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It's the spring of 58 BC.
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The people of Gaul
face a new and grave threat.
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GALLOPING HOOVES
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BABY CRIES
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HORSE NEIGHS
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Julius Caesar has completed
his year as consul of Rome
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and set his sights on conquest.
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In this foreign land, there
are few rules to constrain him.
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BABY CRIES
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His army is carving its way
through the country,
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subduing or slaughtering its people.
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No-one will stand in Caesar's way.
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Times are changing
in the Roman world.
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Generals with their own armies
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are able to win unprecedented
popularity, wealth, power,
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and these warlords are able to put
the entire Republic in their shadow.
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Caesar understands this.
He knows that only sweeping conquest
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can make him the greatest man
in Rome...
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..and he will stop at nothing.
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BABY CRIES
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SWORD PLUNGES, CRYING STOPS
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It's brutal,
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it's punishing,
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it's genocidal in scale...
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..but the reward of glory
would burnish Caesar's name forever
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and put absolute rocket fuel
into Caesar's political career.
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At the heart of the most powerful
empire in the ancient world
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stands Rome.
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For 500 years, it was ruled
by elected government.
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But in a little over a decade,
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this Republic was overthrown
by the ambitions of one man.
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The story of Caesar
is an incredibly enduring one.
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The resonance of it's so powerful,
it remains the most thrilling,
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the most extraordinary political
story in western history.
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Now historians
and experts who understand
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the nature of political power
will chart his rise...
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He's so smart, he just knows
how to use his opportunities.
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..and ask how an individual can bend
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a centuries-old political system
to breaking point.
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Julius Caesar is the most
dangerous kind of demagogue.
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This is the story of how ambition
turns to tyranny...
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He's a disgrace in every single way.
he's immoral,
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he's irreligious,
and he's a potential tyrant.
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..and how a dictator is born.
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The awful lesson is that,
in the end,
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a populist can corrupt
an entire state.
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For every other political system
that values stability and justice
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and liberty, that should be,
at the very least, a wake-up call.
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Democracy has to be
constantly fought for.
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If we take it for granted,
a new Caesar will come.
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For two years, Julius Caesar
has waged war on the people of Gaul,
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capturing territory,
slaves, and bounty.
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With his new-found wealth,
he has enlarged his army
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and made rich men of his supporters
back in Rome.
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Caesar,
throughout his political career,
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has always been an opportunist,
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but I think that opportunist is
inadequate to convey the scale
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of what Caesar is aiming at.
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The idea of conquering
the whole expanse of Gaul,
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essentially what is now France,
is stupefyingly ambitious.
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Gaul is a vast region,
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stretching from Northern Italy
to the English Channel.
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Caesar is Governor of a narrow strip
of Roman territory in the South.
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From here, he's begun his quest
to conquer more land for Rome,
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and to subdue the Gaulish tribes.
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For the Romans, the Gaul is
the essence of the barbarian.
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It's the figure of
their worst nightmare.
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Caesar himself says of the people
that they are the least
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effeminate, the most masculine,
the most dangerous
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and yet, he's perfectly happy
to take them on.
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Caesar believes he is the man
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to bring all of Gaul
under Roman control.
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Beyond the wealth
he's winning for Rome,
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he's seeking not just fortune,
but fame.
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Caesar cannot possibly win
the kind of status that he wants
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without a great
feat of conquest, I think.
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War is the great testing ground
for Rome's leading men.
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Caesar is pursuing
the blaze of glory, so the defeat,
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particularly of barbarians
and of Gauls, I mean, this is
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something that will make his name
echo down the centuries.
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Caesar ensures news of his conquest
reaches the people of Rome.
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They delight in his success.
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But the Senate, the body of men
who govern Rome, is divided.
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Caesar's opponents see his
growing power as a threat,
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but he still has allies.
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His main backers
are Rome's richest man, Crassus,
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and its greatest General, Pompey,
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now married to Caesar's daughter,
Julia.
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Caesar had persuaded Pompey and
Crassus into a powerful alliance -
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the Triumvirate.
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They secured Caesar the top job
in Rome, the consulship,
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and the opportunity
to conquer Gaul...
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..leaving Crassus and Pompey
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to take care of their shared
interests in the Senate.
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But now,
fuelled by jealousy and resentment,
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tensions are rising
between Pompey and Crassus,
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and they are losing their grip
on Rome.
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Crassus still hates Pompey.
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The Triumvirate looks like
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it's kind of wobbly.
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It's not sustainable,
the way it's going.
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The risk for Caesar is that,
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if the Triumvirate proves to be
utterly broken,
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then his capacity to hold his
position in Rome is broken as well,
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and that means that his enemies
can start moving in for the kill.
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00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,800
Caesar's main opponents
in the Senate, the Optimates,
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see him as a threat to the Republic,
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and are desperate to find a way
to cut him down.
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Now they plan to prosecute him
for his shocking
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and violent behaviour during his
year-long tenure as consul.
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Caesar's consulship sent
ripples of shock through Rome.
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He treated his fellow consul
with a measure of violence,
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so the consul ends up with a bucket
of manure emptied over his head.
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Caesar's enemies said absolutely
explicitly we believe that
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you should be prosecuted,
you have behaved illegally.
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His opponents see him as a criminal,
and they are determined,
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in the long run, to prosecute him,
to convict him,
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to destroy him utterly,
and this becomes stronger
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and stronger, the more glory that
Caesar wins for himself in Gaul.
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Leading the conservative charge
to bring a prosecution
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against Caesar is his
long-standing enemy Cato.
