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It isn't too late.
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Any man who wishes
to turn back...
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go now...
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00:00:39,995 --> 00:00:41,519
with no dishonor.
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We cross this stream...
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we are fighting
all the way to Rome.
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Are you with me?
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Long live Caesar!
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Let the dice fly high!
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Caesar stands
as a colossus in world history.
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He is one of the most brilliant
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but also dangerous statesmen
who ever lived.
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He was an orator, a warrior.
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He built an empire.
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Victory, or death!
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Caesar took on
the greatest rivals of his day
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and defeated them one by one.
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Caesar turns the Roman Republic
into the Roman Empire.
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The defining aspect
of Caesar's personality
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is his willingness to gamble.
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He is cunning, he's devious,
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he's not always
as sincere as he proclaims.
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The three of us
would be invincible.
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Does he declare war
on the Republic
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in order to save it,
or to dismantle it?
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Your bruised ego
means war, does it?
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So much
of our modern world is shaped
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by Julius Caesar
and the Roman Empire.
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Julius Caesar
is this pivot point
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in Western history.
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Now!
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This is a man who amassed power
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and couldn't be satisfied
with what he had.
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There's a tremendous warning
for us in Caesar's story.
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As dark as it sounds,
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Caesar's story
is the story of Rome.
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Rome, 81 BC.
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For eight years,
a brutal civil war
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between rival political factions
has torn the city apart.
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Now, a ruthless commander,
called Sulla, has triumphed.
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And he is purging
his political rivals.
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Thousands are killed.
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Caught up
in this bloody violence,
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is a young man,
called Julius Caesar.
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Caesar comes from
a moderately well-known family.
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They weren't the wealthiest,
the most powerful
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and they were actually
on the defeated side
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of the civil war.
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He was in danger.
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He is tied
by blood and by marriage
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to the losing side.
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This puts Caesar
in a difficult position.
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Hey! Stop right there!
54
00:04:03,764 --> 00:04:05,462
Hey! Stop right there!
55
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Wait, wait, wait!
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Hey, stop! Hey, stop!
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Over the centuries,
before the civil war...
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Rome has gone from
a small regional power,
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to a major player
on the world stage.
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From a city state
on seven hills,
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it's bit by bit conquered
and absorbed surrounding tribes
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until it dominates Italy, Greece
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and most of the Mediterranean.
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Once a monarchy,
Rome has been a republic,
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a city ruled
by elected officials,
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since 500 BC.
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A period of more than 400 years.
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The whole principle
of the Roman Republic
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is that no one individual
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should gain permanent,
supreme power.
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00:05:06,827 --> 00:05:08,176
So, power is divided.
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But at the end of the civil war,
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one man rules
the Roman Republic unchallenged,
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Sulla, the dictator.
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A dictator was a special office
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that was only called upon
in times of emergency.
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A dictator
had absolute authority
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but a dictator only served
for a period of six months,
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or the duration of the crisis,
whichever was shorter.
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What makes Sulla's
dictatorship unique,
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is that he never puts a deadline
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on when he's gonna
give up power.
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Caesar's uncle, Marius,
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and father-in-law, Cinna,
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were both leaders
of the defeated side in the war.
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Cinna and Marius fought the war
on behalf of the populares,
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which essentially
means "populists."
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These are the aristocrats
who are looking to support
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the causes
of the general public.
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Sulla had fought the civil war
on behalf of the optimates,
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meaning "Rome's best men."
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They were
conservative aristocrats
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and they were really looking
to maintain the status quo.
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Given the suspect
loyalty of Caesar's family...
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Get up.
...Rome's new ruler
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wants to see
where his allegiances lie.
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Now I heard you ran from my men.
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Not sure your uncle
would approve.
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Do you stand against me
like your dead father-in-law?
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I stand with the Republic.
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Oh.
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Prove it.
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Divorce your wife.
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How does that
benefit the Republic?
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It benefits me.
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I am the Republic.
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Caesar is married to Cornelia,
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the daughter of Cinna.
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Cinna had been
Sulla's mortal enemy
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and so Sulla wants to make sure
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Julius Caesar
does not become a threat
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because of his marriage connection.
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You have until sunrise.
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Refusing Sulla's request
would be an amazing risk.
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Sulla is a terrifying
and ferocious character
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who had brought a new level
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of ruthless savagery
to Roman politics.
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But Caesar
doesn't divorce Cornelia.
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Is it because
of the political connections?
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Is it because
he genuinely loved Cornelia?
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We don't know
but we know it's a great risk.
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Cornelia. Cornelia.
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Why didn't you leave when you
heard they were coming for you?
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I couldn't go
without seeing you.
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There are heads
up on spikes by the bridge,
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- do you want to be one?
- Cornelia!
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It won't always be like this.
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You have to go now.
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Having made
an enemy of Sulla,
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Caesar slips out of the city.
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Caesar may hope that one day,
he can return to Rome
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and fix what he sees
as a broken Republic.
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By the time Julius Caesar
is a young man,
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Rome has grown to a city
of almost a million people.
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The population density
is approaching
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00:09:27,044 --> 00:09:28,611
what we see in modern Manhattan.
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00:09:29,916 --> 00:09:32,963
As Rome's power
and population increase,
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it's Republic becomes
fundamentally less democratic.
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The line between
Rome's rich and poor
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has only gotten greater.
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There are a great number of very
impoverished people in the city
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who actually survive
on a grain dole from the state.
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The populares,
including Caesar's family,
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think that they can fix
these problems of Rome's poor.
145
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But first,
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00:10:03,558 --> 00:10:05,735
the fugitive Caesar
has to stay alive.
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00:10:09,129 --> 00:10:10,870
Caesar is being hunted down
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00:10:11,001 --> 00:10:12,916
by some of Sulla's
bounty hunters
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00:10:13,046 --> 00:10:15,788
because his name
is now on the lists.
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00:10:15,919 --> 00:10:18,399
Caesar is forced
to go on the run for months,
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00:10:18,530 --> 00:10:19,966
it's one of the worst
times in his life.
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00:10:20,967 --> 00:10:22,882
And when he gets caught
by Sulla's men,
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00:10:23,013 --> 00:10:25,842
he's forced to bribe them
using all the money he has.
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00:10:38,202 --> 00:10:39,551
Back in Rome,
Caesar's family
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00:10:39,682 --> 00:10:41,684
lobbies Sulla to pardon Caesar.
156
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He eventually gives in
to their persistence.
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Despite being pardoned by Sulla,
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00:10:50,649 --> 00:10:52,738
Caesar returning to Rome
would not necessarily be safe.
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And so, instead, he joins up
with the Roman military,
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00:10:57,787 --> 00:11:01,312
looking for experience
that will possibly lead
161
00:11:01,442 --> 00:11:03,836
to some degree
of advancement later on.
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00:11:05,142 --> 00:11:06,578
My name is Caesar.
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00:11:06,709 --> 00:11:08,711
I believe
my family's been in touch.
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Every Roman aristocrat
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00:11:11,278 --> 00:11:13,019
was expected
to serve in the military.
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00:11:13,759 --> 00:11:16,675
It was a society
which rewarded it's warriors.
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00:11:18,242 --> 00:11:19,722
Caesar is sent
to a Greek island.
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Part of a force
169
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tasked with
bringing down a rebellion.
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They end up in a battle.
171
00:11:30,602 --> 00:11:32,299
Caesar steps in to save
172
00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:34,345
one of his fallen
Roman soldiers.
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In this, it is witnessed
as an act of bravery.
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00:11:45,617 --> 00:11:47,010
He wins what the Romans know
175
00:11:47,140 --> 00:11:48,838
as the Corona Civica.
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00:11:48,968 --> 00:11:51,884
This is the Civic Crown,
it was the highest award
177
00:11:52,015 --> 00:11:54,931
for individual gallantry that
the Roman state could issue.
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00:11:56,019 --> 00:11:58,021
It is perhaps the first sign
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00:11:58,151 --> 00:12:00,763
that Caesar is not
your ordinary Roman soldier.
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00:12:02,852 --> 00:12:04,767
Caesar stays in the army
for several years.
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00:12:05,985 --> 00:12:08,292
During this time,
he gets a real understanding
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00:12:08,422 --> 00:12:10,685
of what it means
to be part of an empire.
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00:12:10,816 --> 00:12:13,601
Roman politics is not just
about the city of Rome,
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00:12:13,732 --> 00:12:15,342
it's about the world at large.
185
00:12:16,691 --> 00:12:19,129
Finally, four years
after he left Rome...
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00:12:20,217 --> 00:12:23,046
Caesar learns that
the dictator, Sulla, is dead.
187
00:12:24,743 --> 00:12:27,050
The death of Sulla in 78 BC
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00:12:27,180 --> 00:12:29,313
brings some good news
for Caesar,
189
00:12:29,443 --> 00:12:31,881
it means he can go back to Rome
without threat of being killed.
190
00:12:42,630 --> 00:12:44,067
After Caesar
returns to Rome,
191
00:12:44,197 --> 00:12:45,285
he works as a lawyer.
192
00:12:46,243 --> 00:12:47,897
But he is really eager
193
00:12:48,027 --> 00:12:49,812
to get his foot
on the ladder of politics.
194
00:12:51,465 --> 00:12:53,641
Having been forced
to go into hiding,
195
00:12:53,772 --> 00:12:56,340
Caesar spent months
as a penniless refugee,
196
00:12:56,470 --> 00:12:58,603
relying on the charity
of others.
197
00:12:58,733 --> 00:13:01,519
It's the kind of thing that
might've affected his outlook.
198
00:13:01,649 --> 00:13:03,390
Working as a lawyer in Rome,
199
00:13:03,521 --> 00:13:06,176
he takes on the cases
of the underdogs.
200
00:13:08,352 --> 00:13:10,397
Caesar and Cornelia
now have one daughter,
201
00:13:10,528 --> 00:13:12,443
Julia,
202
00:13:12,573 --> 00:13:14,880
but Caesar
has little time for family,
203
00:13:15,011 --> 00:13:17,840
thanks to the demands of work
and his burning ambitions.
204
00:13:19,189 --> 00:13:20,799
One of the defining features
205
00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:22,845
in this era
of the Roman Republic
206
00:13:22,975 --> 00:13:26,239
is incredible ambition
in young men.
207
00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:29,808
There's more to it than
just blind ambition for Caesar.
208
00:13:29,939 --> 00:13:33,856
He's living in a Republic
that's absolutely broken.
