
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was not afraid to break the law to seize power. On January 10th, 49 BC, Caesar broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army, an act that was forbidden. This was not the only time Caesar broke the law, and he once stated, 'If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it'.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political and military leader | |
| Beginning of the Roman Empire | |
| End of the Roman Republic | |
| Did not always follow the law | |
| Broke Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River | |
| Bringing an army into Italy | |
| Lost the right to rule his own province | |
| Willing to kill anyone who stood in his way | |
| Believed it was okay to break an unjust law | |
| Broke the law to start a war |
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What You'll Learn

Crossing the Rubicon River with his army
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was a man of strength and was not afraid to take charge to make Rome more powerful. He once stated, "If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it". If Caesar saw a way to get power, he took the opportunity, even if it meant breaking the law.
On 10 January 49 BC, Caesar broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army. People were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy, and once this act was done, they lost their right to rule their own province. When news came to Rome that Caesar was coming with his army, senators and their consuls fled Rome, unaware that their army outnumbered his. Caesar was aware that he and any man who followed him was now subject to execution if he failed in his goals.
Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon River was a significant event in Roman history, as it marked the beginning of a civil war between Caesar and the Roman Senate. Caesar's army was smaller than the Senate's, but he was able to defeat them through a combination of military skill and political manoeuvring. This victory solidified his power and allowed him to become the Dictator of the new Roman Empire.
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Bringing his army into Italy
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was not afraid to break the law to seize power. On one occasion, he broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army, bringing them into Italy. People were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy, and by doing so, they lost their right to rule their own province.
Caesar was a man of strength and a great military leader who conquered all of Rome. He was not afraid to take charge and make Rome more powerful. If he had to, Caesar would kill anyone that stood in his way of making Rome more powerful.
Caesar once stated, “If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it”. If Caesar saw a way to get power, he took the opportunity even if it meant breaching the law. Caesar's actions show that he was willing to break the law to start a war while others, such as Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, broke the law for peace. All these people broke the law for power.
Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon River was a significant event in Roman history. It marked the beginning of a civil war that eventually led to the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, with Caesar as its first emperor. By bringing his army into Italy, Caesar challenged the authority of the Roman Senate and established himself as a powerful force in Roman politics.
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Starting a war
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was a man of strength and was not afraid to take charge to make Rome more powerful. He once stated: "If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it".
Caesar broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army. People were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy, and once this act was done, they lost their right to rule their own province. This was the start of a civil war. Caesar was a great military leader and was a man of strength. He conquered all of Rome and was not afraid to take charge to take Rome high and make them more powerful. If he had to, Caesar would kill anyone that stood in his way of making Rome more powerful.
Caesar's actions can be seen as a consequence of his belief that it is okay to break an unjust law. For example, he may have believed that the law prohibiting people from bringing their army into Italy was unjust. This belief is reflected in his statement that "everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal'".
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Killing anyone who stood in his way
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was not afraid to take charge to take Rome high and make them more powerful. If he had to, Caesar would kill anyone that stood in his way of making Rome more powerful. Caesar once stated, “If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it”. If Caesar saw a way to get power, he took the opportunity even if it meant breaching the law.
On January 10th, 49 BC, Caesar broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River. People were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy, and once this act was done, they lost their right to rule their own province. Caesar was a man of strength, and he conquered all of Rome. Once a four-year fight with the armies was over, Caesar became the Dictator of the new Roman Empire.
Caesar was a great military leader, and he was a man of strength. He conquered all of Rome and made them more powerful. Caesar was not afraid to take charge and take Rome to new heights. If a law was unjust, he believed it was okay to break it. For example, King describes to us some situations where past laws were unjust, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was ‘illegal'.
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Breaking the law to seize power
Julius Caesar was a political and military leader whose reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. Caesar was known for his belief that "if you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it". This philosophy is reflected in his actions, as he was willing to breach the law if it meant gaining more power.
On January 10, 49 BC, Caesar broke a Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army. This act was forbidden, as people were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy. By doing so, Caesar lost his right to rule his own province. However, this move ultimately contributed to his rise to power, as he became the Dictator of the new Roman Empire after a four-year fight with the armies.
Caesar's willingness to break the law extended beyond mere political manoeuvring. He was known for his ruthless approach to consolidating power, even going as far as to kill anyone who stood in his way of making Rome more powerful. This included giving orders such as "kill everyone inside" and "without hesitation, his men, swords drawn, burst inside the bar, and soon the street was quiet".
Caesar's actions highlight a complex ethical dilemma. While some argue that breaking an unjust law can be justified, as seen in the example of Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, who broke the law for peace and democracy, others believe that the end does not always justify the means. It is important to note that Caesar's rise to power was not solely due to his disregard for the law, but also a result of his military prowess and strategic thinking.
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Frequently asked questions
Caesar broke Roman law by crossing the Rubicon River with his army. This was forbidden, as people were not allowed to bring any part of their army into Italy.
Once Caesar had crossed the Rubicon River, he lost his right to rule his own province.
Caesar believed that it was acceptable to break the law if it helped him seize power. He is quoted as saying: "If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases, observe it."
Caesar was known to kill anyone who stood in his way of making Rome more powerful.
Caesar's reign marked the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic.











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