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In the minds of people like Cato,
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Caesar represents two very
dangerous things.
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He represents populism,
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he's somebody who unashamedly tries
to present himself as the people
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against the elite, and he represents
the danger of tyranny, he's somebody
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trying to promote themselves at the
expense of the constitution, which
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stands for balance of power and
no one person taking too much power.
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Cato is going to try
to do everything he can
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within the Roman law
to defeat Caesar.
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Caesar's ultimate nightmare, the
one thing that could drag him down,
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even after all he's achieved,
is prosecution
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because if you can prosecute someone
and convict them,
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then that person will have no choice
but to go into exile.
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You suffer a kind of political
death, and that, for Caesar,
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would be a fate worse than death.
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As long as Caesar is in Gaul,
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his position as Governor grants him
immunity from prosecution.
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But the Senate still has the power
to recall him.
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In Rome, the Optimates ask
the Senate to vote on removing
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Caesar's governorship.
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00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,920
But with many senators sharing in
the riches Caesar's sending back
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to Rome, they fail to win
the majority they need.
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Caesar's command is safe,
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but it's a warning.
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He calls Pompey and Crassus
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to an urgent meeting in the
Northern Italian town of Lucca.
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CROW CAWS
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00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,400
For Caesar,
it's absolutely essential
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00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,880
that the Triumvirate
holds together.
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00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,200
The strains on the relationship
between Pompey and Crassus
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is a real threat to Caesar.
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He can't come to Rome
and knock their heads together,
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so the conference in Lucca is
crucially important in keeping
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the triumviral show on the road.
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00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:10,040
Caesar's plan is to persuade
Pompey and Crassus to reunite
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by promising them each
something they desire.
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Pompey, at this point,
is in a peculiar situation
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because of his rapid rise to power.
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On the back of military successes,
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he is much loved by the people,
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but deeply mistrusted
by the Roman Senate.
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He's always been on the outside
looking in.
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While Pompey craves the kind
of influence in the Senate
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enjoyed by Crassus,
Crassus is jealous of Pompey
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and Caesar's military success.
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Crassus has a influential presence
in the Senate, but he lacks,
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at this point, the sort of major
military undertaking
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that will provide status
that he feels entitled to.
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Caesar is conquering Gaul,
and there is, no doubt,
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a sense of burning competition
in Crassus' mind.
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In Rome, the annual election of the
two consuls who lead the Senate
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is imminent.
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00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,400
Caesars's plan is simple -
use the collective might
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of the Triumvirate to once again
sway the voting public.
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But this time, Pompey and Crassus
would become co-consuls,
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giving them the power to deliver
what each of them wants.
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Pompey feels that, if he can be
consul, the leading politician
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and statesman in the city of Rome,
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he will gain the respect
of the Senate.
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00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,440
And Crassus realises
that the consulship
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and provincial command, afterwards,
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for a major military undertaking,
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will bring the sort of outstanding
status that he feels entitled to.
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What does Caesar want in return?
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He wants an extension of his
command, and he wants that, firstly
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so that he can complete his conquest
of Gaul, but also because the longer
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he has his command, the longer he is
immune to prosecution back in Rome.
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The meeting at Lucca
is unprecedented.
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00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:54,040
Three men meeting secretly
deciding the future of the
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00:14:54,040 --> 00:15:01,920
Roman Republic goes against the idea
of a republican form of government.
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00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,280
It's hard to think of
any parallel in our democracy
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to what happens at Lucca.
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00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,360
It's a convergence
of rival Mafia bosses.
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00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:19,280
It's The Joker, The Riddler,
The Penguin coming together
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00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,040
to carve up Gotham City.
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00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:29,040
The Triumvirate agree to renew their
alliance and combine their powers.
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00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,280
CROW CAWS
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00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,520
But for their plan to work,
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00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,360
Pompey and Crassus must win
the consulship election.
201
00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,360
Roman consuls typically
don't run as a ticket,
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00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:51,480
but when those two men
start campaigning,
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00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,040
it becomes very clear that there is
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00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,000
a joint political operation
unfolding.
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00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,360
The news that the Triumvirate
is once again
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00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,360
putting Rome in its shadow
is greeted by its opponents
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with simultaneous shock and horror.
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00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,040
There is one man who will obviously
stand against them.
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Cato.
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00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,840
He's not senior enough or old enough
himself to stand to be consul.
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00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,680
Instead, he gets his
brother-in-law to run.
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00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:29,720
When word reaches the Triumvirate
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00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,640
that the Optimates
will stand against them,
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00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:38,520
Caesar deploys a political tactic
he's used with some success before -
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00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:40,520
violence.
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00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:45,520
Caesar ensures that men from his
legions who are serving in Gaul
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00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,800
are able to go back to Rome
to register their votes
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00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,520
to boost the backing
for his triumviral partners.
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00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:59,320
Caesar's men, battle-hardened,
unleash great bouts of thuggery
220
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,640
and intimidation
onto the streets of Rome.
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00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:10,520
Pompey and Crassus are prepared to
resort to intimidation, to violence,
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00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:15,480
in the run-up to the election,
including, indeed, on election day.
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00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,120
It's the morning
of the consulship vote.
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00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:31,200
Rome waits to discover whether
the Optimates or the Triumvirate
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00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,040
will take charge.
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00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,800
Cato heads out to cast his vote.
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00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,280
Predictably, by this stage,
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00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,160
because things are getting
completely out of control...
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..hired ruffians of Crassus
and Pompey start beating Cato up.
