All language subtitles for Ancient.Empires.S01E02.Caesar.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NTb_track3_[eng]

It isn't too late.

Any man who wishes
to turn back...

go now...

with no dishonor.

We cross this stream...

we are fighting
all the way to Rome.

Are you with me?

Long live Caesar!

Let the dice fly high!

Caesar stands
as a colossus in world history.

He is one of the most brilliant

but also dangerous statesmen
who ever lived.

He was an orator, a warrior.

He built an empire.

Victory, or death!

Caesar took on
the greatest rivals of his day

and defeated them one by one.

Caesar turns the Roman Republic
into the Roman Empire.

The defining aspect
of Caesar's personality

is his willingness to gamble.

He is cunning, he's devious,

he's not always
as sincere as he proclaims.

The three of us
would be invincible.

Does he declare war
on the Republic

in order to save it,
or to dismantle it?

Your bruised ego
means war, does it?

So much
of our modern world is shaped

by Julius Caesar
and the Roman Empire.

Julius Caesar
is this pivot point

in Western history.

Now!

This is a man who amassed power

and couldn't be satisfied
with what he had.

There's a tremendous warning
for us in Caesar's story.

As dark as it sounds,

Caesar's story
is the story of Rome.

Rome, 81 BC.

For eight years,
a brutal civil war

between rival political factions
has torn the city apart.

Now, a ruthless commander,
called Sulla, has triumphed.

And he is purging
his political rivals.

Thousands are killed.

Caught up
in this bloody violence,

is a young man,
called Julius Caesar.

Caesar comes from
a moderately well-known family.

They weren't the wealthiest,
the most powerful

and they were actually
on the defeated side

of the civil war.

He was in danger.

He is tied
by blood and by marriage

to the losing side.

This puts Caesar
in a difficult position.

Hey! Stop right there!

Hey! Stop right there!

Wait, wait, wait!

Hey, stop! Hey, stop!

Over the centuries,
before the civil war...

Rome has gone from
a small regional power,

to a major player
on the world stage.

From a city state
on seven hills,

it's bit by bit conquered
and absorbed surrounding tribes

until it dominates Italy, Greece

and most of the Mediterranean.

Once a monarchy,
Rome has been a republic,

a city ruled
by elected officials,

since 500 BC.

A period of more than 400 years.

The whole principle
of the Roman Republic

is that no one individual

should gain permanent,
supreme power.

So, power is divided.

But at the end of the civil war,

one man rules
the Roman Republic unchallenged,

Sulla, the dictator.

A dictator was a special office

that was only called upon
in times of emergency.

A dictator
had absolute authority

but a dictator only served
for a period of six months,

or the duration of the crisis,
whichever was shorter.

What makes Sulla's
dictatorship unique,

is that he never puts a deadline

on when he's gonna
give up power.

Caesar's uncle, Marius,

and father-in-law, Cinna,

were both leaders
of the defeated side in the war.

Cinna and Marius fought the war
on behalf of the populares,

which essentially
means "populists."

These are the aristocrats
who are looking to support

the causes
of the general public.

Sulla had fought the civil war
on behalf of the optimates,

meaning "Rome's best men."

They were
conservative aristocrats

and they were really looking
to maintain the status quo.

Given the suspect
loyalty of Caesar's family...

Get up.
...Rome's new ruler

wants to see
where his allegiances lie.

Now I heard you ran from my men.

Not sure your uncle
would approve.

Do you stand against me
like your dead father-in-law?

I stand with the Republic.

Oh.

Prove it.

Divorce your wife.

How does that
benefit the Republic?

It benefits me.

I am the Republic.

Caesar is married to Cornelia,

the daughter of Cinna.

Cinna had been
Sulla's mortal enemy

and so Sulla wants to make sure

Julius Caesar
does not become a threat

because of his marriage connection.

You have until sunrise.

Refusing Sulla's request
would be an amazing risk.

Sulla is a terrifying
and ferocious character

who had brought a new level

of ruthless savagery
to Roman politics.

But Caesar
doesn't divorce Cornelia.

Is it because
of the political connections?

Is it because
he genuinely loved Cornelia?

We don't know
but we know it's a great risk.

Cornelia. Cornelia.

Why didn't you leave when you
heard they were coming for you?

I couldn't go
without seeing you.

There are heads
up on spikes by the bridge,

- do you want to be one?
- Cornelia!

It won't always be like this.

You have to go now.

Having made
an enemy of Sulla,

Caesar slips out of the city.

Caesar may hope that one day,
he can return to Rome

and fix what he sees
as a broken Republic.

By the time Julius Caesar
is a young man,

Rome has grown to a city
of almost a million people.

The population density
is approaching

what we see in modern Manhattan.

As Rome's power
and population increase,

it's Republic becomes
fundamentally less democratic.

The line between
Rome's rich and poor

has only gotten greater.

There are a great number of very
impoverished people in the city

who actually survive
on a grain dole from the state.

The populares,
including Caesar's family,

think that they can fix
these problems of Rome's poor.

But first,

the fugitive Caesar
has to stay alive.

Caesar is being hunted down

by some of Sulla's
bounty hunters

because his name
is now on the lists.

Caesar is forced
to go on the run for months,

it's one of the worst
times in his life.

And when he gets caught
by Sulla's men,

he's forced to bribe them
using all the money he has.

Back in Rome,
Caesar's family

lobbies Sulla to pardon Caesar.

He eventually gives in
to their persistence.

Despite being pardoned by Sulla,

Caesar returning to Rome
would not necessarily be safe.

And so, instead, he joins up
with the Roman military,

looking for experience
that will possibly lead

to some degree
of advancement later on.

My name is Caesar.

I believe
my family's been in touch.

Every Roman aristocrat

was expected
to serve in the military.

It was a society
which rewarded it's warriors.

Caesar is sent
to a Greek island.

Part of a force

tasked with
bringing down a rebellion.

They end up in a battle.

Caesar steps in to save

one of his fallen
Roman soldiers.

In this, it is witnessed
as an act of bravery.

He wins what the Romans know

as the Corona Civica.

This is the Civic Crown,
it was the highest award

for individual gallantry that
the Roman state could issue.

It is perhaps the first sign

that Caesar is not
your ordinary Roman soldier.

Caesar stays in the army
for several years.

During this time,
he gets a real understanding

of what it means
to be part of an empire.

Roman politics is not just
about the city of Rome,

it's about the world at large.

Finally, four years
after he left Rome...

Caesar learns that
the dictator, Sulla, is dead.

The death of Sulla in 78 BC

brings some good news
for Caesar,

it means he can go back to Rome
without threat of being killed.

After Caesar
returns to Rome,

he works as a lawyer.

But he is really eager

to get his foot
on the ladder of politics.

Having been forced
to go into hiding,

Caesar spent months
as a penniless refugee,

relying on the charity
of others.

It's the kind of thing that
might've affected his outlook.

Working as a lawyer in Rome,

he takes on the cases
of the underdogs.

Caesar and Cornelia
now have one daughter,

Julia,

but Caesar
has little time for family,

thanks to the demands of work
and his burning ambitions.

One of the defining features

in this era
of the Roman Republic

is incredible ambition
in young men.

There's more to it than
just blind ambition for Caesar.

He's living in a Republic
that's absolutely broken.

Sulla is dead but he still
has appointed cronies

who are in the government still

and in this situation
of rank corruption,

Caesar feels like
he can fix things

but in order to do that,

he needs more power
and more influence.

Will you be
joining us for dinner?

Sorry, hearing tomorrow.

Surely you can take a break?

Your daughter never sees you.

To gain more power,

Caesar needs to climb
the cursus honorum,

the Roman ladder of offices.

What Caesar wants
is the opportunity

to jump a few rungs up.

Caesar is impatient
to progress in Roman society

but he is forced
to wait for his chance.

Five years after Caesar
returns to Rome,

the opportunity he has been
hoping for rears its head.