209
00:13:34,595 --> 00:13:38,164
Sulla is dead but he still
has appointed cronies
210
00:13:38,295 --> 00:13:40,427
who are in the government still
211
00:13:40,558 --> 00:13:43,430
and in this situation
of rank corruption,
212
00:13:43,561 --> 00:13:46,129
Caesar feels like
he can fix things
213
00:13:46,259 --> 00:13:48,087
but in order to do that,
214
00:13:48,218 --> 00:13:50,133
he needs more power
and more influence.
215
00:13:50,742 --> 00:13:51,874
Will you be
joining us for dinner?
216
00:13:53,484 --> 00:13:54,746
Sorry, hearing tomorrow.
217
00:13:54,877 --> 00:13:56,182
Surely you can take a break?
218
00:13:57,009 --> 00:13:58,228
Your daughter never sees you.
219
00:13:59,098 --> 00:14:00,883
To gain more power,
220
00:14:01,013 --> 00:14:02,928
Caesar needs to climb
the cursus honorum,
221
00:14:03,059 --> 00:14:05,278
the Roman ladder of offices.
222
00:14:05,975 --> 00:14:07,977
What Caesar wants
is the opportunity
223
00:14:08,107 --> 00:14:10,501
to jump a few rungs up.
224
00:14:12,459 --> 00:14:15,636
Caesar is impatient
to progress in Roman society
225
00:14:15,767 --> 00:14:17,595
but he is forced
to wait for his chance.
226
00:14:19,553 --> 00:14:22,034
Five years after Caesar
returns to Rome,
227
00:14:22,165 --> 00:14:25,820
the opportunity he has been
hoping for rears its head.
228
00:14:29,955 --> 00:14:31,522
A gladiatorial rebellion
229
00:14:31,652 --> 00:14:33,176
engulfs all of Italy...
230
00:14:34,394 --> 00:14:37,049
and it's leader
is named Spartacus.
231
00:14:40,792 --> 00:14:44,535
n]
232
00:14:44,665 --> 00:14:46,363
In 73 BC,
233
00:14:46,493 --> 00:14:48,582
a group of gladiators
breaks free
234
00:14:48,713 --> 00:14:50,280
from the captivity in the school
235
00:14:50,410 --> 00:14:51,629
where they're being
trained to fight.
236
00:14:58,027 --> 00:14:59,593
They're led
by Spartacus,
237
00:14:59,724 --> 00:15:01,073
the man who would become famous.
238
00:15:05,817 --> 00:15:07,732
Within a few months,
Spartacus has rallied
239
00:15:07,862 --> 00:15:10,474
120,000 slaves to his cause.
240
00:15:15,566 --> 00:15:18,786
This is the biggest slave
rebellion in Roman history.
241
00:15:23,704 --> 00:15:25,750
The first two years
of the rebellion
242
00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,492
go very well for Spartacus
and very poorly for the Romans.
243
00:15:28,622 --> 00:15:30,581
Two different armies
that are raised
244
00:15:30,711 --> 00:15:32,975
and paid for by the Senate
are completely crushed.
245
00:15:35,151 --> 00:15:37,675
But while Spartacus'
uprising is a crisis for Rome...
246
00:15:39,503 --> 00:15:40,983
it's good news for Caesar.
247
00:15:42,636 --> 00:15:45,204
As Spartacus' rebellion
breaks out,
248
00:15:45,335 --> 00:15:47,380
Caesar stands
for his first elected role
249
00:15:47,511 --> 00:15:49,339
as military tribune
and he's successful.
250
00:15:54,083 --> 00:15:55,823
The military
tribune is an important officer
251
00:15:55,954 --> 00:15:57,347
in the Roman army,
252
00:15:57,477 --> 00:15:58,348
it's the equivalent
of a colonel.
253
00:15:59,479 --> 00:16:02,178
For Caesar, Spartacus' uprising
254
00:16:02,308 --> 00:16:04,528
presents an opportunity.
255
00:16:04,658 --> 00:16:06,791
If Caesar can be
a part of the group
256
00:16:06,921 --> 00:16:09,663
that brings Spartacus down,
257
00:16:09,794 --> 00:16:12,231
it gives him a profound standing
258
00:16:12,362 --> 00:16:13,841
within the Roman Republic.
259
00:16:15,408 --> 00:16:18,020
At some point, I will lose,
I promise, I promise.
260
00:16:18,150 --> 00:16:20,805
The man in charge
of the Roman armies
261
00:16:20,935 --> 00:16:23,025
is Marcus Licinius Crassus.
262
00:16:25,027 --> 00:16:27,725
You do know gambling is illegal.
263
00:16:31,033 --> 00:16:33,383
- Name?
- Gaius Julius Caesar.
264
00:16:34,166 --> 00:16:35,559
You won the Civic Crown.
265
00:16:36,908 --> 00:16:38,170
I've heard about you.
266
00:16:39,302 --> 00:16:40,390
All good, I hope.
267
00:16:42,653 --> 00:16:44,046
We should play a real game...
268
00:16:44,829 --> 00:16:46,396
not one decided by luck.
269
00:16:47,266 --> 00:16:48,920
Play well and, uh...
270
00:16:50,530 --> 00:16:51,749
I might forget about this.
271
00:16:57,755 --> 00:16:59,931
Marcus Licinius Crassus
is famous
272
00:17:00,062 --> 00:17:02,194
as the richest man in Rome.
273
00:17:02,325 --> 00:17:04,892
He's the kind of
ancient world's Tywin Lannister.
274
00:17:06,155 --> 00:17:08,287
The Senate
turns to Crassus for help
275
00:17:08,418 --> 00:17:10,420
because nobody else
wants the position.
276
00:17:10,550 --> 00:17:13,510
Spartacus has already
defeated several Roman generals.
277
00:17:14,511 --> 00:17:17,035
But Crassus is ambitious,
278
00:17:17,166 --> 00:17:19,690
he doesn't have the military
reputation that he wants
279
00:17:19,820 --> 00:17:22,040
to rise to the top
of Roman politics.
280
00:17:22,171 --> 00:17:25,087
He's very eager
to have a military success.
281
00:17:25,217 --> 00:17:28,525
Crassus also
has the personal wealth
282
00:17:28,655 --> 00:17:31,571
to be able to build
and maintain the army himself.
283
00:17:33,138 --> 00:17:34,661
Caesar now
has an opportunity
284
00:17:34,792 --> 00:17:35,793
to form a relationship...
285
00:17:37,316 --> 00:17:38,970
with one of Rome's
most powerful men.
286
00:17:40,276 --> 00:17:41,407
Your turn.
287
00:17:48,936 --> 00:17:49,981
Bold move.
288
00:17:51,548 --> 00:17:52,853
Aggression is the key
to winning any battle.
289
00:17:53,767 --> 00:17:55,639
Including our war
with the gladiators.
290
00:17:57,597 --> 00:17:59,556
Our gladiators
are extremely well-trained,
291
00:17:59,686 --> 00:18:01,297
they'll beat you
in a contest of aggression.
292
00:18:03,299 --> 00:18:05,127
There's more than one way
to defeat an enemy.
293
00:18:06,476 --> 00:18:09,000
You see,
we Romans have an advantage,
294
00:18:09,131 --> 00:18:11,307
we're the best engineers
in the world.
295
00:18:13,091 --> 00:18:15,615
Why fight an open battle
when you don't have to?
296
00:18:16,921 --> 00:18:19,445
Why take on a strong enemy
297
00:18:19,576 --> 00:18:22,666
when you can weaken them first?
298
00:18:24,189 --> 00:18:26,670
One of the most impressive
things about the Romans
299
00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,412
was their military
engineering ability.
300
00:18:29,542 --> 00:18:32,328
Crassus will drive Spartacus
down to the toe of Italy
301
00:18:32,458 --> 00:18:34,678
and across that toe,
302
00:18:34,808 --> 00:18:37,159
Crassus will build
a forty-mile wall.
303
00:18:42,642 --> 00:18:45,079
Crassus hopes
to either starve the army,
304
00:18:45,210 --> 00:18:47,299
get them to surrender
305
00:18:47,430 --> 00:18:50,911
or enable him to fight them
when they're weak and hungry.
306
00:18:51,042 --> 00:18:53,523
Eventually,
Spartacus' provisions run out.
307
00:18:57,483 --> 00:18:59,181
But then,
fate intervenes.
308
00:18:59,311 --> 00:19:01,966
There's a storm
and snow fills up the trenches
309
00:19:02,096 --> 00:19:04,882
so that Spartacus and his men
are able to escape the walls
310
00:19:05,012 --> 00:19:07,363
and make one desperate
last stand against the Romans.
311
00:19:16,110 --> 00:19:19,026
But Crassus' force
decisively defeats
312
00:19:19,157 --> 00:19:20,898
the weak and hungry gladiators.
313
00:19:37,958 --> 00:19:39,960
It's probably during
the Spartacus War,
314
00:19:40,091 --> 00:19:42,963
that Crassus and Caesar
become allies,
315
00:19:43,094 --> 00:19:44,922
perhaps even close friends.
316
00:19:46,837 --> 00:19:50,406
This is a relationship
that's going to last 20 years.
317
00:19:58,675 --> 00:20:00,154
At the end
of the Spartacus War,
318
00:20:00,285 --> 00:20:02,331
Caesar has two things
going for him.
319
00:20:02,461 --> 00:20:04,333
He has a reputation
for military accomplishment
320
00:20:04,463 --> 00:20:05,943
and he has the backing
321
00:20:06,073 --> 00:20:07,684
of the richest man
in Rome, Crassus.
322
00:20:07,814 --> 00:20:09,251
That's a great basis
323
00:20:09,381 --> 00:20:10,382
on which to build
a political career.
324
00:20:11,165 --> 00:20:12,602
The slave army...
325
00:20:13,820 --> 00:20:15,909
is defeated!
326
00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,912
But it takes more
than money to succeed in Rome.
327
00:20:21,088 --> 00:20:25,310
The gladiator rebellion
has been crushed!
328
00:20:25,441 --> 00:20:28,487
Apart from Crassus, the other
man who vies for the title
329
00:20:28,618 --> 00:20:31,403
of the most powerful man in Rome
at this time is Pompey.
330
00:20:32,970 --> 00:20:35,581
While Crassus
decisively defeated Spartacus
331
00:20:35,712 --> 00:20:37,409
at the Battle of Silarius River,
332
00:20:37,540 --> 00:20:39,237
Pompey is able to wipe up
333
00:20:39,368 --> 00:20:42,893
a few scattered remains
of Spartacus' army,
334
00:20:43,023 --> 00:20:47,027
he thus gets the opportunity
to claim victory for himself.