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00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:00,520
And in the most incredible
plethora of violence,
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00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,080
Cato effectively martyrs himself.
232
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:09,040
He allows himself to be beaten up
because he wants people to see,
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00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,520
in every scar on his body,
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00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,920
the injustice and the horror
that's happening in Rome.
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00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,520
The Triumvirate's strategy
proves effective.
236
00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:33,520
Pompey and Crassus stand unopposed
and win by a landslide.
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00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,840
One of the perks
of being consul in Rome
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00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:45,280
is that you have special chairs
at the front of the Senate.
239
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:49,960
When they take those seats...
240
00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,840
..it sends a very clear message...
241
00:18:55,240 --> 00:19:00,000
..that the Republic
is being controlled...
242
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,280
..by the Triumvirate.
243
00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,360
Once Pompey and Crassus
have become consuls, you know,
244
00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:13,040
they play their bit - they secure
Caesar another five years in Gaul.
245
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,680
Caesar can know that everything
that he has achieved
246
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,360
in bringing the Triumvirate
back together again,
247
00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:23,760
that it is absolutely
paying off for him.
248
00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:32,320
Over the next year, Pompey, Crassus
and Caesar carve up the Roman world.
249
00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,520
Each takes control
of a foreign province,
250
00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,240
with the military might, wealth
and prestige that brings.
251
00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,040
Caesar keeps Gaul.
252
00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,160
Crassus departs for Syria,
253
00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,760
with plans to invade
Rome's greatest rival -
254
00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,560
the Parthian Empire,
now modern Iran.
255
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:59,160
Pompey takes Spain,
but will govern it from Rome,
256
00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,440
allowing him command of an army
257
00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,960
whilst remaining at the heart
of the Senate.
258
00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:08,520
It's become clear
that the partnership,
259
00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,840
the three-headed monster,
as a writer at the time calls it,
260
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:16,320
is achieving a degree of influence
and power that is unprecedented
261
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,280
and that is against the spirit,
262
00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,920
the, shall we say, deep-seated
political culture of the Republic.
263
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:24,560
There's no question about that.
264
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,360
With the Triumvirate
firmly in control of Rome,
265
00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:38,040
Caesar sets his sights
on even greater glory.
266
00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,920
Caesar, as though to celebrate,
267
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,720
embarks on his most spectacular
exploits yet.
268
00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,600
He embarks on an expedition
to Britain.
269
00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,480
One historian compared it
to man landing on the moon.
270
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,920
It is a land so savage and barbarous
271
00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,480
that its inhabitants not only
paint themselves blue,
272
00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,480
but even most revoltingly of all,
drink milk.
273
00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,680
But there's no point in Caesar
achieving great things
274
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,600
if his fellow citizens back in Rome
are unaware of them.
275
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,360
One of the most brilliant
things that he does
276
00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:31,520
is to write a work of literature
in his reports.
277
00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,760
Everyone in Rome is reading
the Gallic War as it comes out.
278
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,480
"Have you read the latest episode?"
So they're all really fascinated.
279
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,520
The dispatches he sends back
are read out to the people.
280
00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,760
He tells them about the kinds
of feats he is achieving,
281
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,520
and these are almost
superhuman conquests
282
00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,040
for the people back in Rome.
283
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,040
Caesar has gone beyond the limits
of what they had known before.
284
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,760
In fact, he signally fails
to conquer Britain.
285
00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:11,920
But he's such a good publicist,
he manages to turn it into,
286
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,040
"Look, I actually sailed
across the Channel
287
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:20,480
"and I frightened these
woad-coloured barbarians witless."
288
00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:24,280
So he can dress it up as more
of a success than it was.
289
00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,040
Winston Churchill famously said
that history would be kind to him
290
00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:30,880
because he would write the history.
291
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,360
History, I think,
has been kind to Caesar
292
00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:37,040
by and large because Caesar
definitely wrote the history.
293
00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,920
Determined not to let this failure
hinder him,
294
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,040
Caesar accelerates
his conquest of Gaul.
295
00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,720
At the head of a now vast army,
296
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,200
and with the Senate under
the Triumvirate's control,
297
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,000
Caesar revels in autonomy,
298
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,480
and his tactics become
ever more brutal.
299
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,520
It's claimed that Caesar slaughtered
a million people in Gaul,
300
00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,680
that he enslaved another million,
301
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,520
and this, to us, might seem
a monstrous atrocity...
302
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,760
..but to the Romans, it's a
demonstration of the capacity
303
00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:22,320
for violence and force that upholds
the dignitas of the Roman name.
304
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,920
Conquest is in-built
into the Roman psyche.
305
00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:39,520
The Romans see themselves as
descended from the God of War,
306
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,280
which is Mars.
307
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:49,520
And all through Rome's history,
it really has been at war.
308
00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,400
Caesar, in conquering this
remote and barbarous land,
309
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:59,680
feels he has no choice
but to deploy extreme terror,
310
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,600
so those tribes who resist him
are utterly annihilated.
311
00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:07,040
Did he feel guilt about it?
312
00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,200
I don't think so.
313
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,680
The Roman people had always thrilled
to narratives of bloodshed,
314
00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,520
and Caesar, in Gaul, is giving them
the kind of stories that,
315
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,040
precisely because
they are stained in blood,
316
00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,520
are, in the opinion of the Roman
people, all the more admirable...
317
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,520
..and Caesar feels himself very much
the hero of this narrative.
318
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,760
For his opponents in Rome,
319
00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,880
Caesar off the leash in Gaul
is terrifying.