A gladiatorial rebellion

engulfs all of Italy...

and it's leader
is named Spartacus.

n]

In 73 BC,

a group of gladiators
breaks free

from the captivity in the school

where they're being
trained to fight.

They're led
by Spartacus,

the man who would become famous.

Within a few months,
Spartacus has rallied

120,000 slaves to his cause.

This is the biggest slave
rebellion in Roman history.

The first two years
of the rebellion

go very well for Spartacus
and very poorly for the Romans.

Two different armies
that are raised

and paid for by the Senate
are completely crushed.

But while Spartacus'
uprising is a crisis for Rome...

it's good news for Caesar.

As Spartacus' rebellion
breaks out,

Caesar stands
for his first elected role

as military tribune
and he's successful.

The military
tribune is an important officer

in the Roman army,

it's the equivalent
of a colonel.

For Caesar, Spartacus' uprising

presents an opportunity.

If Caesar can be
a part of the group

that brings Spartacus down,

it gives him a profound standing

within the Roman Republic.

At some point, I will lose,
I promise, I promise.

The man in charge
of the Roman armies

is Marcus Licinius Crassus.

You do know gambling is illegal.

- Name?
- Gaius Julius Caesar.

You won the Civic Crown.

I've heard about you.

All good, I hope.

We should play a real game...

not one decided by luck.

Play well and, uh...

I might forget about this.

Marcus Licinius Crassus
is famous

as the richest man in Rome.

He's the kind of
ancient world's Tywin Lannister.

The Senate
turns to Crassus for help

because nobody else
wants the position.

Spartacus has already
defeated several Roman generals.

But Crassus is ambitious,

he doesn't have the military
reputation that he wants

to rise to the top
of Roman politics.

He's very eager
to have a military success.

Crassus also
has the personal wealth

to be able to build
and maintain the army himself.

Caesar now
has an opportunity

to form a relationship...

with one of Rome's
most powerful men.

Your turn.

Bold move.

Aggression is the key
to winning any battle.

Including our war
with the gladiators.

Our gladiators
are extremely well-trained,

they'll beat you
in a contest of aggression.

There's more than one way
to defeat an enemy.

You see,
we Romans have an advantage,

we're the best engineers
in the world.

Why fight an open battle
when you don't have to?

Why take on a strong enemy

when you can weaken them first?

One of the most impressive
things about the Romans

was their military
engineering ability.

Crassus will drive Spartacus
down to the toe of Italy

and across that toe,

Crassus will build
a forty-mile wall.

Crassus hopes
to either starve the army,

get them to surrender

or enable him to fight them
when they're weak and hungry.

Eventually,
Spartacus' provisions run out.

But then,
fate intervenes.

There's a storm
and snow fills up the trenches

so that Spartacus and his men
are able to escape the walls

and make one desperate
last stand against the Romans.

But Crassus' force
decisively defeats

the weak and hungry gladiators.

It's probably during
the Spartacus War,

that Crassus and Caesar
become allies,

perhaps even close friends.

This is a relationship
that's going to last 20 years.

At the end
of the Spartacus War,

Caesar has two things
going for him.

He has a reputation
for military accomplishment

and he has the backing

of the richest man
in Rome, Crassus.

That's a great basis

on which to build
a political career.

The slave army...

is defeated!

But it takes more
than money to succeed in Rome.

The gladiator rebellion
has been crushed!

Apart from Crassus, the other
man who vies for the title

of the most powerful man in Rome
at this time is Pompey.

While Crassus
decisively defeated Spartacus

at the Battle of Silarius River,

Pompey is able to wipe up

a few scattered remains
of Spartacus' army,

he thus gets the opportunity
to claim victory for himself.

Pompey once had the nickname
"The adolescent butcher"

for his ruthlessness,

and now he's taken
on this title "Magnus,"

which means "The Great,"
same as "Alexander The Great."

Now Pompey
is a brilliant general

but he's a little bit
of a glory junkie,

he's always looking
for his next hit of fame,

even if it wasn't
entirely earned.

"Pompey the Great."

Great at stealing credit
for other men's victories.

Glory is for generals, Crassus,

not money-lenders.

Generals?

You feed on my glory
like a parasite.

Pompey and Crassus
hated each other

from the moment they first met.

Crassus saw Pompey

as someone who was
undeserving of the glory

and credit he had received,

while Crassus had been
denied those same honors.

Pompey saw in Crassus,

really, the only major threat
to Pompey's exultation.

The rivalry
between Pompey and Crassus

defines Roman politics
at this point in time,

that makes things
very difficult for Caesar

because he can't afford
to offend either one of them.

A wrong step here could halt
his political career for good.

Back in Rome,
for the next two years,

Caesar focuses on building up
his public reputation.

What he wants is a chance
to enter political office...

but as Caesar
turns thirty-one...

he faces a personal tragedy.

In the summer of 69 BC,

two years
after Spartacus' revolt,

his wife, Cornelia, dies.

We can't be sure exactly how
but there's a very good theory

that it may have
been childbirth,

which did kill
up to a third of women.

Given that Caesar refused

to divorce Cornelia for Sulla

and given how long
their marriage lasted,

I think it's safe to assume

that he had a great deal
of affection for Cornelia.

Caesar decides
to give her a public funeral.

Now this is something
that generally

was not done for Roman women.

In Roman tradition,
funerals were a way

of displaying everything
that your family had done

on behalf of the Roman state.

Cornelia's death is a blow
to Caesar's ambitions,

he loses her connections
to a powerful family.

But Caesar also turns
his personal tragedy

into a political opportunity.

Upon dying,
Romans would have a mask

made of their remains.

During a funeral,

those masks
would be worn by performers.

Caesar displays masks
of his ancestors,

his uncle, Marius,
and his father-in-law, Cinna.

And even though Sulla is dead,

displaying the masks
of his opponents

is still illegal.

So, this is
a political statement,

Caesar is saying,

"It's okay to be
a populare again."

Caesar's actions are
an affront to the optimates...

the faction
that still holds power in Rome.

This man holds up
his ancestors to be heroes.

They were outlaws and rebels...

enemies to the Republic.

Cato will become
Caesar's greatest enemy.

He's a key leader
of the political conservatives,

a member of the optimates.

You should hang
your head in shame...

your uncle
and father-in-law lost the war.

Cato loathes
Julius Caesar.

It's even stronger than hate,

he bitterly detests this man.

They are both
highly ambitious men,

who wish to rise
to the top of Roman society.

My name is Gaius Julius Caesar.

I've come here...

to honor my wife.

I've also come here...

to make a promise to you all.

For Caesar, this funeral oration
is a political awakening.

My family
has the sanctity of kings.

He's asserting,
that his family, the Julii,

an old and noble family,
deserve to be treated

with the same respect as
all of Rome's leading families.

But more than this,
I am one of you.

A Roman.
Yes!

There are too many men
running this city

who are only out for themselves.

He announces that

he is going to try
to move forward,

to make things better
for the ordinary people of Rome.

Join me...
Yes!

...and I will show you...

what we can do together.

And he doesn't care
who stands in his way,

his political aspirations
have never become clearer.

g]

Within months of his wife,
Cornelia's death,

Caesar has raised
enough political support

to become a senator.

One of the ways one
becomes a senator in Rome,

is by being elected
to one of the junior positions

on the cursus honorum.

This is how Caesar
becomes a senator.

In Caesar's day,
there are about 600 senators.

Now the word "senate"
comes from the word "senex,"

which means old or wise man

and this fits
the Senate to the "T".

They are the oldest, wisest,
but really what they are,

is the most
powerful men in Rome.

Julius Caesar.

Senators.

I think that Caesar,
in many ways,

was very idealistic.

He really wants
to bring about change to Rome,

to lift up the poor people,

I think he really
does want to do good

for the Roman Republic.

Young Caesar
often backs idealistic,

popular causes and this seems

like a dashing rebellion
against the establishment

but in fact, popular causes

are a well-known route to power.