335
00:20:47,158 --> 00:20:50,292
Pompey once had the nickname
"The adolescent butcher"
336
00:20:50,422 --> 00:20:52,424
for his ruthlessness,
337
00:20:52,555 --> 00:20:55,122
and now he's taken
on this title "Magnus,"
338
00:20:55,253 --> 00:20:58,343
which means "The Great,"
same as "Alexander The Great."
339
00:20:58,474 --> 00:21:00,650
Now Pompey
is a brilliant general
340
00:21:00,780 --> 00:21:03,435
but he's a little bit
of a glory junkie,
341
00:21:03,566 --> 00:21:06,351
he's always looking
for his next hit of fame,
342
00:21:06,482 --> 00:21:08,179
even if it wasn't
entirely earned.
343
00:21:13,010 --> 00:21:14,490
"Pompey the Great."
344
00:21:15,229 --> 00:21:18,450
Great at stealing credit
for other men's victories.
345
00:21:18,581 --> 00:21:20,887
Glory is for generals, Crassus,
346
00:21:21,018 --> 00:21:22,628
not money-lenders.
347
00:21:22,759 --> 00:21:24,326
Generals?
348
00:21:24,456 --> 00:21:27,329
You feed on my glory
like a parasite.
349
00:21:29,505 --> 00:21:31,507
Pompey and Crassus
hated each other
350
00:21:31,637 --> 00:21:33,160
from the moment they first met.
351
00:21:33,291 --> 00:21:35,859
Crassus saw Pompey
352
00:21:35,989 --> 00:21:38,427
as someone who was
undeserving of the glory
353
00:21:38,557 --> 00:21:40,516
and credit he had received,
354
00:21:40,646 --> 00:21:43,475
while Crassus had been
denied those same honors.
355
00:21:44,084 --> 00:21:46,173
Pompey saw in Crassus,
356
00:21:46,304 --> 00:21:50,439
really, the only major threat
to Pompey's exultation.
357
00:21:51,178 --> 00:21:52,876
The rivalry
between Pompey and Crassus
358
00:21:53,006 --> 00:21:54,791
defines Roman politics
at this point in time,
359
00:21:54,921 --> 00:21:56,706
that makes things
very difficult for Caesar
360
00:21:56,836 --> 00:21:58,969
because he can't afford
to offend either one of them.
361
00:21:59,099 --> 00:22:02,189
A wrong step here could halt
his political career for good.
362
00:22:03,626 --> 00:22:06,019
Back in Rome,
for the next two years,
363
00:22:06,150 --> 00:22:09,066
Caesar focuses on building up
his public reputation.
364
00:22:10,807 --> 00:22:12,896
What he wants is a chance
to enter political office...
365
00:22:16,943 --> 00:22:18,728
but as Caesar
turns thirty-one...
366
00:22:20,469 --> 00:22:21,992
he faces a personal tragedy.
367
00:22:40,576 --> 00:22:42,273
In the summer of 69 BC,
368
00:22:42,404 --> 00:22:44,231
two years
after Spartacus' revolt,
369
00:22:44,362 --> 00:22:46,146
his wife, Cornelia, dies.
370
00:22:47,147 --> 00:22:49,715
We can't be sure exactly how
but there's a very good theory
371
00:22:49,846 --> 00:22:51,456
that it may have
been childbirth,
372
00:22:51,587 --> 00:22:53,284
which did kill
up to a third of women.
373
00:22:55,982 --> 00:22:58,637
Given that Caesar refused
374
00:22:58,768 --> 00:23:02,815
to divorce Cornelia for Sulla
375
00:23:02,946 --> 00:23:06,602
and given how long
their marriage lasted,
376
00:23:06,732 --> 00:23:08,517
I think it's safe to assume
377
00:23:08,647 --> 00:23:12,129
that he had a great deal
of affection for Cornelia.
378
00:23:14,958 --> 00:23:18,352
Caesar decides
to give her a public funeral.
379
00:23:19,266 --> 00:23:20,659
Now this is something
that generally
380
00:23:20,790 --> 00:23:23,619
was not done for Roman women.
381
00:23:24,533 --> 00:23:27,405
In Roman tradition,
funerals were a way
382
00:23:27,536 --> 00:23:30,582
of displaying everything
that your family had done
383
00:23:30,713 --> 00:23:32,236
on behalf of the Roman state.
384
00:23:38,938 --> 00:23:42,159
Cornelia's death is a blow
to Caesar's ambitions,
385
00:23:42,289 --> 00:23:45,118
he loses her connections
to a powerful family.
386
00:23:47,686 --> 00:23:49,949
But Caesar also turns
his personal tragedy
387
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:51,473
into a political opportunity.
388
00:23:55,651 --> 00:23:59,089
Upon dying,
Romans would have a mask
389
00:23:59,219 --> 00:24:00,656
made of their remains.
390
00:24:01,787 --> 00:24:03,354
During a funeral,
391
00:24:03,485 --> 00:24:06,183
those masks
would be worn by performers.
392
00:24:07,097 --> 00:24:10,404
Caesar displays masks
of his ancestors,
393
00:24:10,535 --> 00:24:13,495
his uncle, Marius,
and his father-in-law, Cinna.
394
00:24:14,452 --> 00:24:16,715
And even though Sulla is dead,
395
00:24:16,846 --> 00:24:19,501
displaying the masks
of his opponents
396
00:24:19,631 --> 00:24:21,328
is still illegal.
397
00:24:23,548 --> 00:24:25,507
So, this is
a political statement,
398
00:24:25,637 --> 00:24:27,204
Caesar is saying,
399
00:24:27,334 --> 00:24:30,033
"It's okay to be
a populare again."
400
00:24:30,860 --> 00:24:33,297
Caesar's actions are
an affront to the optimates...
401
00:24:34,516 --> 00:24:36,648
the faction
that still holds power in Rome.
402
00:24:37,954 --> 00:24:40,870
This man holds up
his ancestors to be heroes.
403
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,656
They were outlaws and rebels...
404
00:24:45,744 --> 00:24:47,224
enemies to the Republic.
405
00:24:49,443 --> 00:24:52,795
Cato will become
Caesar's greatest enemy.
406
00:24:52,925 --> 00:24:56,538
He's a key leader
of the political conservatives,
407
00:24:56,668 --> 00:24:58,714
a member of the optimates.
408
00:25:02,544 --> 00:25:03,849
You should hang
your head in shame...
409
00:25:06,504 --> 00:25:08,550
your uncle
and father-in-law lost the war.
410
00:25:09,942 --> 00:25:12,205
Cato loathes
Julius Caesar.
411
00:25:12,336 --> 00:25:13,685
It's even stronger than hate,
412
00:25:13,816 --> 00:25:16,558
he bitterly detests this man.
413
00:25:17,733 --> 00:25:20,170
They are both
highly ambitious men,
414
00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:22,651
who wish to rise
to the top of Roman society.
415
00:25:40,843 --> 00:25:42,932
My name is Gaius Julius Caesar.
416
00:25:45,325 --> 00:25:46,588
I've come here...
417
00:25:48,198 --> 00:25:49,591
to honor my wife.
418
00:25:50,809 --> 00:25:52,115
I've also come here...
419
00:25:53,899 --> 00:25:56,554
to make a promise to you all.
420
00:25:57,424 --> 00:26:00,950
For Caesar, this funeral oration
is a political awakening.
421
00:26:02,255 --> 00:26:05,345
My family
has the sanctity of kings.
422
00:26:06,129 --> 00:26:08,914
He's asserting,
that his family, the Julii,
423
00:26:09,045 --> 00:26:12,135
an old and noble family,
deserve to be treated
424
00:26:12,265 --> 00:26:15,094
with the same respect as
all of Rome's leading families.
425
00:26:15,965 --> 00:26:19,185
But more than this,
I am one of you.
426
00:26:21,274 --> 00:26:22,972
A Roman.
Yes!
427
00:26:24,277 --> 00:26:27,977
There are too many men
running this city
428
00:26:28,107 --> 00:26:30,066
who are only out for themselves.
429
00:26:30,588 --> 00:26:32,372
He announces that
430
00:26:32,503 --> 00:26:35,462
he is going to try
to move forward,
431
00:26:35,593 --> 00:26:38,335
to make things better
for the ordinary people of Rome.
432
00:26:38,465 --> 00:26:40,642
Join me...
Yes!
433
00:26:40,772 --> 00:26:42,165
...and I will show you...
434
00:26:43,688 --> 00:26:45,559
what we can do together.
435
00:26:48,954 --> 00:26:50,782
And he doesn't care
who stands in his way,
436
00:26:50,913 --> 00:26:53,089
his political aspirations
have never become clearer.
437
00:27:09,714 --> 00:27:12,848
g]
438
00:27:15,938 --> 00:27:18,636
Within months of his wife,
Cornelia's death,
439
00:27:18,767 --> 00:27:21,247
Caesar has raised
enough political support
440
00:27:21,378 --> 00:27:22,814
to become a senator.
441
00:27:28,211 --> 00:27:30,996
One of the ways one
becomes a senator in Rome,
442
00:27:31,127 --> 00:27:33,346
is by being elected
to one of the junior positions
443
00:27:33,477 --> 00:27:34,913
on the cursus honorum.
444
00:27:35,044 --> 00:27:37,568
This is how Caesar
becomes a senator.
445
00:27:37,699 --> 00:27:40,832
In Caesar's day,
there are about 600 senators.
446
00:27:40,963 --> 00:27:43,269
Now the word "senate"
comes from the word "senex,"
447
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,271
which means old or wise man
448
00:27:45,402 --> 00:27:47,186
and this fits
the Senate to the "T".
449
00:27:48,492 --> 00:27:51,234
They are the oldest, wisest,
but really what they are,
450
00:27:51,364 --> 00:27:53,236
is the most
powerful men in Rome.
451
00:27:54,890 --> 00:27:56,413
Julius Caesar.
452
00:27:57,893 --> 00:27:59,329
Senators.
453
00:27:59,459 --> 00:28:01,984
I think that Caesar,
in many ways,
454
00:28:02,114 --> 00:28:04,334
was very idealistic.
455
00:28:05,204 --> 00:28:07,380
He really wants
to bring about change to Rome,
456
00:28:07,511 --> 00:28:09,426
to lift up the poor people,
457
00:28:09,556 --> 00:28:11,863
I think he really
does want to do good
458
00:28:11,994 --> 00:28:13,560
for the Roman Republic.
459
00:28:14,344 --> 00:28:16,912
Young Caesar
often backs idealistic,
460
00:28:17,042 --> 00:28:19,305
popular causes and this seems
461
00:28:19,436 --> 00:28:22,874
like a dashing rebellion
against the establishment
462
00:28:23,005 --> 00:28:24,702
but in fact, popular causes
463
00:28:24,833 --> 00:28:26,922
are a well-known route to power.