320
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:50,520
Cato is lying in wait for any
opportunity to take him down.
321
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,680
Finally, he sees his chance.
322
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,040
Caesar breaks a peace treaty,
323
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:04,880
and is said to slaughter over
400,000 men, women and children.
324
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:09,520
It's a sacrilegious contravention
of Roman law.
325
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,520
Cato leads a heated attack
against Caesar in the Senate.
326
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,640
Cato tries to point out that Caesar
is literally committing war crimes.
327
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,040
So Caesar is just a disgrace,
328
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:32,760
and Cato tries to demand
the punishment for that war crime,
329
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,760
which is that Caesar
should be handed over to the enemy,
330
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,720
but his demand
is simply brushed aside.
331
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:42,320
Caesar is becoming so successful
332
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:46,520
that nobody now wants to stand
with Cato against Caesar.
333
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,760
Caesar really doesn't need to worry.
334
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:57,040
He knows that everything
about his conquests
335
00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,400
is boosting his status,
is boosting his prestige.
336
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,040
Cato is now in
a horrifying position.
337
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,520
Caesar, this man he despises,
is now becoming so successful
338
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,120
and popular that he's almost
untouchable, whatever he does.
339
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,960
By the end of 55 BC,
Caesar is riding high.
340
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,120
The Roman people love him.
341
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:41,040
He's relishing glory in Gaul
and his allies control the Senate.
342
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:47,360
Now news arrives that further
secures his bond with Pompey.
343
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,280
It's been three years since Pompey
married Caesar's only daughter,
344
00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,280
Julia, and now she's pregnant
with their first child.
345
00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,520
Julia's baby represents the
possibility of a lasting alliance
346
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,560
between Pompey and Caesar.
347
00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,800
Marriages in Rome come and go.
348
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,280
The divorce rate is actually
pretty high.
349
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:15,080
But having a child, that's something
that will bind two families together
350
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,240
in perpetuity.
351
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,760
As Julia's due date approaches, the
entire Roman world is looking on.
352
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,280
But when Julia starts her labour,
she suffers a great deal,
353
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,040
and she is in a great deal
of physical pain.
354
00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:41,680
Julia dies in childbirth...
355
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,520
..and her baby dies
a few days later.
356
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,520
Pompey, I mean, he was besotted
with Julia,
357
00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:02,280
and so losing her
must have been unbearable.
358
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:11,520
In Gaul, Caesar is awaiting news
of his grandchild's birth.
359
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:19,760
Instead, he receives notice of
his daughter and her baby's death.
360
00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:28,360
She was his only child,
and when Julia dies,
361
00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:31,040
it's doubly a catastrophe
for Caesar...
362
00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:35,000
..both on the personal level,
but also the political.
363
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:46,720
It's conventional to say
that Roman women...
364
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,040
..had no political power.
365
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,760
I think that loses the point.
366
00:28:55,040 --> 00:29:00,520
Women like Julia
had a lot of political power.
367
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,600
She was the link between Caesar
and Pompey.
368
00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,200
With her gone,
369
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,040
she's not there to mediate
any differences between them.
370
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,760
A crucial bond between
the two greatest men in Rome
371
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,440
has been severed...
372
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,120
..and Caesar knows that
the foundations of his power
373
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,000
are a good deal more unstable
than they had been previously.
374
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:49,040
A few short months later, Caesar
receives a second devastating blow.
375
00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:01,040
The invasion of Parthia by Crassus
has ended in disaster.
376
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,880
He took a huge risk,
and he paid the ultimate price.
377
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:19,280
He is beheaded, and there are
stories about melted gold
378
00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:23,120
being poured down his throat
by the Parthians in mockery
379
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:28,280
of his legendary wealth,
but also in what could be seen
380
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,200
as a denunciation of Roman...
of Roman greed.
381
00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,680
It's a catastrophic defeat for Rome.
382
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,920
He loses legions.
383
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,040
It's a massacre of Romans.
384
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,720
It's a dreadful humiliation.
385
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,280
And that, of course, affects
the way that we see Crassus.
386
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,400
He really is a loser.
387
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,760
The death of Crassus is an
absolute disaster for Caesar.
388
00:30:54,760 --> 00:31:00,920
The Triumvirate depends on it being
an alliance of three men, not two.
389
00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:05,160
An alliance of two men - much,
much easier for it to fall apart.
390
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:13,520
His death reshapes,
quite literally overnight,
391
00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,000
the political scene in Rome,
392
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,520
because now, well,
you no longer have three great men.
393
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:25,280
We have these two extraordinary
individuals, Pompey and Caesar...
394
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,040
..with no-one else in between.
395
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,920
No mediator, no buffer. It's them.
396
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:37,880
Are they going to co-exist
or are they going to fight it out?
397
00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:46,280
For Caesar, the absolute priority
is to reaffirm his relationship
398
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:51,040
with Pompey, to maintain his ability
to continue as Governor in Gaul,
399
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:55,280
so Caesar does what Romans,
aristocrats,
400
00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,920
conventionally do when they want to
forge an alliance - he looks around
401
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,240
for another female member of his
family to marry off to Pompey.
402
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,760
So he offers his great-niece.
403
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,120
And so Pompey says, "That's OK.
404
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:15,120
"Thanks for offering, but no."
405
00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:25,040
And now Pompey finds himself
in a position
406
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,160
where he can choose
which way he goes.
407
00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:34,280
He can move closer to the Optimates
in the Senate,
408
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:39,040
and at the same time
he knows that Caesar needs him.
