Bibliography
Bell, David A. “Fascism or Caesarism?” Eurozine, 2 Sept. 2020. Accessed 22 Feb. 2021.
David Bell’s website article is on the idea of Caesarism, its origins, and how it relates to fascism closer to the modern-day. It defines the idea of Caesarism, stating that the main example of the Caesarism political philosophy was Napoleon Bonaparte. This is very helpful information because these last couple of pages have been mainly focused on seeing how Caesar’s name has been manipulated and substituted for the word “power,” usually in relation to Bonaparte. It provides more helpful similarities between the two emperors as well, helping to strengthen the idea that Bonaparte took direct influence from Caesar and his military, political, and social strategies.
Bonagura, David G. “Caesar's Enduring Influence on Western Civilization.” Crisis Magazine, 16 Mar. 2019. Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
Bonagura’s essay discusses Caesar’s impact on the western world by giving examples of him appearing in Western culture and media. It also provides a few details about Caesar’s background, as well as some differing opinions seen in history in regards to Caesar. The article begins by stating several references to Caesar that are used in Western culture today, such as “crossing the Rubicon,” and “I came, I saw, I conquered.” It then goes on to explain some background on Caesar’s political career and more historical references and opinions of Caesar.
Canfora, Luciano. “Caesar for Communists and Fascists.” A Companion to Julius Caesar, 3 Mar. 2009, pp. 430–440.
The main topic of this essay is how Caesar has been viewed by fascists (mainly the ones in Italy) and other people in history like Napoleon. It focuses a great deal on Karl Marx’s praise of Caesar as a military and political leader, as well as the opinions of other famous leaders like Mussolini. It talks about Caesar’s military and political beliefs and strategies, giving it the name of “Caesarism.” This later becomes known as “Bonapartism,” which was an influential doctrine followed by many fascists. Overall, it gives a lot of information on people Caesar has influenced and people with differing views on Caesar and his actions.
Cole, Nicholas. “Republicanism, Caesarism, and Political Change.” A Companion to Julius Caesar, 3 Mar. 2009, pp. 418–430.
This source provides excellent information on how the views of Caesar have changed over time, especially in regards to the opinions of the founding fathers. It explains how Hamilton, Washington, Jefferson, and other main political figures of the time all took an anti-Caesar stance since he represented tyranny and the fall of a republic. It also touches on Montesque’s beliefs that the fall of the republic was bound to happen, whether or not Caesar was alive since the desire for power is a matter of human nature. The source also mentions comparisons made between Napoleon, Napoleon III, and Caesar during the French revolution, further solidifying the idea that Caesar was more a symbol of tyranny and ultimate power rather than just being seen as a man.
“The Founding Fathers.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 30 Jan. 2019. Accessed 8 Jan. 2021.
History.com is a reliable source, so it was useful in providing information on the founding fathers. Mainly, this source was just used to give an accurate list of the members of the continental congress who were known as the “Founding Fathers” of America. This source will likely not be used again in this paper since its only use was really to list the names of the Founding Fathers because some of them had strong opinions against Caesar due to the amount of political power he had.
Gill, N.S. “Why Was Julius Caesar So Important? Important Accomplishments of the Roman Emperor.” ThoughtCo, 29 Oct. 2019. Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
Gill’s article focuses on some of Caesar’s most influential acts and achievements in Rome that have had lasting effects throughout history. The author also shows a strong pro-Caesar stance by claiming that he “may have been the greatest man of all time.” The article lists a few of his contributions to society, such as the Julian calendar, Extortion laws, and the first political newspaper. These contributions are useful for my paper because they show the impacts that Caesar made on Rome that have continued to influence modern times.
Glass, Andrew. “Julius Caesar Is Assassinated by Roman Senators: March 15, 44 B.C.” POLITICO, 15 Mar. 2016. Accessed 8 Jan. 2021.
Glass provides a good explanation for Caesar’s assassination. He does this by listing the reasons why the senators would want to kill Caesar in the first place, concluding that it was mostly because of the power that he had. He states that the senators saw their power dwindling as Caesar’s grew after being appointed as dictator of Rome for life, which led them to kill him in order to take him out of the leadership position. They feared that they would become obsolete and he would become an emperor, thus destroying the republic.