464
00:28:28,314 --> 00:28:30,926
Every decision he makes
as a young man,
465
00:28:31,056 --> 00:28:35,147
is designed to cement his image
as a supporter of the people.
466
00:28:35,974 --> 00:28:37,889
Once you're elected
into the Senate,
467
00:28:38,020 --> 00:28:40,805
you're there for life, like
the US Supreme Court Justices.
468
00:28:40,936 --> 00:28:43,025
However,
you could lose your seat.
469
00:28:44,026 --> 00:28:46,115
One of the ways is if you
have to declare bankruptcy.
470
00:28:46,245 --> 00:28:48,204
Politicians were not paid,
471
00:28:48,334 --> 00:28:51,076
not only would they be spending
on their campaign funds
472
00:28:51,207 --> 00:28:52,643
but they would be expected
473
00:28:52,774 --> 00:28:54,732
to cover civic
infrastructure projects.
474
00:28:54,863 --> 00:28:56,952
So, they might have to
repair bridges or roads.
475
00:29:00,042 --> 00:29:02,000
Caesar
is not a wealthy man
476
00:29:02,131 --> 00:29:04,611
when he begins
his career in politics,
477
00:29:04,742 --> 00:29:06,613
he runs up tremendous debts.
478
00:29:06,744 --> 00:29:10,922
By 64 BC,
Caesar is in so much debt
479
00:29:11,053 --> 00:29:12,532
that two of his fellow politicians
480
00:29:12,663 --> 00:29:14,099
have actually gone bankrupt,
481
00:29:14,230 --> 00:29:16,101
just trying
to keep pace with him.
482
00:29:17,363 --> 00:29:18,669
As Caesar's
debt balloons...
483
00:29:19,931 --> 00:29:23,021
five years into
his career as a senator,
484
00:29:23,152 --> 00:29:25,502
he decides to stage
gladiatorial games for the city.
485
00:29:27,330 --> 00:29:28,810
This is
an incredible opportunity
486
00:29:28,940 --> 00:29:30,724
to display his generosity.
487
00:29:32,901 --> 00:29:34,685
Caesar scours
gladiator schools across Italy.
488
00:29:35,686 --> 00:29:36,774
Their best fighters.
489
00:29:39,124 --> 00:29:40,386
Caesar
wants to put on
490
00:29:40,517 --> 00:29:42,301
the biggest show
in Rome's history
491
00:29:42,432 --> 00:29:44,260
but gladiators don't come cheap
492
00:29:44,390 --> 00:29:46,523
and Caesar needs
some extra financial help.
493
00:29:48,612 --> 00:29:50,614
At this point,
Caesar owes somewhere
494
00:29:50,744 --> 00:29:53,530
in the range
of 31 million sesterces.
495
00:29:53,660 --> 00:29:55,837
That's over $100 million
in today's money.
496
00:29:57,839 --> 00:30:00,711
It means every Roman creditor
is on the lookout for Caesar.
497
00:30:02,234 --> 00:30:04,019
They know his name,
they know what he owes.
498
00:30:06,108 --> 00:30:08,588
As Caesar's debts
continue to rise,
499
00:30:08,719 --> 00:30:11,156
his creditors become
more and more impatient
500
00:30:11,287 --> 00:30:14,551
and there's only one man
in Rome who can bail him out.
501
00:30:15,595 --> 00:30:18,860
- Caesar, you wanted to see me?
- Crassus, thank you for coming.
502
00:30:20,731 --> 00:30:22,646
One of my creditors,
503
00:30:22,776 --> 00:30:24,169
they're threatening me
with court.
504
00:30:26,606 --> 00:30:27,694
What's your plan?
505
00:30:29,566 --> 00:30:31,481
I've been thinking,
506
00:30:31,611 --> 00:30:33,570
perhaps you can help.
507
00:30:35,311 --> 00:30:36,573
I've never lost an election...
508
00:30:38,053 --> 00:30:40,664
if I was in your debt
instead of theirs,
509
00:30:40,794 --> 00:30:42,361
think of what you'd get back
on your investment.
510
00:30:45,538 --> 00:30:48,890
If I do this, I own you.
511
00:30:49,803 --> 00:30:51,196
You do know what that means.
512
00:30:51,327 --> 00:30:53,329
For you,
it means influence, favor--
513
00:30:53,459 --> 00:30:57,550
For you, it means
every single decision you face,
514
00:30:57,681 --> 00:31:00,597
your first thought will not be,
"How does this benefit Caesar?"
515
00:31:01,511 --> 00:31:03,600
But, "How does this
benefit Crassus?"
516
00:31:04,296 --> 00:31:07,038
You lose an election,
even once...
517
00:31:08,605 --> 00:31:10,737
I will gut you
for everything you own.
518
00:31:12,478 --> 00:31:13,566
I know the risks.
519
00:31:15,220 --> 00:31:17,657
Caesar asks for Crassus
to essentially be
520
00:31:17,788 --> 00:31:21,009
the guarantor on his loans,
521
00:31:21,139 --> 00:31:24,099
but in return,
Caesar will become Crassus' man.
522
00:31:29,887 --> 00:31:32,498
This is an extremely
risky move from Caesar.
523
00:31:32,629 --> 00:31:34,500
He's gambling here
that he will get high enough
524
00:31:34,631 --> 00:31:36,154
on Rome's political ladder
525
00:31:36,285 --> 00:31:37,939
that he will be able
to pay Crassus back.
526
00:31:39,853 --> 00:31:41,899
If he loses the next election,
527
00:31:42,030 --> 00:31:43,814
he could be looking
at making an enemy
528
00:31:43,945 --> 00:31:46,077
of one of Rome's
most powerful men
529
00:31:46,208 --> 00:31:48,253
and an effective end
to his political career.
530
00:31:53,041 --> 00:31:54,956
The time has come
for us to choose.
531
00:31:55,086 --> 00:31:56,174
For the next
several years,
532
00:31:56,305 --> 00:31:58,133
Caesar and Crassus are both
533
00:31:58,263 --> 00:32:01,266
political allies
and economic partners.
534
00:32:01,397 --> 00:32:04,095
Caesar has to rise
for Crassus to be paid back,
535
00:32:04,226 --> 00:32:07,881
and now, only one office remains
for Caesar to take,
536
00:32:08,012 --> 00:32:09,144
the consulship.
537
00:32:09,971 --> 00:32:12,147
When the Romans
got rid of their kings,
538
00:32:12,277 --> 00:32:15,237
they replaced them
with the consuls.
539
00:32:15,367 --> 00:32:18,588
So the consuls acted
as the commander-in-chief
540
00:32:18,718 --> 00:32:20,807
of the Roman military.
541
00:32:20,938 --> 00:32:23,810
They were proposing
all bills to the Senate,
542
00:32:23,941 --> 00:32:27,162
the consuls also acted
as the chief judicial officer.
543
00:32:27,292 --> 00:32:29,468
They were the ones
who passed judgement
544
00:32:29,599 --> 00:32:31,340
and who executed punishments.
545
00:32:32,254 --> 00:32:34,343
Caesar is now 40 years old,
546
00:32:34,473 --> 00:32:37,520
which is the youngest anyone can
get elected to the consulship.
547
00:32:37,650 --> 00:32:40,088
The consulship is the high point
548
00:32:40,218 --> 00:32:42,090
of any Roman's career.
549
00:32:42,220 --> 00:32:44,396
This is the position
that Caesar has been
550
00:32:44,527 --> 00:32:47,878
preparing to take
his entire life.
551
00:32:49,358 --> 00:32:52,622
But Caesar's route
to the consulship is not easy.
552
00:32:54,102 --> 00:32:55,799
Rome's
two most powerful men,
553
00:32:55,929 --> 00:32:58,454
Crassus and Pompey,
hate each other
554
00:32:58,584 --> 00:33:00,717
and they've spent years
fighting each other.
555
00:33:07,767 --> 00:33:08,942
Running
for the consulship,
556
00:33:09,073 --> 00:33:11,336
Caesar is now part
557
00:33:11,467 --> 00:33:13,773
of Crassus' faction.
558
00:33:13,904 --> 00:33:16,298
Which means, Pompey's supporters
559
00:33:16,428 --> 00:33:18,169
will be gunning for him.
560
00:33:19,257 --> 00:33:21,129
He has to find
some sort of middle ground
561
00:33:21,259 --> 00:33:22,956
that will allow him
to be elected.
562
00:33:36,883 --> 00:33:38,146
But Caesar
is an incredibly savvy
563
00:33:38,276 --> 00:33:39,408
political operator.
564
00:33:41,845 --> 00:33:43,890
Roman politics is a snake pit
565
00:33:44,021 --> 00:33:46,806
and Caesar navigates it
with incredible dexterity.
566
00:33:58,296 --> 00:34:00,255
- Pompey, thank you for coming.
- Why the secrecy?
567
00:34:04,607 --> 00:34:06,304
I'm not interested
in playing games.
568
00:34:06,435 --> 00:34:08,915
Stop, please,
569
00:34:09,046 --> 00:34:10,613
just hear what I have to say.
570
00:34:13,181 --> 00:34:15,705
You two should be
the most powerful men in Rome,
571
00:34:15,835 --> 00:34:18,969
but you put all of your energy
into fighting each other.
572
00:34:20,884 --> 00:34:22,799
What if, instead,
573
00:34:22,929 --> 00:34:26,629
you worked for each other?
574
00:34:28,109 --> 00:34:29,153
Why would we?
575
00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,677
Back me to become consul
576
00:34:31,808 --> 00:34:34,811
and I'll make sure
the Senate works for you.
577
00:34:36,943 --> 00:34:38,119
The three of us.
578
00:34:39,642 --> 00:34:42,123
We'd be invincible.
579
00:34:43,428 --> 00:34:45,126
Why should I trust you?
580
00:34:47,911 --> 00:34:49,391
I have one child, my daughter,
581
00:34:49,521 --> 00:34:52,002
she's everything to me.
582
00:34:53,917 --> 00:34:56,485
I offer her to you...
583
00:34:57,355 --> 00:34:59,009
as your wife.
584
00:35:00,271 --> 00:35:01,664
We'd be bonded in blood...
585
00:35:03,361 --> 00:35:04,319
family.
586
00:35:08,845 --> 00:35:11,413
Pompey wants land
for his ex-soldiers,
587
00:35:11,543 --> 00:35:13,763
he hasn't been able
to get that through the Senate.