409
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,320
This is what Pompey
has always wanted.
410
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,040
All the balls are in his court now.
411
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:55,040
Caesar can no longer absolutely rely
on their alliance holding together.
412
00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:59,360
If there are other people
who can offer more than Caesar can,
413
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,760
then Pompey is absolutely
in the market for accepting that.
414
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,040
Caesar's position
is certainly weakening...
415
00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:15,520
..and it looks as though things may
be going back in Cato's direction.
416
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:21,040
And it may be suddenly possible
for a new world to emerge
417
00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:23,760
in which Caesar
will finally collapse.
418
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,040
THUNDER
419
00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,160
Crassus is gone...
420
00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:38,680
CROW CAWS
421
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,680
..Caesar and Pompey's alliance
hangs by a thread...
422
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:43,520
CROWS CAW
423
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,760
..and Caesar is no longer
pulling the strings in Rome.
424
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:53,280
The Senate turns inward
as men vie to reposition themselves.
425
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,040
Rome descends into chaos.
426
00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,760
Violent gangs rule the streets.
427
00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,040
And one man is making
the most of it -
428
00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,600
an errant senator called Clodius.
429
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,360
He's a skunk.
430
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,040
There's nothing good about Clodius.
431
00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:22,040
He's a manipulator, a sociopath,
a psychopath.
432
00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:26,160
Any path you can think of,
Clodius is it.
433
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,520
Clodius holds a powerful position
in the Senate -
434
00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,520
one of ten tribunes of the people.
435
00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,440
Tribunes serve as a check
on the Senate's authority
436
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,760
to protect the interests
of ordinary Romans.
437
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:48,160
With special powers,
tribunes can veto proposals
438
00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:51,920
or bypass the Senate and take bills
directly to the people.
439
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,800
By pushing through a law entitling
every citizen to free grain,
440
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,680
Clodius has won
huge popular support.
441
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:07,800
Clodius essentially creates himself
a private army.
442
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,440
There are people who are grateful to
Clodius because he is providing them
443
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:18,480
with bread, and they are ready to be
recruited to his paramilitary gangs.
444
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:25,520
Clodius uses his gangs to beat up
anyone who stands in his way,
445
00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:29,520
a trick he learned
from Caesar himself.
446
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,920
Clodius, for years,
had served as Caesar's agent,
447
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:38,040
enforcing Caesar's interests
in Rome, and Clodius learned
448
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:42,560
from Caesar that power can come
directly from the people.
449
00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:46,720
Clodius elevates this
to a whole new level.
450
00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:55,320
Political order in the streets
of the capital
451
00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,040
rapidly starts to collapse.
452
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:04,280
The behaviour of Clodius
makes Rome virtually impossible
453
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,360
to function properly.
454
00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,840
It's become a dysfunctional city.
455
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:15,280
And he turns into a figure of terror
for the Roman establishment.
456
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:22,760
Desperate to regain control of Rome,
some conservative senators
457
00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:27,800
hire gladiators and thugs
to fight back against Clodius.
458
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,040
Then, on a road outside Rome...
459
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,840
..Clodius is discovered in a ditch.
460
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:51,560
His body is carried back
into the city
461
00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,840
and taken to his wife, Fulvia.
462
00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,760
When the body comes,
Fulvia receives it,
463
00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:05,680
and she does not do
what should properly be done.
464
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,680
For a proper Roman
aristocratic funeral,
465
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:18,040
she should wash the body and dress
it before displaying it publicly,
466
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:23,040
but she allows the crowd
that has gathered to see his broken
467
00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:26,760
and wounded body,
his bloody clothes,
468
00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,280
and she weeps in front of them.
469
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,280
Several of Clodius' allies
address the crowd...
470
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:39,720
..and so Fulvia's weeping,
471
00:37:39,720 --> 00:37:42,200
and these speeches
drive the crowd into a rage.
472
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,280
Rome is a powder keg.
473
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,040
It won't even take a spark.
474
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:53,040
It's going to be
spontaneous combustion.
475
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:58,040
A rumour spreads that Clodius
has been murdered
476
00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:00,360
by a prominent senator.
477
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:05,080
Fulvia leads an angry mob
into the heart of Rome,
478
00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:08,040
where they stage
an impromptu funeral
479
00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,360
right outside the Senate House.
480
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:16,160
The unruly, angry mob
break into the Senate House,
481
00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:20,520
and in a rampage, they heap up
benches and anything else
482
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,920
they could get their hands on
that would burn,
483
00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:26,360
and they heap it all up and they put
Clodius on the top of the heap.
484
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:38,520
The choice to build Clodius' pyre
out of items from the Senate House
485
00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:42,760
is an indication of anger
directed at the Senate.
486
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:49,040
Clodius' murderer is sort of
the front man
487
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,800
for the conservative faction
within the Senate,
488
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:57,400
and so populist anger will have
been directed at the elite.
489
00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:02,760
The pyre burns, and it burns so well
490
00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:06,040
that it also burns down
the Senate House,
491
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:12,120
which is truly symbolic of the state
of the Republic in that moment.
492
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,680
The city is ungovernable,
it is uncontrollable.
493
00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:22,920
The spectacle of the Senate House
burning,
494
00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:25,760
it's absolutely horrifying.
495
00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:32,040
It's as terrifying as the spectacle
of the Capitol
496
00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:35,480
being invaded by an angry mob
under Trump.
497
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:43,680
It marks the system - the Republic -
not in any sense working any longer.