Every decision he makes
as a young man,

is designed to cement his image
as a supporter of the people.

Once you're elected
into the Senate,

you're there for life, like
the US Supreme Court Justices.

However,
you could lose your seat.

One of the ways is if you
have to declare bankruptcy.

Politicians were not paid,

not only would they be spending
on their campaign funds

but they would be expected

to cover civic
infrastructure projects.

So, they might have to
repair bridges or roads.

Caesar
is not a wealthy man

when he begins
his career in politics,

he runs up tremendous debts.

By 64 BC,
Caesar is in so much debt

that two of his fellow politicians

have actually gone bankrupt,

just trying
to keep pace with him.

As Caesar's
debt balloons...

five years into
his career as a senator,

he decides to stage
gladiatorial games for the city.

This is
an incredible opportunity

to display his generosity.

Caesar scours
gladiator schools across Italy.

Their best fighters.

Caesar
wants to put on

the biggest show
in Rome's history

but gladiators don't come cheap

and Caesar needs
some extra financial help.

At this point,
Caesar owes somewhere

in the range
of 31 million sesterces.

That's over $100 million
in today's money.

It means every Roman creditor
is on the lookout for Caesar.

They know his name,
they know what he owes.

As Caesar's debts
continue to rise,

his creditors become
more and more impatient

and there's only one man
in Rome who can bail him out.

- Caesar, you wanted to see me?
- Crassus, thank you for coming.

One of my creditors,

they're threatening me
with court.

What's your plan?

I've been thinking,

perhaps you can help.

I've never lost an election...

if I was in your debt
instead of theirs,

think of what you'd get back
on your investment.

If I do this, I own you.

You do know what that means.

For you,
it means influence, favor--

For you, it means
every single decision you face,

your first thought will not be,
"How does this benefit Caesar?"

But, "How does this
benefit Crassus?"

You lose an election,
even once...

I will gut you
for everything you own.

I know the risks.

Caesar asks for Crassus
to essentially be

the guarantor on his loans,

but in return,
Caesar will become Crassus' man.

This is an extremely
risky move from Caesar.

He's gambling here
that he will get high enough

on Rome's political ladder

that he will be able
to pay Crassus back.

If he loses the next election,

he could be looking
at making an enemy

of one of Rome's
most powerful men

and an effective end
to his political career.

The time has come
for us to choose.

For the next
several years,

Caesar and Crassus are both

political allies
and economic partners.

Caesar has to rise
for Crassus to be paid back,

and now, only one office remains
for Caesar to take,

the consulship.

When the Romans
got rid of their kings,

they replaced them
with the consuls.

So the consuls acted
as the commander-in-chief

of the Roman military.

They were proposing
all bills to the Senate,

the consuls also acted
as the chief judicial officer.

They were the ones
who passed judgement

and who executed punishments.

Caesar is now 40 years old,

which is the youngest anyone can
get elected to the consulship.

The consulship is the high point

of any Roman's career.

This is the position
that Caesar has been

preparing to take
his entire life.

But Caesar's route
to the consulship is not easy.

Rome's
two most powerful men,

Crassus and Pompey,
hate each other

and they've spent years
fighting each other.

Running
for the consulship,

Caesar is now part

of Crassus' faction.

Which means, Pompey's supporters

will be gunning for him.

He has to find
some sort of middle ground

that will allow him
to be elected.

But Caesar
is an incredibly savvy

political operator.

Roman politics is a snake pit

and Caesar navigates it
with incredible dexterity.

- Pompey, thank you for coming.
- Why the secrecy?

I'm not interested
in playing games.

Stop, please,

just hear what I have to say.

You two should be
the most powerful men in Rome,

but you put all of your energy
into fighting each other.

What if, instead,

you worked for each other?

Why would we?

Back me to become consul

and I'll make sure
the Senate works for you.

The three of us.

We'd be invincible.

Why should I trust you?

I have one child, my daughter,

she's everything to me.

I offer her to you...

as your wife.

We'd be bonded in blood...

family.

Pompey wants land
for his ex-soldiers,

he hasn't been able
to get that through the Senate.

Crassus wants financial support
for his tax-collectors,

he hasn't been able
to get that through,

and Caesar, of course,
wants to be consul.

Caesar is basically
gambling here,

that all three men
are self-interested enough

to put aside their personal beef
and work together.

The secret deal
that Caesar persuades

Pompey and Crassus to agree to,
is called the Triumvirate.

It literally means
"rule of three."

Individually,
they've all been able to get

some of what they want,
but never all of it.

Together, they can dominate
Roman politics...

for years to come.

Caesar immediately
leans on his deal,

with his fellow members
of the Triumvirate,

Crassus and Pompey,

to make sure
he's elected consul.

The Triumvirate
is an ideal arrangement.

Caesar brings
the political skill

and dexterity,

Pompey brings the muscle.

Friends,
the elections are coming

and we are here to ensure
that you vote for the right man.

And Crassus?
He brings the cold, hard cash.

I was just glad I could
offer help when you needed it.

Now, it's my turn.

Bribery was rampant
in ancient Roman elections.

Cast your vote
for Julius Caesar.

You could buy votes

and it was not even considered

bad manners to do this.

Caesar.

Twenty-four votes and counting.

Keep it up.

Voting is only for men...

but this doesn't mean
women carry no influence.

After Cornelia's death,
Caesar does remarry,

but he is also known
as a bit of womanizer.

Servilia, Silanus,

how lovely to see you both.

Servilia
is Cato's sister,

she also happens to be
Caesar's mistress.

They've been together for years,

even though both of them
are married.

In addition to being
Caesar's mistress,

Servilia plays
a very important role here,

as a kind of back-channel
negotiator of the ancient world.

Senator,
can I count on your support?

Silanus will back you up.

My brother's politics
aren't ours.

Candidates in Roman elections
wore special togas,

the toga candida,
which means "bright white."

A Roman who is wearing
the toga candida

was a candidatus,
"one dressed in bright white."

This is where we get
our modern word "candidate."

Caesar is an extremely
charismatic politician.

He's attractive, he's witty.

In fact, one could say
that he has all the talents.

There's a lot riding on this
election day for you, Caesar,

for all of us.

We will see you later,
at the victory party.

And it had better be
a victory party.

The stakes
could not be higher for Caesar,

he literally cannot afford
to lose this election.

But Caesar
had no need to worry.

The election day
proves to be everything

that Caesar could've wished for
because he tops the ballot

by a landslide,
so he is elected consul.

A consul's term
is only one year,

so if they want to
get things done,

they have to push them through,
from the first day in office.

Caesar now has to pay back
his allies.

The first law
Caesar has to pass as consul,

is a land bill that gives land

to Pompey's veterans.

The land is there to be farmed.

The former soldiers of Pompey

risked their lives
for the Roman Republic

but are now reduced to poverty.

Pompey wants to give them
farms as a reward.

Should it not be given

to destitute men

who once fought for us all?

Cato, you wish
to support my bill?

Cato
is one of the leading members

of the optimates,
"The Conservative."

He is perhaps the most
conservative man in Rome.

Cato has a kind of
personality cult going on.

He has a very distinctive
way of dress,

what he imagines was the attire

of the earliest leaders of Rome.

He goes barefoot
and even commando

and he does this
style himself as a man

who is returning to simpler days

but really what he's doing
is representing the aims

of a very small group
of aristocrats.

Consul.

There is much to admire
in this land bill.

The hand is elegant,

the papyrus
is of the finest quality...

but it would be
a very grave mistake

to set such a precedent
at this point in time.

Like senators
in the United States today,

Roman senators could
effectively stop legislation

simply by talking...

And we are to obey.

...and talking...

There are points aplenty

that are wrong with this text.

...and talking.

Cato is a master
at the filibuster.

How very,
very tedious of Caesar...

Cato's an obstructionist
and he's trying to make sure

that nothing that represents
the aims of Caesar,

Pompey and Crassus
gets turned into law.