Godechot, Jacques. "Napoleon I." Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Dec. 2020. Accessed 22 Feb. 2021.
Godechot provides useful background information on Napoleon’s life and accomplishments, both military as well as political. This source was initially going to just be used as context about Bonaparte, however, it ended up being more helpful than expected by providing more information for comparisons to be drawn between Bonaparte and Caesar. Such similarities include their desire to expand their nations’ boundaries, their methods of gaining power through the people and the peasants, and how they have been viewed by others, both during their time and after their death. This article even mentioned that Napoleon gained back and legitimized territory that Caesar had once granted to France several hundreds of years in the past, which was something I did not know.
Goldsworthy, Adrian. “The Bloody Rise of Augustus.” HistoryExtra, Immediate Media Company Limited, 22 Feb. 2021. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.
Goldsworthy provided valuable background information on Octavian/Augustus and had a very helpful quote on Augustus’ reign. He pointed out that Augustus commented on the conspirators of Caesar’s assassination, referring to them as the tyrants rather than Caesar, which is helpful to my argument. This is because I have been stating that Caesar has been portrayed in different ways depending on the point of view of the author and what they are trying to accomplish by writing about him, so by making Caesar seem like a victim, it frees him from being seen as the tyrant that the conspirators made him out to be, which then aided Augustus’ image as ruler.
Gruen, Erich S. “Caesar as a Politician.” A Companion to Julius Caesar, 3 Mar. 2009, pp. 23–36.
Gruen lists many of Caesar’s political achievements, as well as the methods he used to gain support and power. He references his charismatic character, which, alongside his ambition, made him several high-profile connections in Roman politics. His paper also explains that his laws benefiting and protecting the lower class (plebeians) also helped him garner more support. It gives great information behind some of his biggest political achievements, specifically the creation of the first triumvirate, which was a highly influential body of power that consisted of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus.
Haanæs, Øystein Rygg. “Using Language as a Weapon: How Mussolini Used Latin to Link Fascism to the Mighty Roman Empire.” Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, 3 July 2019. Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
Haanæs explain the infatuation of European fascists with Roma, the empire, and Julius Caesar. This was mostly due to the fact that they saw him as an example of political power and strength to be following through their own political reigns. This article aids my thesis by not only supporting the claims made by Luciano Canfora, who has been used frequently throughout these three pages but also to reassert the claim that men like Mussolini were trying to emulate Caesar. This relates to the overall argument that Caesar’s image as a powerful leader has been changed and manipulated as it influences different groups throughout history.
Hammond, Mason. "Trajan.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Dec. 2020. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.
Hammond’s essay on the life and career of Trajan has aided me in both providing background on Trajan’s social accomplishments and military feats while also being able to make several comparisons to Caesar. He outlines Trajan’s rule of Rome and his occupation of northern Italy, highlighting his main social reforms (like his increased grain handouts and aid to the poor) as well as his dedication to maintaining order in the north along the Rhine river. This is significant because these were things that Caesar did too, making it easy to draw similarities between the two men to show the influence and impact that Caesar had on Trajan, as well as other Roman Emperors.
Hazlitt, Henry. “Poor Relief in Ancient Rome.” FEE Freeman Article, Foundation for Economic Education, 1 Apr. 1971. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.
This page has information on how different political leaders dealt with aiding the poor in Ancient Rome, whether it has to do with giving them land, relieving their debts, or giving them more rights. It provided me with information on Caesar’s reforms to the Roman society during his time, including his reforms to taxes and the grain handouts in order to cut down on extortion. This is good information for my paper because it aided me in making comparisons between Caesar and Emperor Trajan, who did many of the same reforms as Caesar did when he was in power, showing Caesar as his role model when it came to political rule.
Hemmerle, Oliver Benjamin. “Crossing the Rubicon into Paris: Caesarian Comparisons from Napoleon to De Gaulle.” Julius Caesar in Western Culture, 2006, pp. 285–302.