588
00:35:13,893 --> 00:35:16,722
Crassus wants financial support
for his tax-collectors,
589
00:35:16,853 --> 00:35:18,942
he hasn't been able
to get that through,
590
00:35:19,072 --> 00:35:21,031
and Caesar, of course,
wants to be consul.
591
00:35:28,734 --> 00:35:30,345
Caesar is basically
gambling here,
592
00:35:30,475 --> 00:35:32,825
that all three men
are self-interested enough
593
00:35:32,956 --> 00:35:35,350
to put aside their personal beef
and work together.
594
00:35:44,185 --> 00:35:46,143
The secret deal
that Caesar persuades
595
00:35:46,274 --> 00:35:49,538
Pompey and Crassus to agree to,
is called the Triumvirate.
596
00:35:51,279 --> 00:35:53,672
It literally means
"rule of three."
597
00:35:58,547 --> 00:36:01,158
Individually,
they've all been able to get
598
00:36:01,289 --> 00:36:03,900
some of what they want,
but never all of it.
599
00:36:05,510 --> 00:36:08,905
Together, they can dominate
Roman politics...
600
00:36:10,689 --> 00:36:12,082
for years to come.
601
00:36:19,959 --> 00:36:23,354
Caesar immediately
leans on his deal,
602
00:36:23,485 --> 00:36:26,009
with his fellow members
of the Triumvirate,
603
00:36:26,139 --> 00:36:27,924
Crassus and Pompey,
604
00:36:28,054 --> 00:36:31,188
to make sure
he's elected consul.
605
00:36:31,319 --> 00:36:34,017
The Triumvirate
is an ideal arrangement.
606
00:36:34,147 --> 00:36:36,106
Caesar brings
the political skill
607
00:36:36,237 --> 00:36:37,760
and dexterity,
608
00:36:37,890 --> 00:36:39,718
Pompey brings the muscle.
609
00:36:39,849 --> 00:36:43,156
Friends,
the elections are coming
610
00:36:43,287 --> 00:36:46,986
and we are here to ensure
that you vote for the right man.
611
00:36:47,944 --> 00:36:50,512
And Crassus?
He brings the cold, hard cash.
612
00:36:51,426 --> 00:36:53,428
I was just glad I could
offer help when you needed it.
613
00:36:54,124 --> 00:36:56,561
Now, it's my turn.
614
00:36:56,692 --> 00:37:00,130
Bribery was rampant
in ancient Roman elections.
615
00:37:00,261 --> 00:37:02,132
Cast your vote
for Julius Caesar.
616
00:37:02,872 --> 00:37:04,482
You could buy votes
617
00:37:04,613 --> 00:37:06,702
and it was not even considered
618
00:37:06,832 --> 00:37:08,356
bad manners to do this.
619
00:37:09,748 --> 00:37:11,663
Caesar.
620
00:37:11,794 --> 00:37:13,970
Twenty-four votes and counting.
621
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:15,885
Keep it up.
622
00:37:17,756 --> 00:37:18,888
Voting is only for men...
623
00:37:21,499 --> 00:37:23,458
but this doesn't mean
women carry no influence.
624
00:37:25,373 --> 00:37:27,853
After Cornelia's death,
Caesar does remarry,
625
00:37:27,984 --> 00:37:31,204
but he is also known
as a bit of womanizer.
626
00:37:31,335 --> 00:37:33,163
Servilia, Silanus,
627
00:37:33,294 --> 00:37:35,557
how lovely to see you both.
628
00:37:35,687 --> 00:37:37,689
Servilia
is Cato's sister,
629
00:37:37,820 --> 00:37:40,257
she also happens to be
Caesar's mistress.
630
00:37:40,388 --> 00:37:42,607
They've been together for years,
631
00:37:42,738 --> 00:37:44,870
even though both of them
are married.
632
00:37:45,001 --> 00:37:46,524
In addition to being
Caesar's mistress,
633
00:37:46,655 --> 00:37:48,918
Servilia plays
a very important role here,
634
00:37:49,048 --> 00:37:52,225
as a kind of back-channel
negotiator of the ancient world.
635
00:37:52,356 --> 00:37:54,619
Senator,
can I count on your support?
636
00:37:56,752 --> 00:37:58,014
Silanus will back you up.
637
00:37:59,624 --> 00:38:01,452
My brother's politics
aren't ours.
638
00:38:13,943 --> 00:38:16,598
Candidates in Roman elections
wore special togas,
639
00:38:16,728 --> 00:38:19,731
the toga candida,
which means "bright white."
640
00:38:20,515 --> 00:38:22,908
A Roman who is wearing
the toga candida
641
00:38:23,039 --> 00:38:26,172
was a candidatus,
"one dressed in bright white."
642
00:38:26,303 --> 00:38:29,001
This is where we get
our modern word "candidate."
643
00:38:30,263 --> 00:38:32,570
Caesar is an extremely
charismatic politician.
644
00:38:32,701 --> 00:38:35,094
He's attractive, he's witty.
645
00:38:35,225 --> 00:38:38,533
In fact, one could say
that he has all the talents.
646
00:38:40,665 --> 00:38:43,929
There's a lot riding on this
election day for you, Caesar,
647
00:38:44,060 --> 00:38:45,322
for all of us.
648
00:38:47,455 --> 00:38:49,544
We will see you later,
at the victory party.
649
00:38:53,461 --> 00:38:56,812
And it had better be
a victory party.
650
00:38:58,117 --> 00:39:00,293
The stakes
could not be higher for Caesar,
651
00:39:00,424 --> 00:39:03,122
he literally cannot afford
to lose this election.
652
00:39:09,781 --> 00:39:11,740
But Caesar
had no need to worry.
653
00:39:14,090 --> 00:39:16,179
The election day
proves to be everything
654
00:39:16,309 --> 00:39:18,834
that Caesar could've wished for
because he tops the ballot
655
00:39:18,964 --> 00:39:21,402
by a landslide,
so he is elected consul.
656
00:39:23,926 --> 00:39:25,928
A consul's term
is only one year,
657
00:39:26,058 --> 00:39:28,060
so if they want to
get things done,
658
00:39:28,191 --> 00:39:30,889
they have to push them through,
from the first day in office.
659
00:39:33,109 --> 00:39:35,894
Caesar now has to pay back
his allies.
660
00:39:36,025 --> 00:39:38,941
The first law
Caesar has to pass as consul,
661
00:39:39,071 --> 00:39:41,422
is a land bill that gives land
662
00:39:41,552 --> 00:39:43,293
to Pompey's veterans.
663
00:39:44,294 --> 00:39:47,428
The land is there to be farmed.
664
00:39:47,558 --> 00:39:49,517
The former soldiers of Pompey
665
00:39:49,647 --> 00:39:51,127
risked their lives
for the Roman Republic
666
00:39:51,257 --> 00:39:53,216
but are now reduced to poverty.
667
00:39:53,346 --> 00:39:55,610
Pompey wants to give them
farms as a reward.
668
00:39:56,524 --> 00:39:58,395
Should it not be given
669
00:39:58,526 --> 00:40:00,397
to destitute men
670
00:40:00,528 --> 00:40:03,748
who once fought for us all?
671
00:40:10,755 --> 00:40:13,149
Cato, you wish
to support my bill?
672
00:40:15,107 --> 00:40:18,459
Cato
is one of the leading members
673
00:40:18,589 --> 00:40:21,026
of the optimates,
"The Conservative."
674
00:40:21,157 --> 00:40:24,987
He is perhaps the most
conservative man in Rome.
675
00:40:25,117 --> 00:40:28,207
Cato has a kind of
personality cult going on.
676
00:40:28,338 --> 00:40:31,036
He has a very distinctive
way of dress,
677
00:40:31,167 --> 00:40:34,866
what he imagines was the attire
678
00:40:34,997 --> 00:40:36,868
of the earliest leaders of Rome.
679
00:40:36,999 --> 00:40:40,002
He goes barefoot
and even commando
680
00:40:40,132 --> 00:40:42,657
and he does this
style himself as a man
681
00:40:42,787 --> 00:40:45,137
who is returning to simpler days
682
00:40:45,268 --> 00:40:47,531
but really what he's doing
is representing the aims
683
00:40:47,662 --> 00:40:50,186
of a very small group
of aristocrats.
684
00:40:50,316 --> 00:40:51,361
Consul.
685
00:40:52,754 --> 00:40:56,322
There is much to admire
in this land bill.
686
00:40:56,758 --> 00:40:59,412
The hand is elegant,
687
00:40:59,543 --> 00:41:02,198
the papyrus
is of the finest quality...
688
00:41:05,157 --> 00:41:08,334
but it would be
a very grave mistake
689
00:41:08,465 --> 00:41:11,903
to set such a precedent
at this point in time.
690
00:41:12,034 --> 00:41:14,602
Like senators
in the United States today,
691
00:41:14,732 --> 00:41:17,996
Roman senators could
effectively stop legislation
692
00:41:18,127 --> 00:41:19,476
simply by talking...
693
00:41:19,998 --> 00:41:22,305
And we are to obey.
694
00:41:22,435 --> 00:41:23,741
...and talking...
695
00:41:23,872 --> 00:41:25,351
There are points aplenty
696
00:41:25,482 --> 00:41:26,962
that are wrong with this text.
697
00:41:27,092 --> 00:41:28,267
...and talking.
698
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,444
Cato is a master
at the filibuster.
699
00:41:31,575 --> 00:41:35,492
How very,
very tedious of Caesar...
700
00:41:35,623 --> 00:41:39,452
Cato's an obstructionist
and he's trying to make sure
701
00:41:39,583 --> 00:41:42,804
that nothing that represents
the aims of Caesar,
702
00:41:42,934 --> 00:41:45,763
Pompey and Crassus
gets turned into law.
703
00:41:45,894 --> 00:41:48,157
Cato's opposition
to Caesar's land bill
704
00:41:48,287 --> 00:41:50,942
isn't just political,
it's also personal.
705
00:41:51,073 --> 00:41:54,816
These two guys
really do not get on
706
00:41:54,946 --> 00:41:56,687
and that's made worse
by the fact that Caesar
707
00:41:56,818 --> 00:41:59,255
is having this affair
with Cato's sister.
708
00:41:59,385 --> 00:42:01,083
...a waste
of our time, senators.
709
00:42:01,213 --> 00:42:03,651
That's enough Cato.
710
00:42:08,525 --> 00:42:09,570
Maybe one-- what is this?
711
00:42:10,396 --> 00:42:11,484
What is this?
