The Beginning of The Greatest Empire
#history #RomanEmpire #Caesar
The Beginning of The Greatest Empire:
It all began with the ambition of a single man: Gaius Julius Caesar. Comparing himself to Alexander The Great, Caesar thought of all the achievements of the Macedonian king. Feeling weak and insignificant, Caesar swore to himself beneath the marble gaze of Alexander to achieve greatness. Caesar allied with two of Rome's most influential figures - Pompey and Crassus - a pact that became known as the First Triumvirate. Eventually, only two major players remained on Rome's political stage: Caesar and Pompey. The Senate sided with Pompey and in response Caesar marched to Rome crossing the Rubicon River. Julius Caesar defeated Pompey, who fled to Egypt. At the time, Egypt was caught in a power struggle between Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy the XIII. Pursuing Pompey Caesar found himself into Egypt and then drawn into the country's power struggles. Caesar started a romantic relationship with Cleopatra and supported her claim to the throne. With Caesar's help, Cleopatra became queen again. Soon after, Caesar returned to Rome, and with his rivals defeated and no one left to challenge him, he declared himself dictator for life. Eventually, the increasing tension led to Caesar's assassination in 44 B.C. Following Caesar's death, a new power trio emerged in Rome – the Second Triumvirate, formed by Octavian and the generals Mark Antony and Lepidus. Mark Antony, seeking to maintain the Egyptian-Roman alliance, arranged a meeting with Cleopatra. Their meeting quickly turned into a passionate love affair. Fearing a shift of power to Egypt, Octavian declared war on Cleopatra and Mark Antony...
0:00 Intro
0:40 Julius Caesar and Alexander The Great in Cadiz
2:08 Caesar's Rise to Power (First Triumvirate)
3:15 Caesar crossing the Rubicon River & clash with Pompey
4:23 Cleopatra and her brother's rivalry
5:47 Caesar and Cleopatra in Egypt
7:14 Caesar's Assassination & The Second Triumvirate
8:37 Cleopatra and Mark Antony Love Story
10:03 Octavian war vs Mark Antony and Cleopatra