory which helped him gain popularity with the Romans.

He had served as the Governor in the Roman province of Spain from 60 ‘“ 61 BC. On his return, he made the pact with Pompey and Crassus which helped him get elected to the post of consul in 59 BC. The 3 way division of political power came to be known as the Triumvirate of the Roman Empire.

Caesar had served as Governor for Roman Gaul in the year 58 BC and he remained in this post for the following 8 years. It was during this time that he added areas of modern France and Belgium, thereby extending the Roman expire.

Caesar’s march from Gaul to Italy following the political rift between Caesar and Pompey in 49 BC led to the beginning of the civil war and proclaimed Caesar as an unrivalled leader of the Roman Empire.

Many ancient sources have stated that Caesar was also a great literary writer. His writing style was typically conventional or the Attic style as opposed to his contemporary Cicero who wrote in highly artistic and flowery style known as the Asiatic writing style.

Caesar’s writing was used as reading material for grammar and vocabulary and established as the educational sine qua non. This introduction to Latin Grammar continued to be taught well into the 19th and 20th century.

Caesar’s writings continue to be used as beginner’s reading material for those learning Latin in high school or college majors as well in the United States of America. His military mannerisms and the puristic and stylistic simplicity is what make his writing suitable for beginners in Latin.

Students majoring in Latin have to read Caesar’s writings in their second year about his conquests of the Gallic tribes and the Gallic wars that he had fought. The narration is completely in prose and Caesar refers to himself in third person.

On the Ides of March or 15th of March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus. The assassination was carried out with the objective of restoring the constitutional government of the Roman Republic and to put an end to Caesar’s dictatorship. Things went out of control followed by civil wars and ultimately the establishment of dictatorship under Octavius/Augustus Caesar restored peace.