712
00:42:13,835 --> 00:42:16,794
Let us give
the honorable Senator
713
00:42:16,925 --> 00:42:20,189
some time alone
to think about the land bill.
714
00:42:20,319 --> 00:42:23,845
Caesar sends attendants
to manhandle Cato
715
00:42:23,975 --> 00:42:25,281
and lead him off
towards the prison...
716
00:42:28,284 --> 00:42:30,634
hoping this will simply
stop Cato in his tracks.
717
00:42:31,635 --> 00:42:34,290
Before I was
so rudely interrupted.
718
00:42:38,207 --> 00:42:40,557
Caesar doesn't have
the power to keep Cato there
719
00:42:40,688 --> 00:42:42,777
for very long,
but he's broadcasting a message.
720
00:42:46,128 --> 00:42:49,740
He is not above using violence
to get what it is that he wants,
721
00:42:49,871 --> 00:42:51,655
so he wields a very heavy stick
722
00:42:51,786 --> 00:42:54,310
and the optimates
hate him for it.
723
00:42:58,531 --> 00:43:01,926
Over the next year,
Caesar, Pompey and Crassus
724
00:43:02,057 --> 00:43:04,320
resort to any means necessary,
725
00:43:04,450 --> 00:43:06,801
legal and illegal...
726
00:43:06,931 --> 00:43:08,890
to push through their agenda.
727
00:43:10,282 --> 00:43:12,633
As it becomes less secret
and more openly violent,
728
00:43:12,763 --> 00:43:14,983
the Triumvirate acquires
a nickname,
729
00:43:15,113 --> 00:43:16,506
"The three-headed monster."
730
00:43:17,463 --> 00:43:20,075
Consuls can only serve
one year in office,
731
00:43:20,205 --> 00:43:22,077
it's possible
to serve another year
732
00:43:22,207 --> 00:43:23,426
but not consecutively.
733
00:43:24,688 --> 00:43:26,821
And so Caesar knows
that his time
734
00:43:26,951 --> 00:43:28,866
is coming to an end
and he needs a plan.
735
00:43:30,302 --> 00:43:33,001
With Caesar out of office,
he will no longer have
736
00:43:33,131 --> 00:43:35,394
political immunity
from prosecution.
737
00:43:35,525 --> 00:43:37,745
What Caesar's enemies
really want to do
738
00:43:37,875 --> 00:43:40,356
is prosecute him
for all of the crimes
739
00:43:40,486 --> 00:43:42,314
that he has committed
in the last year.
740
00:43:43,098 --> 00:43:45,404
Caesar needs a way
741
00:43:45,535 --> 00:43:48,059
to extend his immunity,
742
00:43:48,190 --> 00:43:50,845
so that Cato and the optimates
cannot charge him.
743
00:43:54,022 --> 00:43:55,414
We don't have
much more time
744
00:43:55,545 --> 00:43:57,373
with you as consul.
745
00:43:57,503 --> 00:43:59,070
What comes next?
746
00:43:59,201 --> 00:44:00,463
I've been
working on something.
747
00:44:02,117 --> 00:44:05,686
I need [indistinct],
one with a military command.
748
00:44:05,816 --> 00:44:07,688
How does that benefit us?
749
00:44:07,818 --> 00:44:10,516
It benefits us all.
Slaves, gladiators, wealth.
750
00:44:11,169 --> 00:44:14,129
Everyone in Rome will know
751
00:44:14,259 --> 00:44:17,306
everything that's sent back
is from the three of us.
752
00:44:17,436 --> 00:44:18,960
The people will love us.
753
00:44:19,090 --> 00:44:21,223
Caesar's plan
is to get a governorship
754
00:44:21,353 --> 00:44:22,964
with military responsibilities.
755
00:44:23,094 --> 00:44:25,096
He would be
immune from prosecution,
756
00:44:25,227 --> 00:44:26,924
perhaps more importantly
for Caesar is,
757
00:44:27,055 --> 00:44:30,406
he doesn't have military glory
at a larger scale
758
00:44:30,536 --> 00:44:32,451
and that's what he would get
if he became the governor
759
00:44:32,582 --> 00:44:34,758
and on top of that,
he's terribly broke.
760
00:44:34,889 --> 00:44:37,065
It would be an opportunity
to get himself out of debt.
761
00:44:37,761 --> 00:44:39,458
Where do you propose?
762
00:44:47,771 --> 00:44:50,034
With help
from Pompey and Crassus,
763
00:44:50,165 --> 00:44:53,342
Caesar secures the position
as governor of Italian Gaul.
764
00:44:55,387 --> 00:44:58,086
Italian Gaul
is the northern-most part
765
00:44:58,216 --> 00:45:00,349
of the Roman Republic.
766
00:45:00,479 --> 00:45:04,048
On the border between
modern-day France and Italy.
767
00:45:04,179 --> 00:45:07,312
So while Italian Gaul
is under Roman control,
768
00:45:07,443 --> 00:45:09,532
the rest of Gaul
is a kind of wild,
769
00:45:09,662 --> 00:45:12,100
independent area
that covers France,
770
00:45:12,230 --> 00:45:13,928
Belgium, the Netherlands,
771
00:45:14,058 --> 00:45:16,060
even up to the Rhine river
in Germany.
772
00:45:16,191 --> 00:45:18,889
The Gauls don't have
a single government like Rome.
773
00:45:19,020 --> 00:45:20,804
According to the Roman
historian, Plutarch,
774
00:45:20,935 --> 00:45:22,937
there are actually
about 300 tribes
775
00:45:23,067 --> 00:45:24,765
who are constantly
at war with each other.
776
00:45:25,853 --> 00:45:28,203
Some are allies of Rome,
some fight Rome,
777
00:45:28,333 --> 00:45:29,465
but they're not united.
778
00:45:31,641 --> 00:45:33,817
For Caesar,
Gaul is not only a vast,
779
00:45:33,948 --> 00:45:35,601
untapped reserve of wealth,
780
00:45:35,732 --> 00:45:37,995
it's a powder-keg
of warring tribes
781
00:45:38,126 --> 00:45:39,301
ready to explode.
782
00:45:40,041 --> 00:45:41,956
If he's able
to conquer this territory,
783
00:45:42,086 --> 00:45:45,133
he could become the wealthiest,
most powerful man in Rome.
784
00:45:46,917 --> 00:45:50,138
but Caesar can't get
involved militarily in Gaul
785
00:45:50,268 --> 00:45:51,139
without a pretext.
786
00:45:53,445 --> 00:45:54,707
So?
787
00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:57,580
Caesar's most important
commander in Gaul
788
00:45:57,710 --> 00:46:00,583
is a talented general
named Titus Labienus.
789
00:46:00,713 --> 00:46:03,020
Earlier in his career,
he'd been associated with Pompey
790
00:46:03,151 --> 00:46:04,543
and now
he's working with Caesar.
791
00:46:04,674 --> 00:46:06,763
An envoy from the Aedui,
792
00:46:06,894 --> 00:46:09,157
a border tribe
and allies with Rome
793
00:46:09,287 --> 00:46:10,811
is begging
for a meeting with you.
794
00:46:11,942 --> 00:46:13,509
Shall I send him away?
795
00:46:13,639 --> 00:46:14,640
Bring him in.
796
00:46:21,299 --> 00:46:22,344
Speak.
797
00:46:23,301 --> 00:46:25,477
We need Rome's protection.
798
00:46:26,522 --> 00:46:29,220
Weeks after taking up
his position as Governor,
799
00:46:29,351 --> 00:46:31,919
Caesar is approached
by Gaul's ally to Rome,
800
00:46:32,049 --> 00:46:34,922
asking for help
against another tribe,
801
00:46:35,052 --> 00:46:36,401
the Helvetii.
802
00:46:37,315 --> 00:46:40,318
The Helvetii are a tribe
living in modern-day Switzerland
803
00:46:40,449 --> 00:46:42,103
but they're looking
for somewhere else to go.
804
00:46:44,279 --> 00:46:45,715
As the Helvetii emigrate,
805
00:46:45,846 --> 00:46:47,238
they clash with other tribes.
806
00:46:47,369 --> 00:46:49,893
There's violence
and there's death.
807
00:46:50,024 --> 00:46:52,069
Some of these tribes
are allied to Rome.
808
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:55,029
Those loyal tribes will come
to Caesar seeking help.
809
00:46:56,204 --> 00:46:57,379
What do you think, Labienus?
810
00:46:58,946 --> 00:47:02,210
Are we not bound
to help our allies?
811
00:47:03,776 --> 00:47:06,518
It becomes an opportunity
for Caesar to engage militarily.
812
00:47:36,766 --> 00:47:39,508
As the Helvetii
continue their migration,
813
00:47:39,638 --> 00:47:41,423
Caesar intercepts.
814
00:47:49,039 --> 00:47:50,432
In Gaul,
Caesar is a predator.
815
00:47:52,564 --> 00:47:54,262
There's just
no other way to describe it.
816
00:47:57,526 --> 00:47:59,267
You have to think
of the Helvetii
817
00:47:59,397 --> 00:48:02,661
as essentially refugees,
looking for a new place to live.
818
00:48:02,792 --> 00:48:04,185
A great deal of their number
819
00:48:04,315 --> 00:48:05,621
would've been
women and children.
820
00:48:17,633 --> 00:48:20,201
This really isn't
a great military conquest
821
00:48:20,331 --> 00:48:23,247
on Caesar's part,
so much as it is an atrocity...
822
00:48:25,684 --> 00:48:28,383
but Caesar is able
to turn this into a story
823
00:48:28,513 --> 00:48:29,862
of a military victory,
824
00:48:29,993 --> 00:48:31,299
that helps
make him popular in Rome.
825
00:48:37,392 --> 00:48:39,698
Having suppressed the Helvetii,
826
00:48:39,829 --> 00:48:43,006
one might expect
that Caesar would leave Gaul
827
00:48:43,137 --> 00:48:45,356
and return
to his Governor's province,
828
00:48:45,487 --> 00:48:48,794
in northern Italy,
but Caesar has other ideas.
829
00:48:53,190 --> 00:48:55,279
They'll be impressed
with our horde back in Italy.
830
00:48:55,410 --> 00:48:56,498
It'll have to wait.
831
00:48:58,326 --> 00:48:59,980
We can't stay here without
permission from the Senate.
832
00:49:00,110 --> 00:49:03,244
There's been a new appeal
from another ally,
833
00:49:03,374 --> 00:49:05,681
I think it's our duty
to stay and help...
834
00:49:07,900 --> 00:49:10,555
and we don't need
the approval of the Senate
835
00:49:10,686 --> 00:49:11,861
to do our duty.