Cato's opposition
to Caesar's land bill

isn't just political,
it's also personal.

These two guys
really do not get on

and that's made worse
by the fact that Caesar

is having this affair
with Cato's sister.

...a waste
of our time, senators.

That's enough Cato.

Maybe one-- what is this?

What is this?

Let us give
the honorable Senator

some time alone
to think about the land bill.

Caesar sends attendants
to manhandle Cato

and lead him off
towards the prison...

hoping this will simply
stop Cato in his tracks.

Before I was
so rudely interrupted.

Caesar doesn't have
the power to keep Cato there

for very long,
but he's broadcasting a message.

He is not above using violence
to get what it is that he wants,

so he wields a very heavy stick

and the optimates
hate him for it.

Over the next year,
Caesar, Pompey and Crassus

resort to any means necessary,

legal and illegal...

to push through their agenda.

As it becomes less secret
and more openly violent,

the Triumvirate acquires
a nickname,

"The three-headed monster."

Consuls can only serve
one year in office,

it's possible
to serve another year

but not consecutively.

And so Caesar knows
that his time

is coming to an end
and he needs a plan.

With Caesar out of office,
he will no longer have

political immunity
from prosecution.

What Caesar's enemies
really want to do

is prosecute him
for all of the crimes

that he has committed
in the last year.

Caesar needs a way

to extend his immunity,

so that Cato and the optimates
cannot charge him.

We don't have
much more time

with you as consul.

What comes next?

I've been
working on something.

I need [indistinct],
one with a military command.

How does that benefit us?

It benefits us all.
Slaves, gladiators, wealth.

Everyone in Rome will know

everything that's sent back
is from the three of us.

The people will love us.

Caesar's plan
is to get a governorship

with military responsibilities.

He would be
immune from prosecution,

perhaps more importantly
for Caesar is,

he doesn't have military glory
at a larger scale

and that's what he would get
if he became the governor

and on top of that,
he's terribly broke.

It would be an opportunity
to get himself out of debt.

Where do you propose?

With help
from Pompey and Crassus,

Caesar secures the position
as governor of Italian Gaul.

Italian Gaul
is the northern-most part

of the Roman Republic.

On the border between
modern-day France and Italy.

So while Italian Gaul
is under Roman control,

the rest of Gaul
is a kind of wild,

independent area
that covers France,

Belgium, the Netherlands,

even up to the Rhine river
in Germany.

The Gauls don't have
a single government like Rome.

According to the Roman
historian, Plutarch,

there are actually
about 300 tribes

who are constantly
at war with each other.

Some are allies of Rome,
some fight Rome,

but they're not united.

For Caesar,
Gaul is not only a vast,

untapped reserve of wealth,

it's a powder-keg
of warring tribes

ready to explode.

If he's able
to conquer this territory,

he could become the wealthiest,
most powerful man in Rome.

but Caesar can't get
involved militarily in Gaul

without a pretext.

So?

Caesar's most important
commander in Gaul

is a talented general
named Titus Labienus.

Earlier in his career,
he'd been associated with Pompey

and now
he's working with Caesar.

An envoy from the Aedui,

a border tribe
and allies with Rome

is begging
for a meeting with you.

Shall I send him away?

Bring him in.

Speak.

We need Rome's protection.

Weeks after taking up
his position as Governor,

Caesar is approached
by Gaul's ally to Rome,

asking for help
against another tribe,

the Helvetii.

The Helvetii are a tribe
living in modern-day Switzerland

but they're looking
for somewhere else to go.

As the Helvetii emigrate,

they clash with other tribes.

There's violence
and there's death.

Some of these tribes
are allied to Rome.

Those loyal tribes will come
to Caesar seeking help.

What do you think, Labienus?

Are we not bound
to help our allies?

It becomes an opportunity
for Caesar to engage militarily.

As the Helvetii
continue their migration,

Caesar intercepts.

In Gaul,
Caesar is a predator.

There's just
no other way to describe it.

You have to think
of the Helvetii

as essentially refugees,
looking for a new place to live.

A great deal of their number

would've been
women and children.

This really isn't
a great military conquest

on Caesar's part,
so much as it is an atrocity...

but Caesar is able
to turn this into a story

of a military victory,

that helps
make him popular in Rome.

Having suppressed the Helvetii,

one might expect
that Caesar would leave Gaul

and return
to his Governor's province,

in northern Italy,
but Caesar has other ideas.

They'll be impressed
with our horde back in Italy.

It'll have to wait.

We can't stay here without
permission from the Senate.

There's been a new appeal
from another ally,

I think it's our duty
to stay and help...

and we don't need
the approval of the Senate

to do our duty.

Just months
after defeating the Helvetii,

Caesar decides to go for broke,

he wants all of Gaul.

It's a huge gamble
for Caesar.

He's miles from home,

the tribes outnumber his troops

and he doesn't have proper
supply lines for his army.

And yet, for him,
it's worth the gamble.

Ceasar makes
a Faustian pact.

Stand tall.

To conquer Gaul,
he raises troops

from the local provincials
in Italian Gaul.

But he does it
without the Senate's permission.

Eyes forward...

When Rome
would raise a legion,

they would swear
allegiance to Rome.

...as one.

When Caesar raises them,

to whom do they swear
allegiance?

One could argue
it's to Julius Caesar.

As he raises these legions,

to pay for them,
he must conquer parts of Gaul.

It forces him forward.

Over the next four years...

Caesar conquers
huge parts of Gaul.

Caesar's a divide
and conquer strategist.

He figures out
who the opposition is...

Now!

...he makes alliances
with some tribes...

...and he calls
other tribes his enemies.

He brings
the friendly tribes to bear

against the enemy tribes,

then he turns
on the friendly tribes.

He's clever,
he's charming and he's ruthless.

Along the way,
he will be careful to manage

the narrative
that gets back to Rome.

Caesar
encouraged the men personally.

Ordering the men to open ranks

so they might use
their swords more easily.

"Omnia Gallia,
in tres partes divida est",

All Gaul
is divided into three parts.

It's the famous opening line
of Caesar's Gallic Commentaries.

His bravery
gave the men fresh hope.

Caesar manages the narrative
of the Gallic War back in Rome

in a way
that's absolutely classic.

Every man was eager to do well

in his commander's sight.

He does so
by writing his own history.

Caesar realized
the outcome...

was on a knife-edge.

But Caesar
turns it into something new,

exciting, even cinematic.

He snatched a shield...

from a soldier at the rear...

and walked
straight to the front line.

And his reports are read

to the people of Italy
in public, year after year,

glorifying Caesar's
achievements in Gaul.

"So he snatched a shield
from a soldier in the rear,

"made his way
to the front line."

It's almost indescribably

persuasive language.

He was an extraordinary
master of writing.

Modern politicians
would love to email CNN

or Fox News
their version of events

and have those
news media sources

present them
completely uncritically.

For Caesar, this is
what the Commentaries are.

Caesar is also
building up his defense,

he knows
that he has broken Roman law.

And so it is from
Caesar's Commentaries

that we get his excuse

about defending Roman interests
from the Helvetii.

His defense of raising troops

when he did not
have the authority.

Caesar's popularity
with ordinary Romans grows

with every report
that he sends back.

To them, he is the hero,
defending the glory of Rome.

But amongst
some Senators,

his exploits raise
serious concerns.

Senators,
what he is doing in Gaul

is completely against the law!

Cato is already
making the argument

that Caesar
has violated Roman law.

This is not war, this is crime!

That Caesar needs to be
stripped of his command,

brought back to Rome
to stand trial

to answer for his crimes.

His men are loyal only to him,

not to the Senate!

This is dangerous.

I move that Caesar
be handed over to the Gauls

for them to pass judgement.

Oh, no! No!

Cato
can't actually do anything

as long as Caesar is governor

and as long as
he has the support

of Crassus and Pompey.

