Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Roman Republic

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supremacy in the state during his early political career.

Caesar’s growing fame and popularity during the Gallic campaigns led to the authorisation of his dominance against the conservatives. Caesar’s war commentaries chronicle his campaigns in Gaul although its exaggerated accounts prove to question its reliability, this aspect may have notoriously enflamed his popularity back in Rome. Book VII describes how Caesar manages to endure the revolt of fourteen Gallic tribes. He describes the Romans’ near victory:

“The besieged, beholding from the town the slaughter and flight of their countrymen, despairing of safety, lead back their troops from the fortifications. A flight of the Gauls from their camp immediately ensues on hearing of this disaster, and had not the soldiers been wearied by sending frequent reinforcements, and the labor of the entire day, all the enemy’s forces could have been destroyed.” (Caesar, VII).

This literary piece implicitly infers to Caesar’s ability to endorse his campaigns to be fruitful and gratifying to the Roman republic. To the major consensus of Rome whom among were the proletarian faction, this pleasantly benefited them for they were captivated with heroic stories, and gifted with plunders from these victorious battles. However, according to Goldsworthy, the Senate received none but news of Caesar’s surging fame among the plebeians, therefore they became fearful of their grip on the republic, referring to Caesar esteemed as an enemy of patrician order who had the capability to utilise his appeal to the consensus to a plan for revolt. Furthermore, Caesar’s momentous triumphs in the pro-consulship of Gaul conditioned his legions into a supreme formidable army whilst concurrently becoming allegiant disciples of Caesar. This supports the fact that Caesar was heavily influential for he possessed leadership for coherence of his army. Ultimately Caesar was now equipped with an experienced ardent infantry and untouchable fame and glory which he exploited by marching onto Rome causing Pompeians including Pompey and affiliates of the Senate to flee in distress, representing the dawn of Rome’s monopolisation under Caesar. Through the campaigns in Gaul, Caesar was able to increase his fame in Rome and develop loyal legionaries which consequently undermined the power of the Senate.