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10 Facts about Julius Caesar

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Julius Caesar ruled the Roman ruler, renowned for his autocratic leadership and excellent strategies that helped overthrow the corrupt leadership of the Roman Empire.

He was considered the necessary evil, although historians have debated on this. One of his famous quotes was 鈥淚 love treason but hate a traitor鈥�.

His autocratic leadership inspired two plays by Shakespeare. He is credited for improving the tax system in Rome and inventing a calendar, the Julian calendar.

His Calendar was considered better compared to the Gregorian calendar.

2000 years later, his name is still on people鈥檚 lips. Well here are some 10 Facts that may intrigue about Julius Caesar more than the salad.

1. Julius Caesar was born the natural way

Contrary to popular opinion Julius Caesar was not born聽 via cesarean section, anesthesia had not been invented. It was only performed when the mother was dead and the baby needed saving.

On 13th July 100 B.C in the Suburra, Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar and his wife Aurelia Cotta were blessed with their third child, a baby boy named Gaius Julius Caesar, after his father.

He had two elder sisters, Julia Major and Julia Minor.

It is believed that his name may have several Latin meanings such as; long hair, killing an elephant in battle or bright gray eyes.

2. Julius Caesar the Student

Julius Caesar started school at the age of 6. During his time, education was offered by private tutors.

His private tutor was Marcus Antonius Gnipho, a grammar and public speaking teacher. He taught him how to read and write, together with Roman law and public speaking.

These were essential traits that were needed of leaders in Rome.

3. Caesar鈥檚 Family and Leadership聽

Caesar鈥檚 father was a governor of the province of Asia. One of his sisters鈥� was married to聽 Gaius Marius, a prominent politician in Rome.

Julius Caesar lost his father aged 16. Being the only son in the family, he took over as the man of the house.

He took care of his mother Aurelia and his sister Julia. He got married at 17 to his first wife Cornelia.

On assuming his new role, Caesar weighed the benefits of joining the priesthood as being more for his family.

He was named as the new High Priest of Jupiter. He joined the Gracchi brothers.

He did not last long as a priest. The dictatorial Roman ruler, Sulla made it his mission to put an end to the brotherhood and Caesar lost his position as a priest, his wife鈥檚 dowry was confiscated and was spared imprisonment through his mother鈥檚 family intervention.

Being a family man, he joined the army to be able to continue supporting them.

4. The month of July is named in honor of Julius Caesar聽

After Julius Caesar died, the Roman senate honored him by renaming the month of his birth to July from Quintilis. Quintilis was the fifth month, in Latin, on the Roman calendar that had 10 months a year.

The month August was also added in the calendar in honour of Augustus Caesar, Caesar鈥檚 grandson, who defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra of Egypt to become the emperor of Rome.

5. Julius Caesar Invented the Julian Calendar聽

Before Caesar鈥檚聽 calendar was introduced, the popular calendar of the time in Rome was the Roman calendar. It was a complicated calendar to read.

The roman calendar was based on the moon cycles, 鈥渕oon experts鈥� of the time had to change the calendar several times to be in sync with the astronomical seasons.

There were 10 months in that calendar and 304 days聽 in a year. This confusing calendar prodded Caesar to find a solution.

In 45 BC, he consulted Sosigenes, an astronomer. In that same year, Julius Caesar introduced聽 the Julian calendar. It had 12 months and 365 days.

Julius Caesar introduced the leap year.

6. The Powerful Scandal: Julius Caesar and Cleopatra

Although Caesar was married, he was also a lady鈥檚 man.

His most notable affair was with Cleopatra the queen of Egypt. They met when Caesar was pursuing Pompey during a civil war between the two.

Pompey had fled to Egypt and Caesar went after him.

At first, Caesar and Cleopatra was based on scratch my back, I鈥檒l scratch yours. Caesar had a mighty army and Cleopatra had vast wealth. She was the wealthiest woman alive in those days.

Soon after the alliance,聽 love brewed between the two and Queen Cleopatra was with child. In 47 BC, She gave birth to a baby boy named Caesarion after his father.

They never got married because a union between a roman and a foreigner was not permitted.

Caesar never denied being Caesarion鈥檚 father.

7. Julius Caesar鈥檚 son was assassinated聽

Caesarion鈥檚 full name was Ptolemy Philopator Philometor Caesar.

When he was of age, his mother, Cleopatra made him her assistant. She had her brother Ptolemy murdered so that Caesarion could be the next in line for the throne.

In 31 BC, Mark Antony Cleopatra鈥檚 partner, was defeated in a war against Triumvir Octavian at Actium. To save her son, Cleopatra sent Caesarion to Berenice upper Egypt.

Octavian persuaded him to go back to Alexandria where he executed him because he did not want any more Caesars鈥� in power.

8. Julius Caesar鈥檚 Famous Phrase 鈥榁eni, Vidi, Vici鈥�

This is probably the most used phrase after a triumph, 鈥�I came, I saw, I conquered鈥�. Julius Caesar was the first to utter these words or at least write them down.

Before hi son Caesarian was born, Caesar had to go to war in Asia. It was called the Battle of Zela.

Caesar鈥檚 army was outnumbered by King Pharnace鈥檚 army of over 20,000 men. Still, he fought them.

The battle took five days and with 15,000 men, Julius Caesar emerged victorious. After the successful Battle, he wrote a letter to the Roman Senate with these Latin words, Veni, Vidi, Vici.

9. Julius Caesar published a book

Caesar may be known for his political prowess and as a great army commander. He was equally good at literature.

He journaled about the history of his army鈥檚 win in battles and was known to write his own speeches. He also tried his hand in poetry.

He was so skilled with his words that he would multitask when dictating to his clerks.

He was known to have three of them in the same room and switch from one clerk to the next without mixing it up or losing his train of thoughts.

He had one of his clerks follow the Roman statesman, Cicero, who was famous for his rhetoric and oration on philosophy.聽 Caesar put together all the amusing pieces and published.

10. Julius聽 Caesar鈥檚 final days

Julius Caesar鈥檚 reign over the Roman Empire lasted only a year, from 26 January or 15 February of the year 44 BCE. When he took over power, he was referred to as dictator in perpetuity.

On the fateful day, he attended a senate meeting. Unknown to him, the more than 40 Roman senators had a different agenda.

It is recorded that he died a painful death through the numerous stab wound that punctured his flesh. Only one knife pierced through his heart.