Evaluating Julius Caesar's Political Motivations

¶ … Caius Caesar, after succeeding in so many wars, would have been condemned and destroyed, had I dismissed my army, after the battle of Pharsalus. From Julius Caesar's perspective, the command to disband his army by Marcus Claudius Marcellus and the prohibition against his ability to stand in absentia as a political candidate was ungrateful in the extreme. Caesar had devoted his entire political life to winning glory for Rome.

Thanks to Caesar, the territory of the Roman Empire had expanded to include Gaul, Great Britain, and much of what is now Germany. Caesar also offered many acts of public charity to ordinary Romans: "Caesar thus became the one reliable source of help to all who were in legal difficulties, or in debt, or living beyond their means" (Plutarch 25). Of course, such acts were somewhat self-interested and designed to win common men to his side.

Still, there can be no doubt that Caesar was successful as a general and that without Caesar the fortunes of Rome would not have had their global and epic outreach. Caesar believed he deserved to be honored with political power as a result of his actions and when he was not, he felt compelled to act with force. The support of the people he had garnered proved to be extremely useful for Caesar in justifying his actions.

"Realizing, however, that the aristocratic party had made a determined stand, and that both the new Consuls-elect were unfriendly to him, he appealed to the Senate, begging them in a written address not to cancel a privilege voted him by the commons, without forcing all other governors-general to resign their commands at the same time as he did" (Plutarch 29).

Caesar was thus able to use the concept of democratic will, or the idea that he was only ensuring that the will of the people was enforced, to justify his political ambition. This was true to some extent although Caesar had won this popular support in part by what we might consider bribery or to use a kinder term patronage.

According to Caesar, "he was resolved to invade Italy if force were used against the tribunes of the people who had vetoed the Senate's decree disbanding his army by a given date" (Plutarch 30). When force indeed was used, Caesar made his move. Later accounts accused Caesar of tyranny. Cicero attributed Caesar's military victory to a love of power, not a desire to enforce the will of the tribunes of the people or to secure what was just and right.

Caesar clearly seemed willing to leverage his military abilities and use it to protect his own interests. Despite his claims of serving tribunes of the people, others suggested that "he dreaded having to account for the irregularities of his first consulship, during which he had disregarded auspices and vetoes, and defied the Constitution; for Marcus Cato had often sworn to impeach him as soon as the legions were disbanded" (Plutarch 30). This view suggests that if Caesar disbanded his legions.