836
00:49:13,732 --> 00:49:16,126
Just months
after defeating the Helvetii,
837
00:49:16,257 --> 00:49:18,085
Caesar decides to go for broke,
838
00:49:18,215 --> 00:49:20,130
he wants all of Gaul.
839
00:49:22,306 --> 00:49:24,265
It's a huge gamble
for Caesar.
840
00:49:24,395 --> 00:49:26,006
He's miles from home,
841
00:49:26,136 --> 00:49:28,965
the tribes outnumber his troops
842
00:49:29,096 --> 00:49:31,446
and he doesn't have proper
supply lines for his army.
843
00:49:32,577 --> 00:49:35,537
And yet, for him,
it's worth the gamble.
844
00:49:38,496 --> 00:49:40,063
Ceasar makes
a Faustian pact.
845
00:49:40,194 --> 00:49:41,891
Stand tall.
846
00:49:42,022 --> 00:49:43,806
To conquer Gaul,
he raises troops
847
00:49:43,936 --> 00:49:45,808
from the local provincials
in Italian Gaul.
848
00:49:47,940 --> 00:49:49,290
But he does it
without the Senate's permission.
849
00:49:49,420 --> 00:49:51,161
Eyes forward...
850
00:49:51,857 --> 00:49:53,468
When Rome
would raise a legion,
851
00:49:53,598 --> 00:49:55,078
they would swear
allegiance to Rome.
852
00:49:55,209 --> 00:49:56,384
...as one.
853
00:49:56,514 --> 00:49:58,255
When Caesar raises them,
854
00:49:58,386 --> 00:49:59,909
to whom do they swear
allegiance?
855
00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:01,737
One could argue
it's to Julius Caesar.
856
00:50:03,739 --> 00:50:05,480
As he raises these legions,
857
00:50:05,610 --> 00:50:08,657
to pay for them,
he must conquer parts of Gaul.
858
00:50:08,787 --> 00:50:09,745
It forces him forward.
859
00:50:12,965 --> 00:50:14,228
Over the next four years...
860
00:50:16,273 --> 00:50:18,580
Caesar conquers
huge parts of Gaul.
861
00:50:22,801 --> 00:50:25,282
Caesar's a divide
and conquer strategist.
862
00:50:25,413 --> 00:50:27,110
He figures out
who the opposition is...
863
00:50:27,241 --> 00:50:29,025
Now!
864
00:50:29,156 --> 00:50:31,419
...he makes alliances
with some tribes...
865
00:50:35,553 --> 00:50:37,642
...and he calls
other tribes his enemies.
866
00:50:39,731 --> 00:50:41,907
He brings
the friendly tribes to bear
867
00:50:42,038 --> 00:50:43,692
against the enemy tribes,
868
00:50:43,822 --> 00:50:45,215
then he turns
on the friendly tribes.
869
00:50:48,262 --> 00:50:50,960
He's clever,
he's charming and he's ruthless.
870
00:50:52,788 --> 00:50:55,530
Along the way,
he will be careful to manage
871
00:50:55,660 --> 00:50:57,227
the narrative
that gets back to Rome.
872
00:50:58,446 --> 00:51:01,449
Caesar
encouraged the men personally.
873
00:51:02,232 --> 00:51:05,192
Ordering the men to open ranks
874
00:51:05,322 --> 00:51:07,368
so they might use
their swords more easily.
875
00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:12,503
"Omnia Gallia,
in tres partes divida est",
876
00:51:13,243 --> 00:51:15,811
All Gaul
is divided into three parts.
877
00:51:15,941 --> 00:51:19,684
It's the famous opening line
of Caesar's Gallic Commentaries.
878
00:51:20,772 --> 00:51:22,731
His bravery
gave the men fresh hope.
879
00:51:24,211 --> 00:51:27,170
Caesar manages the narrative
of the Gallic War back in Rome
880
00:51:27,301 --> 00:51:29,477
in a way
that's absolutely classic.
881
00:51:29,607 --> 00:51:32,958
Every man was eager to do well
882
00:51:33,089 --> 00:51:36,266
in his commander's sight.
883
00:51:36,397 --> 00:51:39,356
He does so
by writing his own history.
884
00:51:39,487 --> 00:51:41,793
Caesar realized
the outcome...
885
00:51:43,099 --> 00:51:44,187
was on a knife-edge.
886
00:51:45,232 --> 00:51:47,103
But Caesar
turns it into something new,
887
00:51:47,234 --> 00:51:48,670
exciting, even cinematic.
888
00:51:50,106 --> 00:51:51,803
He snatched a shield...
889
00:51:53,588 --> 00:51:55,851
from a soldier at the rear...
890
00:51:57,548 --> 00:51:59,159
and walked
straight to the front line.
891
00:51:59,898 --> 00:52:01,639
And his reports are read
892
00:52:01,770 --> 00:52:04,425
to the people of Italy
in public, year after year,
893
00:52:04,555 --> 00:52:06,731
glorifying Caesar's
achievements in Gaul.
894
00:52:07,689 --> 00:52:10,039
"So he snatched a shield
from a soldier in the rear,
895
00:52:10,170 --> 00:52:11,693
"made his way
to the front line."
896
00:52:13,260 --> 00:52:14,913
It's almost indescribably
897
00:52:15,044 --> 00:52:17,133
persuasive language.
898
00:52:17,264 --> 00:52:19,570
He was an extraordinary
master of writing.
899
00:52:19,701 --> 00:52:22,269
Modern politicians
would love to email CNN
900
00:52:22,399 --> 00:52:24,749
or Fox News
their version of events
901
00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:26,447
and have those
news media sources
902
00:52:26,577 --> 00:52:28,579
present them
completely uncritically.
903
00:52:29,711 --> 00:52:32,017
For Caesar, this is
what the Commentaries are.
904
00:52:33,193 --> 00:52:36,892
Caesar is also
building up his defense,
905
00:52:37,022 --> 00:52:39,721
he knows
that he has broken Roman law.
906
00:52:41,592 --> 00:52:43,855
And so it is from
Caesar's Commentaries
907
00:52:43,986 --> 00:52:46,293
that we get his excuse
908
00:52:46,423 --> 00:52:49,383
about defending Roman interests
from the Helvetii.
909
00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:53,430
His defense of raising troops
910
00:52:53,561 --> 00:52:55,302
when he did not
have the authority.
911
00:52:56,694 --> 00:52:59,393
Caesar's popularity
with ordinary Romans grows
912
00:52:59,523 --> 00:53:01,525
with every report
that he sends back.
913
00:53:01,656 --> 00:53:04,572
To them, he is the hero,
defending the glory of Rome.
914
00:53:06,051 --> 00:53:07,966
But amongst
some Senators,
915
00:53:08,097 --> 00:53:10,491
his exploits raise
serious concerns.
916
00:53:11,535 --> 00:53:14,234
Senators,
what he is doing in Gaul
917
00:53:14,364 --> 00:53:16,236
is completely against the law!
918
00:53:17,759 --> 00:53:20,327
Cato is already
making the argument
919
00:53:20,457 --> 00:53:22,894
that Caesar
has violated Roman law.
920
00:53:23,025 --> 00:53:25,375
This is not war, this is crime!
921
00:53:26,158 --> 00:53:29,510
That Caesar needs to be
stripped of his command,
922
00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:31,076
brought back to Rome
to stand trial
923
00:53:31,207 --> 00:53:32,991
to answer for his crimes.
924
00:53:33,122 --> 00:53:35,429
His men are loyal only to him,
925
00:53:35,559 --> 00:53:36,908
not to the Senate!
926
00:53:37,039 --> 00:53:39,389
This is dangerous.
927
00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:43,654
I move that Caesar
be handed over to the Gauls
928
00:53:43,785 --> 00:53:45,569
for them to pass judgement.
929
00:53:45,700 --> 00:53:48,050
Oh, no! No!
930
00:53:48,180 --> 00:53:50,226
Cato
can't actually do anything
931
00:53:50,357 --> 00:53:52,054
as long as Caesar is governor
932
00:53:52,184 --> 00:53:53,795
and as long as
he has the support
933
00:53:53,925 --> 00:53:55,623
of Crassus and Pompey.
934
00:53:55,753 --> 00:53:57,929
But if that situation
should change,
935
00:53:58,060 --> 00:54:00,149
then Cato can strike.
936
00:54:06,764 --> 00:54:08,462
In 54 BC,
937
00:54:08,592 --> 00:54:10,464
a new staff officer is sent out
938
00:54:10,594 --> 00:54:12,640
to assist Caesar in Gaul.
939
00:54:14,729 --> 00:54:16,296
He's a contact of Crassus'.
940
00:54:18,776 --> 00:54:19,995
Mark Antony reporting, sir.
941
00:54:23,303 --> 00:54:26,175
Mark Antony,
Crassus' man, come in, come in.
942
00:54:27,002 --> 00:54:29,309
Antony's a man
who has real talent.
943
00:54:29,439 --> 00:54:32,312
He's a warrior, also very astute
944
00:54:32,442 --> 00:54:34,836
and he quickly becomes
one of Caesar's key lieutenants.
945
00:54:37,708 --> 00:54:38,666
Something wrong?
946
00:54:41,712 --> 00:54:42,670
I have bad news from Rome.
947
00:54:44,019 --> 00:54:45,020
It's your daughter.
948
00:54:46,891 --> 00:54:47,979
She's passed.
949
00:54:53,333 --> 00:54:55,291
Caesar suffers
a personal tragedy
950
00:54:55,422 --> 00:54:57,380
when news arrives
that his daughter, Julia,
951
00:54:57,511 --> 00:55:00,340
his only child,
has died in childbirth.
952
00:55:01,689 --> 00:55:05,127
Caesar is so utterly devastated
953
00:55:05,257 --> 00:55:07,912
by the loss of his daughter,
954
00:55:08,043 --> 00:55:11,220
by the loss of his
last connection to Cornelia
955
00:55:11,351 --> 00:55:14,266
that he will be
haunted by nightmares
956
00:55:14,397 --> 00:55:17,661
about Julia's death
for the next decade.
957
00:55:19,271 --> 00:55:21,056
Not only
is this a personal tragedy,
958
00:55:21,186 --> 00:55:23,363
it's also
politically very dangerous,
959
00:55:23,493 --> 00:55:25,582
because she had cemented
the alliance with Pompey
960
00:55:25,713 --> 00:55:27,279
and that was part of the gel
961
00:55:27,410 --> 00:55:29,499
joining
the Triumvirate together,
962
00:55:29,630 --> 00:55:31,240
but all that has suddenly gone.