This piece begins by listing the comparisons that were made between Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte in France during the latter’s rule in the early nineteenth century. It then talks about Bonaparte’s own opinions on Caesar as a military man and politician, and then how Caesar has been depicted in France in relation to its rulers. The source references several works of french art and literature that included Caesar or references to Caesar in relation to France. The Source ends by explaining how Caesar eventually appeared less and less in French media and culture while French nationalism expanded and the admiration of the homeland took the place of Caesar.
Jasiński, Jakub. “Quotes of Julius Caesar.” IMPERIUM ROMANUM, 9 Nov. 2020, Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.
This website has multiple famous quotes by Julius Caesar with the sources listed that each quote comes from. The most important quote for this paper is “In the end, it is impossible not to become what others believe you are,” because I use it as the first sentence of my thesis. This quote is very significant because a main focal point of my paper is the manipulation of Caesar’s image, and his quote is stating how he is inevitably going to become whatever people think he is.
“Julius Caesar.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Oct. 2009. Accessed 3 Dec. 2020.
This source’s website is super valuable in regard to going over Caesar’s rise to power. It provided me with accurate information and helped me to keep Caesar’s rise to social, political, and military power in order. It has the life of Caesar outlined in chronological order, and it was a good source for paraphrasing. History.com seems like a well-known reputable source, so that was helpful as well since I could trust that the information I was using was accurate.
“Julius Caesar Assassinated.” National Geographic Society, 20 Feb. 2014. Accessed 8 Jan. 2021.
This source gives brief yet informational background information on Caesar’s assassination, making it a helpful and useful source. Mainly, this source was needed less for quotes and more just to make sure that the information in the paper on Caesar’s death had a source to back it up since it may not be considered common knowledge by all readers. This source is also valuable because it is National Geographic, which is a reliable network to get information.
Kenty, Joanna. “Julius Caesar Refused to Be Crowned King.” The Conversation US, Inc. , 26 May 2020. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
Kenty provides solid historical background and a recount by Cicero that explained the event of the Lupercalia when Caesar was offered a crown by Marcus Antonius which he refused. This event was important because it is an example of Caesar being publicly offered political power and domination by becoming king, and yet, he refuses the crown, which can be looked at as an act of saying that he is not a tyrant over the people, but a ruler who works for the people. I needed a source for this event, and Kenty provided valuable information on it.
Levick, Barbara. “Caesar's Political and Military Legacy to the Roman Emperors.” A Companion to Julius Caesar, 3 Mar. 2009, pp. 207–223.
This work by Barbare Levick focuses mainly on how Caesar impacted his predecessors in Rome, mainly Augustus (although it does also mention Claudius and Trajan and his influence over them as well.) It gives several instances of other Roman leaders following his model of leadership while also showing how their methods were vastly different from Caesar’s in some areas. It also offers many pro- and anti- Caesar opinions from scholars throughout history, although many of these opinions were from writers in the time of Augustus (such as Vergil.) This source also has a section where it explains the importance of the name Caesar over time, ranging from Caesar Augustus to the Russian title of “Czar.”
Lintott, Andrew. “The Assassination.” A Companion to Julius Caesar, 3 Mar. 2009, pp. 72–82.
Lintott writes about the conspiracy leading up to March 15th, 44 BCE, the day that Julius Caesar was murdered in the Senate. This source does a good job at explaining the opinions of several scholars of Caesar’s time surrounding Caesar and his growing power, and their reactions to his murder. Lintott focuses much of the paper on Cicero and his writings about Caesar while he was both alive and once he was dead which are great primary sources that represent how many politicians felt about Caesar during that time. This source is valuable because it also provides a lot of information and historical context for Caesar’s death, which is something I definitely need to talk about in my paper.
Nelis, Jan. “Constructing Fascist Identity: Benito Mussolini and the Myth of ‘Romanità.’” The Classical World, vol. 100, no. 4, 2007, pp. 391–415. JSTOR. Accessed 30 Mar. 2021.
