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Caesar, Julius(d. 44 B.C.E.) Roman military and politi-
cal leader who was one of the most powerful men in the
world
He established CLEOPATRA VIIas sole ruler of Egypt c. 48
B.C.E. while in ALEXANDRIA and altered the course of
Egyptian history. Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C.E. and
rose steadily in Rome, becoming a hero because of his
military successes in the Gallic Wars.
A rival of POMPEYthe Great, Caesar followed him to
Egypt after defeating Pompey’s legions at the battle of
Pharsalus in 48. Once in Egypt, Caesar extricated himself
from a precarious military position in Alexandria and
then conducted campaigns against PTOLEMY XIIIand the
Alexandrians in the BATTLE OF THE NILE. He placed
Cleopatra VII on the throne as sole ruler and recognized
her child, PTOLEMY XV CAESARION, as his own son.
Leaving Egypt, Caesar continued to hunt down Pom-
pey’s allies and returned victorious to Rome. There he
became dictator and held consulships. He also instituted
a newcalendar. Marc ANTONY, one of his companions,
offered him a crown, but he refused it. Republicans, how-
ever, conspired against him and assassinated him on the
Ides of March 44 B.C.E.
One of the finest orators of Rome, Caesar also wrote
commentaries on his wars, as well as poetry and works
on grammar. Caesar laid the foundation for the Roman
Empire. His heir was his nephew, Gaius Octavian, whom
he adopted and who became the first emperor of Rome,
AUGUSTUS.

Suggested Readings:Bradford, Ernle. Julius Caesar: The
Pursuit of Power.London: H. Hamilton, 1984; Dodge,

Theodore. Caesar: A History of the Art of War Among the

Romans Down to the End of the Roman Empire, With a

Detailed Account of the Campaigns of Gaius Julius Caesar.

New York: Da Capo Press, 1997; Ferrero, Guglielmo. The

Life of Caesar.Trans. A. E. Zimmern. New York: G. P. Put-

nam’s Sons, 1933; Gelzer, Matthias, and Needham, Peter,

trans. Caesar: Politician and Statesman.Cambridge, Mass.:

Harvard Univ. Press, 1985; Grant, Michael. Caesar.Lon-

don: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1974; Grant, Michael. The

Twelve Caesars.London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975;

Julius Caesar.The Civil War.New York: Penguin, 1967;

Julius Caesar.The Conquest of Gaul.New York: Penguin,

1982; Meier, Christian. Caesar.New York: HarperCollins,

1997; Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars. Trans. Robert

Graves. New York: Penguin, 1979.

Caesareum A shrine in ALEXANDRIA, erected by

CLEOPATRA VII(r. 51–30 B.C.E.), starting with an ALTARfor

cultic ceremonies honoring Marc ANTONY, who became

her lover, the historian Philo visited the shrine in 40

B.C.E. A great sanctuary was part of the design, and two

OBELISKS of TUTHMOSIS III (r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.) were

brought from HELIOPOLISto adorn the site. When Cleopa-

tra VII committed suicide after the battle of ACTIUM,

Octavian (later the first emperor of Rome, AUGUSTUS),

completed the Caesareum for his own cultic ceremonies

as the new ruler of Egypt.

Caesarion See PTOLEMY XV.

Cairo Calendar An astrological text that dates to the

reign of RAMESSES II(1290–1224 B.C.E.) of the Nineteenth