The Life of Julius Caesar

Billows, Richard A. Julius Caesar: the Colossus of Rome. Routledge, 2011.

This 335 page book published in 2011 provides an insightful recounting of the events of the life and times of Julius Caesar. This book is intended to serve as an introduction to Caesar for students and readers who may not have prior information on the leader and wish to learn more. It does not assume that the reader knows the history; rather, it fills in the gaps for those who have heard of Caesar but do not know his story. In addition to biographical information on Caesar, the book also provides a look at Caesar’s prominent role in the decline of the Roman Republic, shines a light on political, social, and economic problems, and arguing that, rather than an infamous figure, Caesar was instead a misunderstood politician who did what he believed was best for the future of Rome. This was a reliable source because it includes the most up-to-date (by 2011) information on the life of Caesar and does not overlook or leave out any pertinent details. It further offers the social and political context in which Caesar was operating, providing another viewpoint into why he made the decisions that he did and what he hoped to accomplish through his leadership of Rome. The author, Richard Billows, is a credible author, as he is a professor of Greek/Roman History at Columbia University, one of the nation’s most established universities. He has published many works, including research on Greek city-states, the Roman Republic, and the origins of the Christian religion. A professional historian, Billows has not only cultivated his own prominent understanding of the political world of old, but has also worked alongside such Roman historians as Erich S. Gruen and Willam V. Harris, to whom he dedicates this body of work.

“Julius Caesar Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Caesar-Julius.html.

This website provides an exhaustive view of the life and times of Julius Caesar, from his childhood to his rise in politics and death. It depicts Caesar’s life by indicating notable events and a specific timeline of when various events occurred, such as the time of his First Triumvirate, an election win which the Senate designed in order to block Caesar from accomplishing political power, and tells of how Caesar used his intelligence and resources to succeed and bring wealth and military power to the alliance. This allowed Caesar to rise up the political ranks, proceeding to win the governorship of Gual. The dissolution of the Triumvirate, civil war, and consolidation of the empire are further explored in this biography. The source is reliable and objective, as it recounts details from Caesar’s life without emphasizing any bias or subjectivity to Caesar himself. The Encyclopedia of World Biography website is an established site with only verified contributors, so the information provided is guaranteed to be as accurate as possible. Additionally, the website provides links to other resources on Julius Caesar for further information, including biographies published by the Harvard University Press and McGraw-Hill, which are legitimate and prominent academic publishing companies. The website also offers a comment form which users can fill out and submit to leave their thoughts and ask questions, which other users may answer. While the other users’ responses may not be verified the way the information on the website is, this interactive method of gleaning information will at least provide a foothold for the user to continue their research. In addition, the site is very user-friendly and does not distract with many advertisements or numerous links; all of the information is displayed on one page, with each section of Caesar’s life identified under headings, making it easy to scroll down to whichever information is most needed.

McManus, Barbara F. “Julius Caesar: Historical Background.” Julius Caesar: Historical Background, The College of New Rochelle, Mar. 2011, www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html.

This website offers a comprehensive timeline of the life of Julius Caesar, from birth in 100 BCE to death in 44 BCE. There are 29 entries on the timeline, each one with at least a paragraph explaining the notable event. Thus, it is a resource with a wealth of information on Caesar’s early life, his rise in politics, and his assassination. It is an extremely user-friendly site, with all of the information listed on one webpage, and includes various busts, drawings, and paintings portraying Caesar so the reader may get an idea of how he is physically depicted. There is even a picture of a bust dating back to the first century BCE, which was found in Ancient Thera. Several of the entries on the timeline include links to other helpful resources, such as biographies of the notable people in Caesar’s life, maps of various areas and campaigns in which Caesar participated, and images of lands and rivers that were used in various battles.

Trott, Garrett B. “All Things Julius Caesar: An Encyclopedia of Caesar's World and Legacy.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 4, 2015, pp. 78+. Questia, www.questia.com/read/1G1-426034583/all-things-julius-caesar-an-encyclopedia-of| caesar-s.

This resource is a peer-reviewed periodical which was published in the Reference and User Services Quarterly in 2015 by Michael Lovano. This is part of a series of encyclopedias titled All Things, which looks at several topics from a variety of viewpoints. This article focuses on the cultural, religious, and architectural viewpoints of the life of Julius Caesar, along with several reference works on the Roman Empire as a whole. Additionally, this article explains various aspects of the times in which Caesar lived; for example, the section entitled “Slavery and Slaves” looks at the institution of slavery in the Roman Empire and how they were treated during Caesar’s reign. Each article also includes a link to a “See also” section, which refers the reader to related articles and resources for further research. This is an objective, credible resource for research into Julius Caesar, as it provides all of the verifiable information needed as well as gives insight into the various events and context of key points during Caesar’s reign.| The contributors of this peer-reviewed article are researchers who are verified in their fields and are providing up-to-date, factually correct information for the benefit of the researcher. Additionally, the goal of this series is to make research accessible to the first or second year college student; that is, the research that is gathered in this source is not overly complicated or hard to understand, even if a student is just starting out on their research journey.

White, David. “The Life of Julius Caesar.” CommonLit, www.commonlit.org/texts/the-life-of julius-caesar, 2014.

This website provides an in-depth recounting of Julius Caesar’s life and political career, going into significant detail about his family life, upbringing, and motivations which led him into politics. This website educates even the most uninformed on Caesar’s life, beginning with his birth into a family that had a role in the government but not one that was especially prominent. His father died when he was 15, and Caesar went into the military and later married Cornelia, with whom he had a daughter. He began making waves when a dictator named Sulla ruled the Roman Empire. Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia, but Caesar refused and went into hiding instead, pardoned only once Sulla died. This website provides the anecdote that when Caesar was kidnapped in 75 BC by Cicilian pirates and held for ransom of 20 talents, he insisted on raising the ransom to at least 50 talents. This anecdote provides a look into the personality Caesar had developed, as a man infatuated with his own importance, which would later lead to his downfall. Other helpful resources on this webpage include a Notes section, which add explanations and additional information that was not included in the original article but is still pertinent information to know, including vocabulary terms which might be unfamiliar. The website also offers linked texts, so that the user can find further information on Caesar, as well as a Teacher Guide, Parent Guide, and Related Media option. Users are invited to create an account for even further resources, but an account is not required to access the basic information offered in the biographical article.

Works Cited

Billows, Richard A. Julius Caesar: the Colossus of Rome. Routledge, 2011. “Julius Caesar Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Caesar-Julius.html.

McManus, Barbara F. “Julius Caesar: Historical Background.” Julius Caesar: Historical Background, The College of New Rochelle, Mar. 2011, www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html.

Trott, Garrett B. “All Things Julius Caesar: An Encyclopedia of Caesar's World and Legacy.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 4, 2015, pp. 78+. Questia, www.questia.com/read/1G1-426034583/all-things-julius-caesar-an-encyclopedia-of| caesar-s.

White, David. “The Life of Julius Caesar.” CommonLit, www.commonlit.org/texts/the-life-of julius-caesar, 2014.