CESAR, CATES (or rather GAIDS) Julius, son of a Roman praetor of the same name, was b. 12th July, 100 B.C. Two circumstances conspired to determine his sympathies in favor of democracy, and against a republican oligarchy: the first was the marriage of his aunt Julia with Caius Marius; the second, the marriage of C. himself, in 83 B.C., with Cornelia, daughter of L. Cinna, one of the principal enemies of Sulla. The anger of the dictator at this cost C. his rank, property, and almost his life itself. Feeling that he would be safer abroad for a time, he went to Asia, 81 B.C.; hut on learning of the death of Sulla (78 n.c.), he hurried back to Rome, where be found the popular party in a state of great ferment, and anxious to regain what it had lost under the vigorous des potism of the aristocractic dictator. C., however, took no part in the attempts of Lepi dus to overthrow the oligarchy; but he showed his political leanings by prosecuting (77 n.c.) en. Dolabella—a great partisan of Sulla—for extortion in his province of Macedo nia. To improve his eloquence, he went to Rhodes to study under the rhetor Apollonius Molo. In 74 B.C., he returned to Rome, where he had been elected pontifex, and now for the first time threw himself earnestly into public life. In the year 70 B.c., he attached himself to Pompey, whose political actions at this time were of a decidedly democratic character. In 68 B.C., C. obtained a questorship in Spain. On his return to Rome (67 ii.c.), lie married Pompeia, a relative of Pompey, with whom he was daily becoming more intimate. In 66 B.c., he was elected to the curule tedileship, and lavished vast sums of money on games and public buildings, by which he increased his already great pop ularity. For the next few years, C. is found steadily skirmishing on the popular side. In 63 B. c., he was elected pontifex maximus, and shortly after, pretor. During the same year occurred the famous debate on the Catiline conspiracy, in which the aristocratic party vainly endeavored to persuade the consul, Cicero, to include C. in the list of con spirators. In 62 B. c., Pompey returned from the east, and disbanded his army. Next year, C. obtained the province of Hispania Ulterior. His career in Spain was brilliant and decisive. On his return, he was elected consul, along with M. Calpurnius Bihulus.
Shortly before the passing of the agrarian law (59 n.c.), O., with rare tact and sagacity, had reconciled the two most powerful men in Rome, who were then at variance, Pom pey and Crassus, and had formed an alliance with them, known in history as the First Triumvirate. Both of these distinguished men aided C. in carrying his agrarian law; and to strengthen still further the union which had been formed, C. gave Pompey his daughter, Julia, in marriage, though she had been promised to M. Brutus; while he himself also married Calpurnia, daughter of L. Piso, his successor in the consulship. On the expiry of his term of office, lie obtained for himself, by the popular vote, the province of Gallia Cisalpina and Illyricum for five years, to which the senate added— to prevent the popular assembly from doing so—the province of Gallia Transalpina. Nothing could have been more favorable for C.'s aims. He had now an opportunity of developing his extraordinary military genius, and of gathering round him an army of veterans, whom perpetual victory should inspire with thorough soldierly fidelity and devotion to his person. This was the very thing he wanted to give him a reputation equal to that of his coadjutors, Pompey and Crassus, whom, in genius, he far surpassed. Leaving, therefore, the political factions at Rome to exhaust themselves in petty strifes, C., in 58 B.C., after the banishment of Cicero, repaired to his provinces, and during the next nine years conducted those splendid campaigns in Gaul, by which, had he done nothing else, lie would have "built himself an everlasting name." C.'s first campaign was against the Helvetii, whom he totally defeated near Bibracte (Autun). Out of 368,000 only 110,000 remained. These were commanded C. to return home and cul tivate their lands. The eyes of the Gauls were now turned upon the new conqueror. His help was solicited, among others, by Divitiacus, an tEduan chief. This involved C. in a second war with a German prince, named Ariovistus, who was utterly over thrown; and now C., having in the course of one campaign successfully concluded two important wars, led his troops into winter quarters.