Julius Caesar Persuasive Essay
During the Punic Wars against Carthage, the plebeian smallholders who had to serve in the roman legions found themselves unable to farm their lands, unable to pay their taxes. Ultimately they lost their lands and ended up as the Mob, an impoverished group in Rome, reliant upon handouts. Meanwhile, the rich consolidated their lands into huge, slave-worked estates that made them even richer. This caused profound social, economic and political problems for the Roman state. The upper, political class divided between the Optimates - rich, conservative landowners who wanted nothing to change - and the Populares - senators who saw a need for land reform to ease the troubles of the poor.
The struggles of the Optimates and the Populares defined the …show more content…
Initially, so was Pompey, but while Caesar did not change his political leanings, Pompey grew more and more conservative. Finally, after spending years in Gaul, fighting for Rome, Caesar was summoned back to Rome. Pompey had become an Optimate and led a group that wanted to indict Caesar for treasonous use of the legions. It would have effectively ended Caesar's political career and could have ended in his exile or death. Caesar had a choice. Give in or go on the offensive. He chose the latter, crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC.
This action caused another civil war between Pompey and other Optimates and Caesar and his supporters. Caesar won (and Pompey was murdered by the Egyptian pharaoh) but he pardoned the Optimates, hoping for peace.
Returning to Rome, Caesar began a program of reform, including the land reform he had promised. He acted as a dictator, attempting to force his reforms through the Senate. He was not, however, the first dictator that had ruled Rome. Sulla, for example, had ruled mercilessly, massacring thousands of his Popular enemies. Caesar, however, still had his enemies free in Rome. Furious at his reforms and concerned that he would declare himself king (and destroy the Republic), leading Optimates (including Brutus and Cassius) assassinated
The struggles of the Optimates and the Populares defined the …show more content…
Initially, so was Pompey, but while Caesar did not change his political leanings, Pompey grew more and more conservative. Finally, after spending years in Gaul, fighting for Rome, Caesar was summoned back to Rome. Pompey had become an Optimate and led a group that wanted to indict Caesar for treasonous use of the legions. It would have effectively ended Caesar's political career and could have ended in his exile or death. Caesar had a choice. Give in or go on the offensive. He chose the latter, crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC.
This action caused another civil war between Pompey and other Optimates and Caesar and his supporters. Caesar won (and Pompey was murdered by the Egyptian pharaoh) but he pardoned the Optimates, hoping for peace.
Returning to Rome, Caesar began a program of reform, including the land reform he had promised. He acted as a dictator, attempting to force his reforms through the Senate. He was not, however, the first dictator that had ruled Rome. Sulla, for example, had ruled mercilessly, massacring thousands of his Popular enemies. Caesar, however, still had his enemies free in Rome. Furious at his reforms and concerned that he would declare himself king (and destroy the Republic), leading Optimates (including Brutus and Cassius) assassinated