498
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,680
For Cato, this was a moment
of mounting horror,
499
00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,520
a sense of all the standards
collapsing,
500
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,400
and now we have the Senate House
literally burnt to the ground,
501
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,520
mobs rampaging through the streets.
502
00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:01,760
I mean, everything that
he treasures about Rome
503
00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:05,080
and the Republic is now
in ruins or in flames.
504
00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:15,680
With violence consuming the city,
senators need to act fast.
505
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,520
A military general could help them
quell the unrest.
506
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,440
But even Cato knows that
the only candidates
507
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:32,000
with enough popular support
are Caesar or Pompey.
508
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,280
The thing that worries Cato most
at this moment
509
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,440
is that Caesar is going to
be able to come back.
510
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,040
He sees Julius Caesar
as the embodiment of the threat,
511
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:46,480
as an immoral man
and a potential tyrant.
512
00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:51,760
And so Cato decides, in increasing
desperation, to do something
513
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,040
that he'd refused to do
years earlier...
514
00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,120
..which is to try to ally
with Pompey,
515
00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:03,040
and Cato has to gamble that Pompey
is the lesser of the two evils.
516
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:11,040
In times of crisis, the Senate have
special powers at their disposal.
517
00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:16,040
They could make Pompey
what they call a Dictator -
518
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:20,280
an emergency office that gives
one man sole control of Rome
519
00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,520
for a strictly limited period.
520
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:27,760
But the Optimates hate the idea.
521
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,040
It goes against everything
the Republic stands for.
522
00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:34,360
So Pompey is offered a compromise.
523
00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:41,360
What they come up with
is a sole consulship for Pompey.
524
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,800
Extraordinary means
and extraordinary measures.
525
00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:52,040
Pompey's position as sole consul
is a watershed moment.
526
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:55,360
This has never happened before.
527
00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:00,000
Pompey is overjoyed.
528
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,040
"The Senate loves me."
529
00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,440
After months of turmoil in Rome,
530
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:15,040
Pompey's soldiers bring calm
to the city streets.
531
00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:21,840
Then Pompey relinquishes his power
at the end of his term,
532
00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,040
much to the approval
of the Optimates.
533
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,440
In Gaul, Caesar is nearing the end
of his term as Governor.
534
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:47,040
For years, this position
has protected him
535
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:49,040
against his enemies in Rome.
536
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:54,040
As his ten-year period of office
starts to come towards its close,
537
00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:57,680
the big question is
what will his enemies do
538
00:42:57,680 --> 00:42:59,680
once he is a private citizen,
539
00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:02,720
in other words,
once he is liable for prosecution.
540
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:06,040
But Caesar has a plan.
541
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,760
Although he has opponents
in the Senate,
542
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:14,600
he knows his success in Gaul has won
him the love of the Roman people.
543
00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:18,520
With the annual consulship election
coming round again,
544
00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:23,520
Caesar plans to stand, certain
he will win the popular vote.
545
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:28,920
This, of course, is crucial
for Caesar's ambitions,
546
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,720
not just because it offers him
the chance of a second consulship
547
00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:37,120
but also because he will go straight
from his governorship in Gaul
548
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:38,920
to becoming consul.
549
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:44,040
Cato is now very concerned
that Caesar,
550
00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:46,880
flushed with his victories in Gaul,
551
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:50,520
will be able to get himself
elected as consul
552
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:54,360
and by becoming consul,
become immune to prosecution,
553
00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:58,520
so Cato will not be able to get him
for all his lawbreaking.
554
00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:05,760
For Caesar's enemies,
there's a window of opportunity.
555
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:11,040
The Senate still have the power
to terminate Caesar's governorship.
556
00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:14,600
If they can be persuaded
to recall him,
557
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,200
he could be forced to face trial
558
00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:20,040
before he has a chance
to win the consulship.
559
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,920
The idea divides the Senate.
560
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:31,520
The Senate starts to split into
two violently opposed factions -
561
00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:35,520
the faction that supports Caesar,
and those on the other side
562
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:39,440
who are absolutely determined
to bring him down.
563
00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,040
Caught in the middle is Pompey.
564
00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:49,520
He is forced to choose between his
new-found favour with the Optimates
565
00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:51,920
and his old alliance with Caesar.
566
00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:58,280
Trying desperately to reconcile
these two irreconcilable blocks
567
00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:03,400
is Pompey, who wants to be
the friend of both blocks of men.
568
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:10,280
Pompey decides that the approval
of the Senate
569
00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:14,400
is more important
than his relationship with Caesar.
570
00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:21,040
Pompey stands with the Optimates,
and backs the debate about
571
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,760
terminating Caesar's governorship
in Gaul.
572
00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,760
For Caesar, the fact that Pompey
decides to move against him
573
00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,040
is a disastrous development...
574
00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:41,160
..because Cato's faction
now absolutely has
575
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:43,040
the wind in their sails.
576
00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:53,000
This, of course, stirs up
Caesar's deepest worry...
577
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:59,400
..that all his astonishing conquests
will be as nothing.
578
00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:04,040
He is staring down the barrel
of political oblivion.
579
00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:12,280
On the 1st of March, 50 BC,
580
00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:15,040
the debate over Caesar's
governorship begins.
581
00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,120
It will end with a vote.
582
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:23,040
The Optimates need a majority
to recall Caesar to Rome.
583
00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,040
But Caesar is prepared.
584
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:32,760
He's banking on a man he's bribed,
another tribune of the people.
585
00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:39,720
Caesar's man uses his power
as a tribune to obstruct the debate.
