Julius Caesar...Hero?

[TMA_1]

I have studied the life of julious caesar in plutarchs lives and suetonius. I find that though Caesar was an actually good guy, he killed about a million Gauls in his conquest of mainland Europe. Is he a Hero? or do we have to look at what he did as an atrocity? Can we look through the horrible things he did to see him as one of those devil may care, fly at the seat of your pants type of legend? I kinda wish I could but its a tad hard. Historically too yo u cant judge the past. Looking back on it though I think we ha ve the wrong impression of him.

[The_Sadukar]

About the gauls?

I don't care, in the long run the romans actually helped them by conquering them. And besides it was the romans or the gauls. If the reomans hadn't defeatet them, then the gaul would (in time) have crosse the alps again.

[Colonel_Worf]

Real heroes don't do the things Caesar did. Same reason Leto II is not a true hero.

[The_Sadukar]

There are no true heroes

[Khan]

Well isn't a hero based on perspective? To any of us JC could be seen as evil but to someone he did something nice to he would be seen as a hero.

[TMA_1]

Sir Sard is right though. No human being ever has been or ever will be a hero. Also the Gauls were not helped by the Roman expansion. They fought too much and were usually taken in as slaves.

[Sardauker-Kirov]

For the Romans, Julius Caesar is a hero and for the enemies he is the enemy.

He treated his soldiers very well and fought in battles with his men, which inspired the soldiers which would increase their morale.

[The_Sadukar]

Sir Sard is right though. No human being ever has been or ever will be a hero. Also the Gauls were not helped by the Roman expansion. They fought too much and were usually taken in as slaves.

I'm not talking about the gaul who stupid as they were fought the romans, i'm talking about the gauls who got paved roads, aquaducts, and the legions to watch over them.

[Caid Ivik]

Caesar was first who really united Europe. But on bloody way. I can say that he was the biggest tyran of the antical age.

[Sneakgab]

Yes but sometimes actions must be carried out that are bloody. For example, what if the American were to kick Saddam out of Iraq.... many lives would be lost but many lives could also be lost if he remains in power...

[Anathema]

Ceasar? What can we say? He certainly was a great man. But hardly a saint, considering he wanted to become sole ruler of Rome. Even his adopted son turned against him.

[VigilVirus]

Every single despot in history has a dark side to his life. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. But we must see if the amount of good is more than that of evil.

[Sneakgab]

''But we must see if the amount of good is more than that of evil.''

Precisely...

However, Ceasar had these ideas put into his head from Cleopatra did he not? till she came along, he was happy to have a republic... of course Cleo didn't think of a dictatorship at wrong at all due to the way her empire was run

[Caid Ivik]

Roman republic was already ruined. Remember Sulla? Cleopatra, as all Ptolemaic rulers, was only a puppet of her advisors.

[Dante]

Roman republic was already ruined. Remember Sulla? Cleopatra, as all Ptolemaic rulers, was only a puppet of her advisors.

HA! I'm afraid to say that I disagree completely. Cleopatra was a genius, academically and practically. She managed to make her people love her (something no other ruler of Egypt in her family had ever done), she made her country one of the richest in the world, she was the only survivor of six children, and was almost definately responsible for the deaths of two of them, and WAS responsible for the death of her younger sister Arisnoe. Managed to wrap two powerful Romans around her finger and survived battles and assassination attempts. And in the end, she had the courage to commit suicide (probably) after making a detailed study on what was the best way to die. Cleopatra RULES! Even now her name stands for glamour, power, sex appeal...

And Ceaser was powerful, but he wasn't good. He was motivated by his beliefs in the Roman Empire (Not republic), not his belief in what was right. Still, he rules too!

[Caid Ivik]

So, that's REAL proof of her geniality, eliminating sisters. Then you think Nero was a genius too? He eliminated not only his brothers, but also his mother, advisors and whole Senat!

[Dante]

Nah. He was just anti-social. Not stupid though. And certainly paranoid.

[exatreide]

hehehe they werere all a little paranoid...

but you know what caesars nick name was?

the queen of rome...he was bisexual as many romans were

[quoudam72]

Caeser was every woman's husband and and every man's wife so the saying goes. Hero I do not know depends how you look at him as someone mentioned.

[Falconius]

If his bravery in battle was anything to go by he could be described as heroic.

Of particular interrest is the fact that he was a verry intelligent writer who left us many good records of the battles he faught. i personally was impressed to read how easily he praised the tactics and strategies of his opponents, who with the exeption of Pompeii's rebels was mostly barberian. This is the mark of a true strategist -> the ability to coolly and calmly admire the art of others. The art of war.

Julius was probably as good a commander as Cornelius Scipio Africanus but it is doubtfull if he could ever have matched the brilliance of Belisarius.

[Caid Ivik]

Caesar hadn't fought such powerful enemy as Carthag was. Also Scipio Africanus attacked it, when it wasn't very defended.

[Dante]

But could any of them have beaten Octavian? Also known as Augustus Ceaser. Won the battle of Actum even with his tiny treasury. B*****d spelt the end for Cleopatra...

[Caid Ivik]

Augustus at least brought some peace to his world. Also some order.