Nelis writes about Mussolini and both his personal and political beliefs, mentioning the impact that Caesar had on him. She directly quotes several times where he refers to Caesar in a tone of admiration, even going as far as saying he loved Caesar, seeing how Caesar was seen at the time as an influential figure. He was seen as the pinnacle of power for these men looking to gain ultimate political power in their own eras, and this article clearly points out the connection between Caesar and the fascist leader.
Oppenheim, Mike. "Gaius Julius Caesar's Rise to Power was due More to His Political than His Military Brilliance." Military History, vol. 23, no. 8, 11, 2006.
Oppenheim’s paper is a review of Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy that also provides more commentary on Caesar’s background and the history of Rome. The main focus of this work is Caesar’s rise to power in the Roman political arena. It explains his humble beginnings, being a member of the Julii, a family that had not seen serious political power in over a decade, to becoming one of history's most well-known figures. This source also provides many of Caesar’s significant military achievements that he had while rising through the political ranks.
“Pontifex.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Sept. 2020. Accessed 3 Dec. 2020.
Encyclopedia Britannica provides a definition for pontifex and briefly explains the significance of this priesthood in Rome. Caesar, being named as the Pontifex Maximus, or chief priest, as his first major political position is very significant to his background and rise to power. Because of this, it is good to have this source to give accurate information on the position. This source is a reliable option because Encyclopedia Britannica is generally viewed as reputable, and I wanted to make sure to have a source for this information because I would not necessarily label it common knowledge.
"Russian Revolution." Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2020. Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
This source provides a solid background on the Russian revolutions that led to Vladimir Lenin gaining power. He shared the Caesar-model of power, even though it was known in some countries as Bonapartism. It is important to have this background when analyzing Caesar’s influence and impact on Certain figures because it shows Caesar's image as a centralized government figure who had all the power and went against the old ways. Lenin took these beliefs to the extreme, becoming a tyrant-like figure in the Soviet Union, but Caesar’s influence nevertheless is still visible.
Schadee, Hester. “Caesar's Construction of Northern Europe: Inquiry, Contact and Corruption in ‘De Bello Gallico.’” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 58, no. 1, 2008, pp. 158–180. Accessed 10 Sept. 2020.
Schadee does an excellent job explaining the significance of Caesar’s commentary on the Gallic War. He provides a lot of information on the ways that Caesar’s description of Gaul had a large impact on the shaping of Gaul since the separate regions were fairly unknown in Rome until his commentaries came out. His writings also set the basis for the stereotypes of the different Gallic tribes that were believed by Romans and the rest of Europe. The paper also gives useful information on Caesar’s military achievements in Gaul and how they were seen as revolutionary for that time.
Tribune Content Agency. “Why Demagogues Were the Founding Fathers' Greatest Fear.” Bangor Daily News, 31 Dec. 2019. Accessed 8 Jan. 2021.
The Tribune Content Agency provides excellent information on George Washington and the other Founding Fathers’ opinions surrounding monarchs. This is valuable information for this paper because the section on why many of the men made direct references to Caesar when referring to people they believed were bad and power-hungry needed background information to support it. This background was provided by this source, which showed why the founders would have distrust in a person seeking power since they feared tyranny and were more for a democratic system.
Wasson, Donald L.. "Second Triumvirate." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 18 Apr 2016. Accessed 25 Apr. 2021.
This article provides an in-depth explanation of the historical background on the events directly following Caesar’s death and the formation and destruction of the second triumvirate. It has information on the three men who were in the group, Octavian, Marcus Antonius, and Lepidus. It is an important source to have in this paper because it has accurate information on the making of the group as well as the civil wars that followed, which led to Octavian becoming the first emperor of Rome.
Image Bibliography
Title Page of Thesis and Website Home Page: https://www.politicalorphans.com/the-fall-of-the-roman-republic-reconsidered/
Website Thesis Page: https://www.onthisday.com/people/julius-caesar
Website Bibliography Page: https://www.medievalists.net/2014/06/julius-caesar-alexander-great-tracing-literary-zeitgeist-middle-ages-renaissance/