586
00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:46,760
The tribune vetoes and vetoes
and vetoes every proposal
587
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:51,160
that is put by the Senate to try
and strip Caesar of his command.
588
00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,280
The tribune not only blocks
the proposal
589
00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:57,520
to revoke Caesar's governorship,
590
00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:01,400
he has a counter-demand
direct from Caesar.
591
00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:07,040
He puts a proposal to the Senate
that if Caesar is stripped
592
00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:11,280
of his command, then Pompey should
be stripped of HIS command in Spain.
593
00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:16,440
And this, of course, ups the stakes,
594
00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,320
because it now means that
Pompey's command as well is in play.
595
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:22,240
Pompey isn't going to give up
his army. Are you kidding?
596
00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:28,760
His power lies in having
an army at his command.
597
00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,920
He is not going to give that up.
598
00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:43,520
Rome's two most powerful generals
are now in a dangerous game
599
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:45,640
of brinkmanship.
600
00:47:45,640 --> 00:47:49,040
If they cannot resolve
their stand-off peacefully,
601
00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:51,920
everyone fears where it might lead.
602
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:57,040
The tension between Caesar and
Pompey at this point is escalating
603
00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:00,160
because of the back and forth
they're having via the Senate.
604
00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:05,040
The problem is, the Romans know
very well the logical outcome
605
00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:06,960
of this could be civil war.
606
00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:11,040
In a frantic bid to de-escalate,
607
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:15,400
the Senate again debates the
proposal that both Caesar and Pompey
608
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:17,800
give up their armies,
609
00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:21,160
and that Caesar be allowed
to stand for the consulship.
610
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:23,960
For the Optimates,
611
00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:26,760
this would mean abandoning
their bid to prosecute him.
612
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:34,760
But even Caesar's opponents
are eager to avert catastrophe.
613
00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:40,760
The vote was 370 for,
614
00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:44,040
to 22 against,
615
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:48,600
and it's clearly because the Senate
wants to avoid civil war.
616
00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:53,720
And it might appear at that point
that peace is around the corner,
617
00:48:53,720 --> 00:48:58,280
but, of course, Caesar's enemies
aren't going to let that happen.
618
00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:02,440
Despite the overwhelming vote,
619
00:49:02,440 --> 00:49:05,680
one of the current consuls
is a die-hard Optimate.
620
00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:10,040
Loathe to compromise with Caesar,
621
00:49:10,040 --> 00:49:15,520
he uses his power as consul to do
something reckless and radical.
622
00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:21,520
It's absolutely outrageous
for a consul to ignore
623
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:23,680
the expressed will of the Senate,
624
00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:26,280
but the Consuls
are very powerful people.
625
00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:32,840
They have imperium - the right
to control military strength,
626
00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:36,520
and in their determination
to block Caesar,
627
00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:40,120
the consul actually takes a sword
to Pompey and says,
628
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:45,080
"Here, the command is yours and
you must protect us from Caesar."
629
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:50,440
This is a signal
that he has been appointed
630
00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:54,200
as Commander of Armed Forces
631
00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:57,160
on behalf of the Senate.
632
00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:00,720
Pompey should refuse.
633
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:05,920
If he had his head screwed on,
Pompey should refuse.
634
00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:11,120
But the diabolical thing
that the senators do
635
00:50:11,120 --> 00:50:15,760
is to persuade Pompey
that he's their hero
636
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:18,120
and that Caesar is the enemy.
637
00:50:18,120 --> 00:50:20,640
He accepts the sword...
638
00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:26,000
..and this is then a declaration
639
00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:30,040
that he is willing
to take up arms...
640
00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:32,280
..against Caesar.
641
00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:38,360
This raises the stakes once again.
642
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:48,520
Pompey now has the authority to
bring Rome's legions down on Caesar.
643
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:54,040
Pompey has both symbolically
and literally
644
00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:55,840
taken up the sword against him,
645
00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:59,400
and so Caesar now has absolutely
no illusions as to what he's facing.
646
00:50:59,400 --> 00:51:02,120
But, you know,
he makes one final gambit.
647
00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:04,440
He sends a letter to the Senate.
648
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:09,840
Caesar's letter is
brought before the Senate
649
00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:15,520
by one of his most loyal soldiers -
a man called Mark Antony.
650
00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:19,520
Antony is one of those figures
from antiquity
651
00:51:19,520 --> 00:51:21,760
that gets almost nothing
but bad press.
652
00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:25,520
Antony is a womaniser
and he's a drunkard.
653
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:28,840
What's easy to overlook is that
Antony is interested in literature,
654
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:32,520
he's interested in art, he's one of
the best educated men of his time,
655
00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:35,040
which is why he's a terrific orator.
656
00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:38,920
He joins Caesar's army
as an officer,
657
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:42,560
and they've become friendly,
they've become close,
658
00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:45,120
all during the context
of the Gallic War.
659
00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:51,520
Caesar has used his popularity to
get Antony elected as a tribune.
660
00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:56,760
His role is to protect the interests
of the Roman people,
661
00:51:56,760 --> 00:52:00,320
but Antony is really
serving Caesar.
662
00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:06,760
When Mark Antony comes to the Senate
with a letter from Caesar,
663
00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:11,400
the Senate won't even let him
read the letter out,
664
00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:16,520
and they're simply putting
their fingers in their ears
665
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:21,040
and saying, "La, la, la, la, la.
We don't want to hear you, Caesar."
666
00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:25,320
But they're forced to hear it
by Mark Antony...