But if that situation
should change,

then Cato can strike.

In 54 BC,

a new staff officer is sent out

to assist Caesar in Gaul.

He's a contact of Crassus'.

Mark Antony reporting, sir.

Mark Antony,
Crassus' man, come in, come in.

Antony's a man
who has real talent.

He's a warrior, also very astute

and he quickly becomes
one of Caesar's key lieutenants.

Something wrong?

I have bad news from Rome.

It's your daughter.

She's passed.

Caesar suffers
a personal tragedy

when news arrives
that his daughter, Julia,

his only child,
has died in childbirth.

Caesar is so utterly devastated

by the loss of his daughter,

by the loss of his
last connection to Cornelia

that he will be
haunted by nightmares

about Julia's death
for the next decade.

Not only
is this a personal tragedy,

it's also
politically very dangerous,

because she had cemented
the alliance with Pompey

and that was part of the gel

joining
the Triumvirate together,

but all that has suddenly gone.

To make matters
worse for Caesar,

not long after Julia's death,

Crassus is killed
on a military expedition

in modern-day Iran.

The legend has it,
that he was killed

by having molten gold
poured down his throat

by an enemy who had heard
of his love of money.

The collapse
of the Triumvirate

raises the stakes
for Caesar in Gaul.

He realizes that
when he comes back to Rome,

he will no longer have Pompey
and Crassus watching his back.

He will be at the mercy
of Cato and the optimates.

But if Caesar can win
total victory in Gaul,

then maybe he can go home
rich enough, popular enough,

powerful enough to avoid
the attacks of his enemies.

There is
one obstacle to Caesar's plan.

The Gauls are not ready
to give up just yet.

In 52 BC, a new threat emerges.

Vercingetorix.

Son of a chieftain,
who is very charismatic,

he is intent
on liberating his people

from Roman rule.

He brings together
a number of tribes,

to include some that had already

pledged allegiance to Rome.

Caesar and his army
came here as our allies.

Now they try and stay
as our conquerors.

This is our last chance...

to unite.

This is our last chance

to fight for our freedom!

What this does is it creates
the worst nightmare

that Julius Caesar can face,
a united enemy.

If Vercingetorix
is able to rally

all the Gauls together...

they will outnumber
Caesar's forces

by about ten to one.

The entire population of Gaul

is estimated to be
about five million.

This is a population
that far outstrips

the army that Caesar
has deployed,

and, in fact,
would present a direct threat...

Who is with me?

...to the Roman Empire itself.

]

In the initial phases
of his campaign against Caesar,

Vercingetorix's strategy
seems to consist

of denying supplies to Caesar

through a scorched-earth
strategy

whilst fighting
an informal guerilla war.

Using the terrain
and their local knowledge

to their advantage.

Vercingetorix fights Caesar
for six months

until finally,
he brings things to a head

at a place called Alesia.

Vercingetorix is aware

that he needs
to make a stand at Alesia

because the guerilla warfare
is not enough to defeat Caesar.

He needs to find a way
to have a decisive battle.

Well?

The city walls
are made of stone.

We can't burn them down.

And if we try
to break through them,

it will cost us
thousands of men.

You weren't with us
when Crassus

defeated Spartacus, were you?

Maybe we don't need
to get in at all.

We just need
to stop them from getting out.

When Julius Caesar arrives

outside of Alesia
and sees a fortified town

on top of high ground
with 80,000 Gauls inside,

he assesses this as being

too much of a risk
to attack frontally.

Caesar decides
to wall the Gauls in.

In many ways, this is a replay
of Crassus' decision

to wall Spartacus off
into southern Italy.

Caesar's strategy
is to use

Vercingetorix's army
against itself.

It takes a lot of food
to feed 80,000 men

so you can starve them
pretty quickly.

Caesar's wall
was going to start with a ditch

that is dug out,
the spoils thrown up

to create a 15 foot high wall,

almost ten miles around,

all in an effort
to trap Vercingetorix's army.

Caesar's wall around Alesia

is one of the great
military feats

of the ancient world.

It takes about a month

to build out
this wall around the city.

How much longer?

This section.

And up the hills
on the left side.

Vercingetorix
sends out messengers

before the siege is complete,
to all the other tribes of Gaul.

He wants them
to bring a massive army

to take Caesar from behind,

and crush Caesar
by sheer weight of numbers.

He's sending for help.

If they attack us from behind,
we're dead.

We build a second wall
around the first.

And trap ourselves?

Just do it.

Caesar is extraordinarily
cool under pressure.

He is a decisive leader.

Once he has made a decision,
he's going to commit to it.

What Caesar
decides to do is to build

another set of earthworks,
but this time,

instead of facing in,
they face out.

The Roman defenses
are in the shape of a doughnut,

with Alesia in the center
and Gauls on the outside.

He is besieging Alesia.

But when we draw
the entire picture,

who's besieging who?

'Cause when
the external forces come,

they will be surrounded
from the outside

and from the inside.

An extraordinarily
vulnerable place.

One day,
they hear these terrible sounds,

they hear Gallic war cries.

Vercingetorix's relief army
has arrived.

If you're a Roman soldier,
you look at the relief force,

you see that
you're outnumbered three to one,

and you wonder if those numbers

are ultimately,
gonna mean your demise,

but one thing
that you have is Julius Caesar,

and those seem
to even the odds by a degree.

Comrades, this is it.

Caesar knows
that this is going to be the end

of the Gallic campaign.

Everything
we've been fighting for,

for the past seven years,
is now on the line.

Either they'll win,

and all of Gaul
will be conquered,

or they will be annihilated.

We must fight, and we must win!

Victory or death,

which will you choose?

- For victory!
- For Rome!

For victory!
For Rome! For victory!

For Caesar, the stakes
of Alesia are everything.

He has gambled
his entire existence

on this single moment.

Vercingetorix and his men
have seen the attack

from the relief force outside,

and now, they can launch
an attack

from inside of Alesia.

He's got 8,000 Gauls
on the inside,

250,000 on the outside.

It looks like Caesar
is in deep trouble.

Caesar is either going to die

along with the entirety
of his legacy at this moment...

or somehow, emerge triumphant.

That area's breached.

The start
of the battle of Alesia

looks very bad for Caesar
and very good for the Gauls.

They look as though
they might win.

They have managed to tear down
a section of the wall,

and set to destroy

the much, much smaller
Roman army.

Caesar has to take
drastic action,

or everything will be lost.

Caesar himself leaps
into the frontlines,

inspiring his men,
encouraging them

to continue to fight.

You've beaten
these barbarians before,

you'll do it again!

You're the greatest soldiers
in the world!

For Rome!

Caesar sees himself

as lifting his men's morale,
and keeping them together

in the face
of this terrifying enemy.

Caesar manages to rally
his troops to hold the line,

and to not allow the Gauls
to penetrate and wreak havoc

in the back of the Roman lines.

But Caesar knows
the Romans can't hold out

against numbers
like this for long.

Although Julius Caesar
has now gone

to the point
of greatest friction,

I think he also starts
to recognize

this might not be enough.

Now, he starts
to go through his rolodex

of "What else
might I be able to do?

"How can I solve the pressure

"on this direct attack
against the Roman line?"

Labienus, hold the breach.

Then ride around the walls.

Yes, sir!

Hold the breach, hold the walls!

Caesar makes this decision
to deploy his cavalry

outside his perimeter.

The cavalry
rides 'round the back

of the Gaulish positions.

Keep formation!

Don't lose it!

Caesar's cavalry forces slam

into the rear
of the Gallic army,

taking them
completely by surprise...

spreading panic
throughout their entire ranks.

They think that
they're completely surrounded

by the Roman army,
and they start fleeing.

Attack!

These men start
to run for their lives,

rather than fight
for their lives.

Roman cavalry
will ride them down,

and it becomes a bloodbath.

After seven years of war,

Caesar has crushed
Gallic resistance

once and for all.

