What did Julius Caesar do to the Gauls?

Answer 1

While Julius Caesar was governor of the province of Gaul (which then only included southern France, there were rivalries between Gallic peoples beyond this province. In 63 BC, the Sequani and Arverni helped by the Suebi (a Germanic people) defeated and massacred the Aedui who were allies of Rome. They asked Rome for help. The Romans feared that these peoples were going to migrate south, towards Italy. Caesar moved into central Gaul. In response, the Gallic peoples of north-eastern Gaul armed themselves. This led to the Gallic Wars (58-50 BC) in which Caesar conquered Gaul, - which also included Belgium and Holland south of the river Rhine. Caesar also conducted two expeditions in southeastern England .

Answer 2

With regard to the aristocracy, he curtailed its power. With regard to the poor, he improved their lot. With regard to the institutions of the Republic, he undermined them. He also sponsored lavishly public entertainments.

Caesar was a pupularis. This was a political faction which championed the cause of the poor and wanted reforms designed to improve the lot of the poor. It was opposed by the optimates, a conservative political faction which supported the interests of the aristocracy, and opposed reforms. When he became dictator, Caesar continued to pursue the land reforms to redistribute land for farming to the landless poor he had legislated years earlier, wrote off 1/4 of all debts, and distributed some of his money to the poor.

Caesar weakened the political power of the patrician aristocracy by weakening the political body which gave it political clout, the senate. He filled it with his supporters. The first chance to do so was the fact that many senators died in the civil war Caesar fought against the military forces of the senate. He gave the vacant posts to his supporters. The he increased the size of the senate from 600 to 900, filling the new posts with his adherents. He also put a limit on the term of office of the provincial governors, who were appointed from among the ranks of the senators. This was needed because the governors treated their provinces as their personal fiefs and the central government had lost control over them.

Cesar ended the practice of electing the officers of state and turned them into his appointees. He gave himself tribunician powers to give himself the powers which the plebeian tribunes who were the representatives of the plebeians and were customarily elected, enjoyed. He gave himself the title of Prefect of the moral to give himself the powers of the censor, who among other things oversaw public morals and enrolled the senators. It was through this that he could increase the size of the senate. Therefore, Caesar increasingly put the control of the state in his hands, contrary to the republican tradition of sharing this among elected officials. This radically transformed the nature of Roman politics.

Caesar spent lavishly on public games which were festivities which could last for several days. The games had to be financed privately. Such sponsorship added more spice to the otherwise boring life of the poor and helped with his popularity. Caesar also transformed the gladiatorial games from funerary rituals in honour of the dead performed privately at the funeral of the rich into public games everyone could enjoy.

Answer 3

Caesar ultimately conquered the Gauls. His excuse for going there in the first place was to put a stop to their incursions into Italy. He made many of them allies of Rome, looted the cities that did not surrender and came home a very wealthy man.

Answer 4

he improved things for his people. he created jobs, fair and honest tax systems, public baths, arena's, aqueduct's and many more

Answer 5

during his five year appointment Caesar sharpened his leadership skills.