667
00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:30,760
..and the letter appears to be
just another letter
668
00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:35,720
which says, "Let's disarm,
let's find a way toward peace."
669
00:52:35,720 --> 00:52:40,680
But in addition to that sentiment,
Antony will then go on to say,
670
00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:44,520
speaking for Caesar,
that if this is impossible,
671
00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:48,040
if the Senate insists on
being so aggressive,
672
00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:51,520
then Caesar must defend
his prestige,
673
00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:55,520
he must protect the freedom
of the Roman people.
674
00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:59,160
They take it to mean that
Caesar is threatening civil war.
675
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:04,600
I think for Caesar, it's very clear.
676
00:53:04,600 --> 00:53:08,560
Either his enemies in the Senate
back down,
677
00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:12,040
or else, with reluctance,
678
00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:17,960
Caesar will have no choice but to
defend Rome by marching on Rome.
679
00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:24,840
Some people believe that it's
possible to compromise with Caesar
680
00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:26,520
and avoid civil war.
681
00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:30,520
But Cato thinks that Caesar
is a fundamental threat
682
00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:33,560
to the Republic
and a stand must be taken,
683
00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:40,280
so he pushes very, very hard for an
aggressive response towards Caesar.
684
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:45,520
In the heart of all politics,
685
00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:48,760
it doesn't matter whether you're
dealing with Putin and Ukraine
686
00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:51,840
or you're dealing with Hitler,
the question is,
687
00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:56,040
is compromise and peace possible
with a tyrant,
688
00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:59,680
or is trying to compromise
just a form of appeasement?
689
00:53:59,680 --> 00:54:01,640
It just encourages the other side.
690
00:54:03,280 --> 00:54:05,520
The Senate must now decide -
691
00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:09,040
compromise with Caesar
or confront him.
692
00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:15,040
For Caesar's enemies,
backing down is not an option,
693
00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:19,040
so they bring a radical bill
to the chamber.
694
00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:22,520
It's called the Ultimate
Decree of the Senate,
695
00:54:22,520 --> 00:54:27,360
which would make Caesar
an outlaw of the state.
696
00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:30,520
This is as far from compromise...
697
00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:33,480
..as one can get.
698
00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:40,640
We're talking about a decree that
says you have permission to murder
699
00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:47,080
Caesar if he crosses the boundary
into Rome, with or without an army.
700
00:54:47,080 --> 00:54:50,760
This is huge. It is absolutely huge.
701
00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:57,200
And it's effectively
a declaration of war on Caesar.
702
00:55:00,760 --> 00:55:05,040
The Senate are persuaded that this
is the Republic's last chance.
703
00:55:06,040 --> 00:55:09,280
The emergency decree is passed.
704
00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:23,040
Antony is told in advance
that if he interposes his veto
705
00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:25,480
against the Senate's
Ultimate Decree,
706
00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:29,120
if he exercises his rights
as a tribune,
707
00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:31,760
he should be concerned
for his personal safety.
708
00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:38,040
And so he flees Rome
because of the menace of the Senate.
709
00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:47,600
He makes quite a show
of disguising himself as a slave
710
00:55:47,600 --> 00:55:51,920
so he won't be recognised, and he
goes on to send Caesar in advance
711
00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:54,040
the notice that he is in peril.
712
00:55:57,520 --> 00:56:00,760
The moment Caesar gets the news,
he acts decisively,
713
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:03,520
he acts with his customary speed,
714
00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:07,040
but, of course, to act
he needs an army at his back.
715
00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:11,920
But he knows exactly
how to press their buttons.
716
00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:16,320
He says to them that the insult that
is being done to his tribune,
717
00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:20,640
Mark Antony, this is an insult
to his men too.
718
00:56:22,280 --> 00:56:25,920
The legions know the tribunes
cannot be threatened,
719
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:27,760
they cannot be harmed.
720
00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,360
That's good propaganda for Caesar.
721
00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:33,760
Turn against the tribunes
of the Roman people,
722
00:56:33,760 --> 00:56:35,920
you're turning against
the Roman people.
723
00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:40,880
If you side with Julius Caesar...
724
00:56:40,880 --> 00:56:44,200
..you side with freedom.
725
00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:54,440
On the 9th of January, 49 BC,
726
00:56:54,440 --> 00:56:59,280
just north of the Rubicon - the
river separating Gaul from Italy,
727
00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:01,320
Caesar hosts a dinner.
728
00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:07,040
Caesar faces a choice.
729
00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:09,760
He could lay down his command,
730
00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:14,520
risk prosecution and the
very strong possibility of exile,
731
00:57:14,520 --> 00:57:18,560
or plunge Rome into
a bloody civil war.
732
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:26,880
He has been pushed into a corner
by his enemies.
733
00:57:28,280 --> 00:57:34,200
We're told that he hesitates in a
kind of...an anguish of indecision.
734
00:57:36,760 --> 00:57:39,200
But in the end, he's a gambler...
735
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:42,840
..and, as he has done
throughout his career,
736
00:57:42,840 --> 00:57:45,240
he is ready to roll the dice.
737
00:57:53,520 --> 00:57:57,400
On the 10th of January,
he gives the command.
738
00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:00,640
His legion crosses the Rubicon,
739
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:04,040
and the Roman Republic...
740
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,040
..collapses into civil war.
741
00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:12,200
Next time....
742
00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:15,640
..Caesar triumphs in war...
743
00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:19,760
..but as he takes ever more power
for himself,
744
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:24,000
he leaves his enemies little choice.
97744
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