Julius Caesar is known as one of the greatest and most influential rulers of the Roman Empire. With the proclamation of Caesar’s power, Rome quickly started to rise, which scared and simultaneously fascinated many. Before becoming the ruler of the Roman Empire, Caesar showed himself as a talented general of the Roman Republic and a strong politician. Such talents and their smart implementation by Julius Caesar led him to make the Roman Empire one of the most powerful countries in the world; however, he could not have done it without his famous military legions.
The book Caesar’s Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar’s Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome by Stephen Dando Collins is a genius combination of the epic history of the Roman Empire and the Roman army. The author paints vivid pictures of the famous Caesar’s legions and how they handled every battle, standing side by side with their brave leader. The author describes the legendary legion and why it was so valued by Caesar in the author’s notes of Caesar’s Legion: The Epic Saga... However, it took years for Caesar to become the only emperor of the Roman Empire, sadly not for long.
After returning from Spain and becoming a consul, which gave him unlimited power in the country, Caesar still was eager for more. Therefore, Julius took advantage of the chaotic political situation in Rome, added his strong connections as well as the love of ordinary Romans, and formed a strong alliance in order to take over the power. The great triumphant united Pompey the Great – a talented general, who conquered many lands, Crassus – a wealthy man who desired to use the money for politics and, of course, Julius Caesar –who had connections and fame among the Romans (“How Did Julius Caesar Rise to Power?”). Such an alliance was aimed not to help the country but was seen more as an instrument to boost ambitions and gainings of its every member. Dando-Collins tells the following about the formed triumvirate, “[it] had carved up the empire, extending Caesar’s command in Gaul, giving Crassus command in the East, and Pompey control in Italy and Spain» (61). An opportunity for Caesar to command the Gaul with four legions allowed him to embark on his military career and gain tremendous success in the future. In his naval battles, Caesar was ruthless and cold-hearted. The commander surrounded his enemies, waiting for food and water to run out and then cut off the hands of the survivors.
Nevertheless, Caesar valued his legions, especially famous was the X’s legion: “Rome’s most famous legion, Julius Caesar’s “old faithfuls” (Dando-Collins, 213). This legion, along with three others were in Gaul when he first arrived there. Therefore, X’s legion was the one Julius trusted and cherished the most, where only the best warriors were selected. Caesar was always concerned about each warrior in his army. He knew all the strengths and weaknesses of his officers. The commander was assured that the legion’s success depends on the officers, and the success and reputation of Caesar depends on the marvelous performance of the legions (Dando-Collins, 8). The legendary legion went through the most infamous battles along the side of Julius Caesar and his fabulous war tactics, you can further explore one of them in Chapter 11 of the book Caesar’s Legion: The Epic Saga … (113-129).
Cleopatra played a significant role in not only the romantic life of Julius Caesar but also his military accomplishments. Caesar spent nine months in Egypt in 47 BC, where he struggled to conquer Egyptian recognitions. Egyptian citizens were eager to assassinate Caesar the way they did with Pompey; however, Julius was lucky enough to avoid such death. Instead, Julius Caesar decided to dethrone the current king of Egypt. The commander kidnapped young King Ptolemy, and along with his sister Cleopatra, battled King Ptolemy in ruthless, brutal battles in Alexandria (Dando-Collins, 144). Undoubtedly, Caesar’s army won, surrendered Alexandria, and proclaimed Cleopatra, the new emperor of Egypt. Making Cleopatra the ruler of Egypt was certainly a strategic move, which allowed Caesar to be in the dominant position of Egypt politically and economically; however, besides political interests, there certainly was a strong romantic connection between the two (“Cleopatra and Alexandrian War”).
In his military career, Julius Caesar conquered many countries, won countless battles; however, it did not save his reputation among the Romans in the Senate. Proclamation of dictatorship by Caesar made many Senate members furious, and as a result, 60 of them concluded that assassinating of Julius Caesar would be the most straightforward resolution to the problem. 44 BC Julius returned to his chambers where several senators abruptly wounded him, however “a blow to the chest had been the fatal one—a blow by Brutus,” (Dando-Collins, 178). Brutus-who Caesar treated like a son was the man who ended the life of his mentor and commander. A detailed picture of the ruthless assassination can be found on pages 177-178 of Dando-Collins’s book.
Concluding, Dando-Collins’s book allows the reader to dive into the classical history of the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar’s’ battle accomplishments, and his relationship with the legion. The author makes the brutal realities of Classical Age wars easily read, moreover, the book lets the reader understand why Caesar’s legions were the world’s most excellent and successful infantry setting excellence standards for the armies all over the world.
Works Cited
“Cleopatra and Alexandrian War.” Ancient Rome History at UNRV. Web.
Dando-Collins, Stephen. Caesars Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesars Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome. J. Wiley and Sons, 2002.
“How Did Julius Caesar Rise to Power?” DailyHistory.org. Web.