Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC into an ancient but faded patrician family of Rome and became the most famous statesman and general in Roman history. In eight years he conquered Gaul and twice crossed the sea to Britain; in 49 BC he led his army across the Rubicon, began a civil war, defeated Pompey, became dictator for life and reformed the calendar. On the Ides of March, 44 BC, he was stabbed to death in the Senate by Brutus and his fellow conspirators. He was also a superb writer: his commentaries are famous for their brevity, clarity and composure, and Cicero called them 'naked and beautiful'.