Caesar's conquest
of Gaul stands

as one of the most
impressive achievements

in human history.

The fact that he has, really,
a minimal amount of manpower

to pull off this huge campaign.

Caesar's conquest of Gaul
adds more than 300,000 miles

to Roman territory.

Rome now extends

from the Atlantic ocean
in the west...

to the river Rhine in the east.

Caesar's conquest of Gaul
in seven years

is an impressive
military achievement,

but it would be strange
to not acknowledge

that Caesar basically,
engages in genocide.

He himself claimed to kill
one million people

in the conquest of Gaul.

And to have enslaved
1.1 million people.

He killed or enslaved, what,

20% of the entire population
of northern Europe?

And we have to be
reminded of that,

because we're so pre-conditioned

by the shape of history,

to think of Caesar
as a remarkable figure.

It's absolutely incredible.

Alesia would remain
as a national trauma

for Gaulish peoples
for hundreds of years.

As the Gauls' back
had been broken,

never again would a large
federation ally like this

against the Romans.

Our great Caesar,
hurried to join into the fight.

After his total victory in Gaul,

Caesar's popularity
with ordinary Romans

goes higher and higher.

They regard him now,
as the very definition

of a successful Roman warlord.

The conspicuous color

of the cloak
he always wore into battle,

proclaimed his arrival.

The Gauls turned tail,

and the cavalry charged them
as they fled!

A massive slaughter followed.

Caesar wants to return
to Rome in triumph.

He wants to win
a second term as consul,

and be Rome's
undisputed first man.

But Caesar has a problem.

Cato has different plans

for how Caesar's life
will turn out.

Caesar has indeed
won great victories

for our republic,

but these victories
come at a price.

One that we will pay for
with our republic itself.

Caesar recruited an army
that answers only to himself.

Cato and the optimates have
tremendous distrust of Caesar,

based on his previous consulship
and his growth of power in Gaul.

Some senators fear
that he may seize power in Rome,

and this fear
is becoming self-fulfilling.

This is too much power
for any man,

let alone Caesar.

Can we forget how he behaved
when he was consul?

I think Cato was able
to rally a group of senators

against Caesar,
partially out of jealousy.

These senators resent

that Caesar's
the most popular man in Rome

and that they're not the ones

who are having
all of these victories.

I move that Caesar

be stripped of his command.
Yes!

For them, it's both
a political calculation,

but it's also a personal one.

Crassus is dead,

Pompey is no longer
politically aligned with Caesar.

The optimates see this
as the moment

where they can end
Caesar's career for good.

Caesar is vulnerable.

We must
back to Rome,

and prosecute him!

g]

Cato is resolved to destroy
his old foe, Caesar,

but he can't do it without help.

The optimates are impotent

to bring Caesar to heel
without an army.

And the only person capable
of raising an army

besides Caesar, is Pompey.

The Republic
needs you again, Pompey.

I've retired.

How many families
will be sacrificed

if Caesar is allowed
to march on Rome.

They will only be sacrificed
if we go to war with him.

His army is loyal only to him,

not Rome.

Loyalty is a virtue, Cato.

Caesar is a danger
to the Republic.

He's more powerful
than any Roman before him.

More than Sulla.

More even than you.

Pompey ends up
siding with Cato

and the optimates.

I think he was jealous
of Caesar's popularity.

Caesar was essentially
and unequivocally replacing him

as the military darling
of the Roman population.

As the temperature
rises in Rome,

Caesar sends back Antony

to represent him
in the Roman Senate.

Caesar
reminds the Senate

of all
that he has done for Rome.

How he served
dutifully as consul,

how he pacified Gaul,

and he vows
that he will lay down his arms,

if Pompey does the same.

But if the Senate
will not see sense,

Caesar will uphold
his personal honor

by any means necessary.

Senators,

this is nothing
but a declaration of war.

I move that the house
declare Caesar a public enemy.

Yes!
- Who's in favor?

The house
has spoken, Antony.

Veto, the vote is set aside.

I call upon the gods
as witnesses,

it is you
who are against the Republic!

You are the one
leading us to war!

Fearing Caesar's growing power,

the Roman Senate
declares him a public enemy.

And now, he faces the biggest
decision of his life.

The Rubicon was a river,

so small, at the time
it was more like a stream,

about 200 miles north of Rome.

And the reason this stream
was so important

was it marked the boundary
between Italian Gaul

and territory directly
controlled by Rome itself.

Crossing the Rubicon
with an army

means that
not only has a governor

left his territory behind,
which is a violation of law,

but now, he is moving
against Rome.

It is an outright act
of treason,

it is a declaration of war
against the Roman State.

Caesar
doesn't have great options.

If he crosses the Rubicon,
he's begun a civil war.

But if he obeys the Senate,

he has to give up his command
of his armies

and face the fact
that he's going to be hauled

into court in Rome,
put on trial,

probably be convicted,
and face execution.

The offer
I sent back with Antony

has been rejected.

I must return
to the Senate in person.

I will have to take
at least a legion

across the river with me
for my own protection.

Across the Rubicon?

You know
this is against the law.

If there's a war,

you will be fighting
your own people.

Then let's hope
it doesn't come to that.

Let's hope not.

Pompey has
twice as many men as us.

But we have
something he doesn't.

Me.

And you, Labienus.

Do I have you?

When Caesar arrives
at the Rubicon,

he's in this
difficult situation.

He knows that
if he crosses with his legions,

he plays into the hands
of his opponents,

because he has violated
Rome's law,

by bringing his military forces
into the political game.

I think he believes
that if he doesn't do that,

Pompey and others will have
maneuvered against him,

and so he believes
he's gotta act.

It isn't too late.

Any man who wishes to turn back,

go now, with no dishonor.

But cross this stream...

and we are fighting
all the way to Rome.

Are you with me?

Long live Caesar!

According to one source,

Caesar quotes a line
from Greek drama,

as he prepares
to cross the Rubicon.

Let the dice fly high!

"Let the dice fly high."

In other words,
"Let's take a risk,

"and come what may."

Caesar knew
he was in trouble.

He had a choice,
he could surrender,

and go peacefully to Rome,
or he could bring his legion,

rely on his popularity,

and seize power in Rome.

Caesar chose for himself,
rather than for his country.

Crossing the Rubicon
is a critical moment in history.

Caesar will always be someone
who, when confronted

with other people
raising the stakes,

he'll raise the stakes again,
he'll take up the challenge,

he will gamble,
he will trust that he will win.

Crossing the Rubicon
is a terrible gamble for Caesar.

It means there is
only one way out of this.

Defeating the Senate,

and making himself
the central power in Rome.

Any other outcome ends
in his death and destruction.

He wants the glory

that he believes
that he deserves

for his conquest of Gaul,

the glory
that he was denied by Cato.

But he frames what he's doing

as an act of protecting
the democratic ideals

of the Roman State.

Caesar has
marched into Italy

with very few soldiers
behind him.

More will be coming,
but it will take a long time

before he has a major army.

News will take time
to reach his opponents.

Pompey has boasted,
"I have only to stamp my feet,

"and legions will spring up
out of the soil of Italy."

But they're not ready yet.

Caesar rushes on,
he overruns settlements,

and many people welcome him,

that means
he's gaining momentum.

Caesar
is riding on the road south

when a figure in slave's clothes

comes into view.

It's Antony.

He's dressed as a slave
to escape the city.

What happened? Cato? The Senate?

Men, come close.

It is our friend and comrade...

Mark Antony.

A war-hero...

driven from Rome
in defiance of all that is just.

Will you let this stand?

Caesar is declaring war
on his own people

to serve the interests
of the Roman population

as his basic political case.

However, it is obviously
about his own dignity

and his own
growing thirst for power.

It is also, because Caesar
never, ever backs down.

Will you let these senators,

who care nothing for Rome,

destroy it?

Will you let Pompey and Cato

attack my honor?

