Born in Rome on July 13, 100 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar belonged to the prestigious Julian clan. His father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, was a quaestor. A quaestor was the lowest rank in the hierarchy of Roman officials. His mother was named Aurelia, the daughter of Lucius Aurelius Cotta, who had been consul in 119 B.C. Little is known of Caesar's early life, however, it is known that the young Caesar's education lay largely in the hands of his family. His mother took a leading part in the supervision of her son's education and physical training. The responsibility of much of Julius' education, such as reading and writing, was entrusted to tutors. Many times these tutors were often family slaves who also taught the young man Greek and the basics of rhetoric. Julius also learned the rudiments of Roman law, such as memorizing the Twelve Tables (a Roman form of the Ten Commandments: a basic code of behavior).
English: Modern bronze statue of Julius Caesar, Ri...
Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar in the National Archae...
English: A statue of the first Roman Emperor Augus...Young Caesar's education also included physical training in various areas. These included horseback riding, swimming, casting the javelin, close and hand to hand combat, boxing, heat and cold endurance, and many others. In 86 B.C., Julius' uncle, Gaius Marius, appointed Julius to the flamen dialis. The flamen dialis was an archaic priesthood that held no real political power in Rome. In 82 B.C., Caesar left Rome when Lucius Cornelius, the dictator at that time, ordered him to divorce his wife. Young Caesar did not return to his home city until 78 BC, after the resignation of Cornelius.
In 57 B.C., Caesar conquered Gaul, an area that includes modern-day France, in the name of the Roman Empire. While he was at the battlefront in Gaul, his faithful agents began to dominate politics in Rome. In 52 B.C., Caesar's friend and...