After
eight years of war,

the soldiers
are completely loyal to Caesar.

He's doubled their pay,

and he's given each man
his own slave.

It's the sort of
personal loyalty from the army

that makes Caesar so powerful,

and also, uniquely dangerous
in the eyes of the Senate.

With war now inevitable,

Caesar suffers a real,
serious defection.

Labienus goes over
to Pompey's side.

It's possible that Labienus
turned against Caesar,

because he was offended
by Caesar's actions.

On the other hand,
we know that Labienus

started his career
as a Pompey guy,

and so perhaps,
he's just going back

to his original patron.

What we see in this civil war,

is that everybody
has to choose sides,

and rarely is it about policy,

or belief, or ideals,

it's about personal loyalty.

As Caesar
continues towards Rome...

his former ally, Pompey,

tries to negotiate
one last time.

Even though
Caesar has crossed the Rubicon,

lines of communication
are still open

between him and Pompey.

I regret
it has come to this, Gaius.

My country called me to duty,
and I could not refuse.

I know you feel
you've been let down,

but can you not put Rome
before your pride?

You've raised an army
against me!

You've raised an army
against the Republic!

You know I can't just simply
surrender myself to Cato.

So...

your bruised ego means war,
does it?

Mark Antony's offer,
that we both lay down our arms,

was rejected.

So, a new offer.

Caesar makes
one final offer to Pompey.

They'll both leave Italy,
and they'll leave things

for the Senate
and the other bodies

of Roman political society
to figure out.

We don't know
how Pompey reacts to this,

but we know how the Senate does.

No, his offer
will not be accepted.

Caesar needs to face punishment,

and that means
you crushing him in battle.

Then we need to leave the city.

I will not run.

He is approaching right now
with his entire army.

We don't have
enough loyal soldiers in Italy

to defend Rome.

I thought Pompey
only has to stamp his feet,

and troops will appear.

My men are spread
through the Mediterranean.

We need time.

We must leave the city.

Anyone who stays
to welcome Caesar

is a traitor to the Republic.

g]

After Pompey
and the Senate fled Rome...

Caesar gave chase.

He pursued them first,
to southern Italy,

and then, to Greece.

Greece is one
of Pompey's power bases,

it's a place where he can gather
soldiers to resist Caesar.

The two armies
find each other camped,

at Pharsalus in Greece,

and at this point,
Pompey has the upper hand.

Caesar's army is very far

from their supply lines
and from reinforcements,

they're hungry.

Pompey has
numerical superiority,

greater equipment
and greater supply lines.

Caesar is completely outgunned.

He is in a win-or-die situation,

and time is not on his side.

We have him pinned down, here.

All we need to do
is starve him out.

How long?
- Perhaps a month.

A month?

How much money
will that cost the Republic?

Cato, this is our best option.

He will surrender.
Fewer lives will be lost.

I think
you're losing your nerve...

old man.

Pompey doesn't want to fight,

but Pompey is under pressure

from his fellow nobles.

They do want to fight a battle,

they believe
that they can defeat Caesar.

You want a battle?

Have it your way.

Pompey's taking the field.

Have the centurions
ready the men.

The men haven't eaten in days.

Hunger makes a man fight harder,
Pompey's men have grown fat.

Let's face it, my friend...

the odds
aren't going to get any better.

At Pharsalus,

Pompey has managed
to put together a massive force

from throughout
all of the territories

that Pompey
has conquered previously.

Pompey! Pompey! Pompey!

Jewish mercenaries,
Egyptians, Syrians and Greeks.

You fight for a just cause.

For liberty,
for our laws and the Senate,

against one man,

who is seizing supreme power.

Pompey is up in years.

It has been quite some time

since he actually engaged
in a battle and won one.

Top that with the fact
that he has

an inexperienced military force

that he's trying to work with.

Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!

Caesar has the veteran force,

Caesar's infantry
are more experienced in battle

than Pompey's,
and Pompey knows it.

Caesar!

Today, we face only men.

The same men,

who wanted to disband us,

without honors.

Remember,

they wanted this, not us.

Caesar has asked
his soldiers to do

many things in the last decade,

but one thing
that has kept them going,

is his intense confidence
in himself.

This day will decide everything.

I order you now, advance!

Caesar's soldiers
are more battle-hardened

than their opponents,

but Pompey has a secret weapon.

Caesar's former lieutenant,
Titus Labienus.

Labienus is now in command
of Pompey's cavalry.

Caesar is now facing
one of his deputies

who is familiar
with how Caesar operates.

Pompey wants to push
his infantry out into the center

and hold the line,
and allow Labienus' cavalry

to move around,
and outflank Caesar's.

Pompey's got about seven times
as many horsemen as Caesar has,

and he's concentrated them
on the one flank on the left.

Julius Caesar recognizes
his cavalry is outnumbered,

so he adapts incredibly quickly.

Javelin.

Listen carefully.

He hides infantrymen
in amongst his cavalry.

Caesar's infantrymen
use their javelins

to thrust
at the enemy cavalrymen.

This is a new strategy

that Caesar concocts
for this particular battle.

Javelins were usually used

as throwing weapons
in ancient warfare.

Labienus' men,
they are stunned,

taken by surprise,
he starts to suffer losses.

Do not retreat!

Keep formation!

Labienus is forced to retreat

and now Caesar has
the initiative in the battle.

Push!

Come on!

Caesar will now send
his infantry forward,

including
his most experienced men.

Harder!

Pompey's men
have not fought together before,

whereas Caesar's men
have tasted victory before,

they have greater confidence,

they smash
through Pompey's line.

Realizing
that he has lost the battle,

Pompey decides to flee.

It's his only chance to live
and fight again another day.

I think Pharsalus
shows Caesar at his finest.

The ploy that he uses
against Labienus' cavalry

is sheer genius.

Caesar may be a gambler
but he's a smart gambler

and smart gamblers often win.

Pompey heads east
through Greece and Turkey

and then south through Cyprus
and on to Egypt.

Officially,
Egypt is an independent country.

Unofficially,
it's almost a vassal of Rome.

Pompey thinks
he can get help in Egypt,

because the Egyptians owe him.

Pompey was the patron
of the king's father,

Ptolemy the 12th.

Caesar stays
on Pompey's heels,

following him to North Africa.

Caesar knows

that as long as Pompey
is out there,

he hasn't won the war.

He needs to stop Pompey
before he can rally a new army.

When Caesar arrives in Egypt,

the country
is tearing itself apart.

The boy-king,
Ptolemy Theos, is at war

with his older sister, Cleopatra.

With the help of his regent,
the eunuch Pathinas,

Theos manages
to oust Cleopatra from power,

for now.

Majesty,

I understand my countryman,
Pompey, is here in Egypt,

I only wish to speak with him.

Caesar, please, join us.

We have a gift for you.

Pompey is stabbed
to death and beheaded.

The Egyptian rulers at the time

saw the Battle of Pharsalus

as decisive in the civil war

and they wanted to curry favor

with the new overlord
of the Roman world.

Caesar is distraught

when he finds out about
what's happened to Pompey,

he does not think that the man
deserved such a cruel death.

After Pompey's death,

Caesar spends nine months
in Egypt

with a new ally and lover.

Caesar.

The Egyptian queen, Cleopatra,

the older sister
of Ptolemy Theos.

Leave us.

They even have a child together, Caesarion.

Caesar eventually leaves Egypt

in the summer of 47 BC,

nearly a year after he arrived.

Caesar then continues
fighting his enemies,

the remaining allies of Pompey,

who have regrouped under Cato

and are fighting
in North Africa.

Cato is defending
the city of Utica,

which is a seaport.

The city
is about to fall to Caesar

and Caesar offers Cato his life.

He says, "Ask me for pardon

"and I will spare you."

Cato refuses.

Rather than submit
to Caesar's will,

he decides that a good Roman
would rather commit suicide.

Cato's death
is exactly how he lived,

overly dramatic.

For some people,
he's gone down in history

as an example
of a freedom fighter,

who would rather die
than accept a dictatorship.

Finally, more than
a decade after he left for Gaul,

Caesar returns to Rome...

not as a rebel,
but as its ruler.

When Caesar returns
to Rome in 46 BC,

he is the unquestionable master
of Rome.

Nobody even competes

when it comes to the power
at Caesar's disposal.

Rome's Empire
under Caesar

now stretches
more than 2,500 miles.

From the French Atlantic coast,

to the river Euphrates in Syria.

Julius Caesar is
bestowed with the highest honor

that a Roman official
could receive, a triumph.

It's an extensive
military parade

that welcomes him back
into the city.

Caesar has
his face painted red,

because for one of [indistinct],

the triumph symbolizes
that this one man

is being given
the privilege of becoming a god.

All the while

that Caesar's going
through this triumph,

there's a slave with him,

whispering in his ear,

"Remember you are mortal.

"Remember you are mortal."

"Remember, you are not a god."

Even at the peak
of his accomplishments,

there is still somebody there
to remind Caesar

to keep his feet on the ground.

As part of the triumph,

high-profile prisoners
are executed

in front of the crowds.

Poor Vercingetorix
has been waiting for six years

since his defeat at Alesia,
to be executed in Rome.

This triumph
is establishing the narrative

"Caesar is the hero
that conquered Gaul for Rome.

"Here is the leader of the Gauls
being executed for us.

This is our moment to gloat,

on our victory
and our conquest of Gaul.

Caesar's big challenge
is to try to unite Rome

behind his unparalleled power.

But the problem with that

is Rome is supposed to be
a republican democracy.

Caesar's dominance
is completely abnormal

in Rome's recent history.

It only happened once before

within in Caesar's lifetime,
with Sulla.

Caesar has
the Senate declare him dictator.

At this point, the Senate
has no fight left in it,

Caesar has won.

Dictator
is a form of exceptional power

that was supposed
to be temporary.

Caesar is using this
as a fig leaf

to hide the fact
there are no limits

to his influence and power.

Caesar now uses
his unprecedented power

to pass reforms
he thinks are needed

to transform
a crumbling republic.

Caesar believes

that the Roman Republic
cannot function anymore,

because it was set up
to rule over a small city

and they're now ruling
over a vast empire.

The forms of government
in a republic

simply can't manage this.

Caesar has come
to the conclusion,

that the only way
to save the Republic,

is to fundamentally destroy
and rebuild it.

He needs to create a new system,

centered around him.

No longer
will there be open elections,

optimates and populares,

now there will
only be Caesar's will.

As Caesar's power grows,

he looks for new ways
to display that publicly,

to legitimate his new role.

Caesar wears
a purple robe

whenever he pleases.

Now, this is significant,

because purple
is the color of royalty.

Caesar has
his dictatorship

extended in perpetuity.

He will now rule
as a sole ruler for life.

Caesar now
has greater power

than the man he hated
and ran away from,

the dictator Sulla.

For a guy
who claims to be a populares,

for someone who stands up
for the little guy,

now he begins
to lose his mind with hubris.

This was a man
who used to be a reformer

and now he just wants
absolute power.

Caesar has always been
a populares

in name only.

He is not interested

in improving
the lot of the people.

The people were always
just a means to an end.

You're sure
this is the right thing to do?

I'm the most powerful man
Rome has ever seen.

It's time to make it official.

Long-serving Senators
might not take well to it,

even Sulla
was careful with them,

not to make them
feel disrespected.

They'll do nothing.

They owe me their lives.

- But the Republic--
- I am the Republic.

With each success,
Caesar's ambitions grow.

What else is there,

than Rome
and the power of ruling Rome?

There hasn't been a king
for 400 years.

Could he possibly
even become a king?

It's a gamble.

Yes.

But you forget...

I never lose.

]

Caesar,
from the beginning,

from Sulla's demand
to divorce Cornelia...

he was a gambler.

He was willing
to throw those dice.

Rome had been founded
by kings

and it was that foundation
that Caesar had invoked,

all the way back
at Cornelia's funeral.

For Caesar,

the only place
he has left to go,

is to become an outright king

and fulfill
that political mission

that he had set for himself
years previously.

At a public festival,

he has Mark Antony
try to crown him,

to see how the crowd will react.

The people ask me,

to give Caesar this crown.

Caesar is gambling

that the Roman people
will accept their first king

in 400 years.

It's a wager that backfires.

Jupiter alone

is king of the Romans.

I'm no king...

but only Caesar.

Senators
could never accept

the possibility
of a king in Rome,

that would be
the death of the Republic,

the death of everything
that they held sacred.

For them, this would be a line

that they would never be willing
to cross.

Within the Senate,

a growing group is now beginning

to organize opposition
against Caesar.

Around 60 Senators
are ever less comfortable

with Caesar's growing power

and start to accuse him
of becoming a tyrant.

One month
after the failed crowning,

on March 15th...

the Ides of March,

Caesar is invited
to meet a group of Senators.

One of the leaders

of the conspiracy
against Caesar,

is a man named Marcus Brutus.

Caesar.

Please, a petition.

Is it you, my son?

The words that are known
throughout the world

as being Caesar's
final words are,

"Et tu, Brutes?"
"And you, Brutus?"

But these words don't originate
in the ancient sources,

they actually originate
with Shakespeare.

What he said
to Brutus was,

"You, too, child?"

Brutus' mother, Servilia,

was Caesar's long-time mistress

and there're even those who say

that Brutus
was Caesar's natural child.

Every gambler
will tell you that, eventually,

their luck is going to run out.

Caesar gambled and gambled
and gambled

until, eventually, he lost.

In the end,
there's a real tragic irony

in Caesar's life.

That he ran
from a despot dictator

and he comes full circle

to actually end his life as one.

Caesar's assassins
are hoping to kill him

and to bring
the old Republic back.

In practice,
the result is a disaster.

The assassins do not
successfully restore democracy.

When Caesar dies,

there are just too many

ambitious,
powerful men around him.

There's Mark Antony,

who thinks of himself
as his protégé.

But Mark Antony
is not Caesar's chosen heir.

Instead, his will nominates

his cunning great-nephew,
Octavian.

The next few years
of Roman history

are a colossal struggle
over five separate civil wars.

Particularly between
Mark Antony and Octavian,

to inherit Caesar's power.

Octavian comes out on top

and becomes
the first-ever Emperor of Rome,

establishing what we now know
as the Roman Empire.

Crucially, Octavian
never declares himself king.

The Roman Empire
survived in the west

for another 500 years,

and the east,
for another 1,500 years.

And, really, it all goes back
to Julius Caesar.

Even though
Julius Caesar

did not himself
become the emperor,

there's a reason
why later European monarchs

named themselves after Caesar,

because he establishes
an example,

for well or ill,

of what leadership
and conquest looked like.

So, during World War I,

you have in Germany the Kaiser

and in Russia you have the Czar.

Both of these words
come from the Roman "Caesar."

Caesar's legacy
is dictatorship itself.

The excuse that a democracy,
when it's in trouble,

can be resolved
by giving all power to one man.

Every dictator since,
including Napoleon,

Mussolini, Pinochet,

is always drawing
on Julius Caesar.

Caesar was a great man,

he was equally good

at politics, at war,
and at literature.

But he's also a murderous man,
a violent man.

A man who commits genocide.

It is unfortunate,

that in people that have
this exceptional genius,

you also find
an exceptional ambition.

There was so much

that Caesar
could have accomplished

for the Roman state,

that to see him finally
get wrapped up in his own power,

is ultimately a tragedy.

I think
what Julius Caesar teaches us,

more than anything else,

is that there is a danger

with unparalleled ambition,

matched
with unparalleled ability.

Power corrupts

and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.

When you think you are
the smartest person in the room

and the only one
with all the answers...

Let the dice fly high!

...disaster awaits.