963
00:55:33,198 --> 00:55:34,722
To make matters
worse for Caesar,
964
00:55:34,852 --> 00:55:36,898
not long after Julia's death,
965
00:55:37,028 --> 00:55:39,030
Crassus is killed
on a military expedition
966
00:55:39,161 --> 00:55:40,249
in modern-day Iran.
967
00:55:43,731 --> 00:55:45,515
The legend has it,
that he was killed
968
00:55:45,646 --> 00:55:48,300
by having molten gold
poured down his throat
969
00:55:48,431 --> 00:55:50,738
by an enemy who had heard
of his love of money.
970
00:55:52,435 --> 00:55:53,958
The collapse
of the Triumvirate
971
00:55:54,089 --> 00:55:56,787
raises the stakes
for Caesar in Gaul.
972
00:55:56,918 --> 00:55:58,920
He realizes that
when he comes back to Rome,
973
00:55:59,050 --> 00:56:01,966
he will no longer have Pompey
and Crassus watching his back.
974
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:05,883
He will be at the mercy
of Cato and the optimates.
975
00:56:07,450 --> 00:56:09,887
But if Caesar can win
total victory in Gaul,
976
00:56:10,018 --> 00:56:13,543
then maybe he can go home
rich enough, popular enough,
977
00:56:13,674 --> 00:56:16,285
powerful enough to avoid
the attacks of his enemies.
978
00:56:23,597 --> 00:56:25,599
There is
one obstacle to Caesar's plan.
979
00:56:27,514 --> 00:56:30,038
The Gauls are not ready
to give up just yet.
980
00:56:30,995 --> 00:56:33,868
In 52 BC, a new threat emerges.
981
00:56:33,998 --> 00:56:35,565
Vercingetorix.
982
00:56:35,696 --> 00:56:38,481
Son of a chieftain,
who is very charismatic,
983
00:56:38,612 --> 00:56:41,353
he is intent
on liberating his people
984
00:56:41,484 --> 00:56:43,051
from Roman rule.
985
00:56:43,181 --> 00:56:45,836
He brings together
a number of tribes,
986
00:56:45,967 --> 00:56:48,273
to include some that had already
987
00:56:48,404 --> 00:56:50,101
pledged allegiance to Rome.
988
00:56:50,754 --> 00:56:54,149
Caesar and his army
came here as our allies.
989
00:56:56,673 --> 00:56:58,632
Now they try and stay
as our conquerors.
990
00:57:02,113 --> 00:57:03,811
This is our last chance...
991
00:57:06,161 --> 00:57:07,292
to unite.
992
00:57:10,252 --> 00:57:12,602
This is our last chance
993
00:57:12,733 --> 00:57:15,997
to fight for our freedom!
994
00:57:17,302 --> 00:57:19,783
What this does is it creates
the worst nightmare
995
00:57:19,914 --> 00:57:22,917
that Julius Caesar can face,
a united enemy.
996
00:57:25,093 --> 00:57:27,269
If Vercingetorix
is able to rally
997
00:57:27,399 --> 00:57:28,662
all the Gauls together...
998
00:57:30,620 --> 00:57:32,666
they will outnumber
Caesar's forces
999
00:57:32,796 --> 00:57:34,363
by about ten to one.
1000
00:57:34,494 --> 00:57:36,191
The entire population of Gaul
1001
00:57:36,321 --> 00:57:38,672
is estimated to be
about five million.
1002
00:57:41,152 --> 00:57:44,721
This is a population
that far outstrips
1003
00:57:44,852 --> 00:57:46,680
the army that Caesar
has deployed,
1004
00:57:46,810 --> 00:57:50,422
and, in fact,
would present a direct threat...
1005
00:57:50,553 --> 00:57:52,642
Who is with me?
1006
00:57:52,773 --> 00:57:55,515
...to the Roman Empire itself.
1007
00:57:58,561 --> 00:58:03,610
]
1008
00:58:08,049 --> 00:58:10,399
In the initial phases
of his campaign against Caesar,
1009
00:58:10,530 --> 00:58:12,880
Vercingetorix's strategy
seems to consist
1010
00:58:13,010 --> 00:58:15,099
of denying supplies to Caesar
1011
00:58:15,230 --> 00:58:17,275
through a scorched-earth
strategy
1012
00:58:17,406 --> 00:58:19,277
whilst fighting
an informal guerilla war.
1013
00:58:20,540 --> 00:58:22,193
Using the terrain
and their local knowledge
1014
00:58:22,324 --> 00:58:23,934
to their advantage.
1015
00:58:24,065 --> 00:58:26,458
Vercingetorix fights Caesar
for six months
1016
00:58:26,589 --> 00:58:29,331
until finally,
he brings things to a head
1017
00:58:29,461 --> 00:58:30,898
at a place called Alesia.
1018
00:58:37,644 --> 00:58:39,907
Vercingetorix is aware
1019
00:58:40,037 --> 00:58:42,692
that he needs
to make a stand at Alesia
1020
00:58:42,823 --> 00:58:46,870
because the guerilla warfare
is not enough to defeat Caesar.
1021
00:58:47,001 --> 00:58:49,220
He needs to find a way
to have a decisive battle.
1022
00:58:51,745 --> 00:58:52,702
Well?
1023
00:58:54,356 --> 00:58:56,401
The city walls
are made of stone.
1024
00:58:56,532 --> 00:58:57,968
We can't burn them down.
1025
00:58:59,143 --> 00:59:01,015
And if we try
to break through them,
1026
00:59:01,145 --> 00:59:02,451
it will cost us
thousands of men.
1027
00:59:04,801 --> 00:59:06,368
You weren't with us
when Crassus
1028
00:59:06,498 --> 00:59:08,239
defeated Spartacus, were you?
1029
00:59:09,414 --> 00:59:10,764
Maybe we don't need
to get in at all.
1030
00:59:13,680 --> 00:59:15,116
We just need
to stop them from getting out.
1031
00:59:17,553 --> 00:59:19,207
When Julius Caesar arrives
1032
00:59:19,337 --> 00:59:22,689
outside of Alesia
and sees a fortified town
1033
00:59:22,819 --> 00:59:26,431
on top of high ground
with 80,000 Gauls inside,
1034
00:59:26,562 --> 00:59:28,042
he assesses this as being
1035
00:59:28,172 --> 00:59:30,174
too much of a risk
to attack frontally.
1036
00:59:30,305 --> 00:59:32,568
Caesar decides
to wall the Gauls in.
1037
00:59:32,699 --> 00:59:35,745
In many ways, this is a replay
of Crassus' decision
1038
00:59:35,876 --> 00:59:38,139
to wall Spartacus off
into southern Italy.
1039
00:59:39,444 --> 00:59:41,664
Caesar's strategy
is to use
1040
00:59:41,795 --> 00:59:44,536
Vercingetorix's army
against itself.
1041
00:59:44,667 --> 00:59:46,974
It takes a lot of food
to feed 80,000 men
1042
00:59:47,104 --> 00:59:49,367
so you can starve them
pretty quickly.
1043
00:59:54,764 --> 00:59:57,158
Caesar's wall
was going to start with a ditch
1044
00:59:57,288 --> 00:59:59,421
that is dug out,
the spoils thrown up
1045
00:59:59,551 --> 01:00:01,249
to create a 15 foot high wall,
1046
01:00:01,379 --> 01:00:04,295
almost ten miles around,
1047
01:00:04,426 --> 01:00:07,516
all in an effort
to trap Vercingetorix's army.
1048
01:00:11,999 --> 01:00:14,392
Caesar's wall around Alesia
1049
01:00:14,523 --> 01:00:17,569
is one of the great
military feats
1050
01:00:17,700 --> 01:00:19,136
of the ancient world.
1051
01:00:19,267 --> 01:00:20,703
It takes about a month
1052
01:00:20,834 --> 01:00:23,358
to build out
this wall around the city.
1053
01:00:24,228 --> 01:00:25,316
How much longer?
1054
01:00:25,926 --> 01:00:26,840
This section.
1055
01:00:28,668 --> 01:00:30,017
And up the hills
on the left side.
1056
01:00:41,506 --> 01:00:43,857
Vercingetorix
sends out messengers
1057
01:00:43,987 --> 01:00:47,164
before the siege is complete,
to all the other tribes of Gaul.
1058
01:00:48,557 --> 01:00:51,038
He wants them
to bring a massive army
1059
01:00:51,168 --> 01:00:53,170
to take Caesar from behind,
1060
01:00:53,301 --> 01:00:55,564
and crush Caesar
by sheer weight of numbers.
1061
01:00:56,913 --> 01:00:57,697
He's sending for help.
1062
01:00:59,437 --> 01:01:00,874
If they attack us from behind,
we're dead.
1063
01:01:21,068 --> 01:01:24,636
We build a second wall
around the first.
1064
01:01:24,767 --> 01:01:25,899
And trap ourselves?
1065
01:01:26,464 --> 01:01:27,552
Just do it.
1066
01:01:31,600 --> 01:01:35,996
Caesar is extraordinarily
cool under pressure.
1067
01:01:36,126 --> 01:01:38,433
He is a decisive leader.
1068
01:01:39,347 --> 01:01:41,871
Once he has made a decision,
he's going to commit to it.
1069
01:01:42,916 --> 01:01:44,831
What Caesar
decides to do is to build
1070
01:01:44,961 --> 01:01:47,137
another set of earthworks,
but this time,
1071
01:01:47,268 --> 01:01:49,139
instead of facing in,
they face out.
1072
01:01:49,270 --> 01:01:52,186
The Roman defenses
are in the shape of a doughnut,
1073
01:01:52,316 --> 01:01:55,189
with Alesia in the center
and Gauls on the outside.
1074
01:01:55,319 --> 01:01:57,017
He is besieging Alesia.
1075
01:01:57,147 --> 01:01:59,062
But when we draw
the entire picture,
1076
01:01:59,193 --> 01:02:00,237
who's besieging who?
1077
01:02:00,977 --> 01:02:02,544
'Cause when
the external forces come,
1078
01:02:02,674 --> 01:02:04,589
they will be surrounded
from the outside
1079
01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:06,330
and from the inside.
1080
01:02:07,114 --> 01:02:09,029
An extraordinarily
vulnerable place.
1081
01:02:21,476 --> 01:02:24,131
One day,
they hear these terrible sounds,
1082
01:02:24,261 --> 01:02:25,828
they hear Gallic war cries.
1083
01:02:32,617 --> 01:02:34,968
Vercingetorix's relief army
has arrived.
1084
01:02:37,274 --> 01:02:39,233
If you're a Roman soldier,
you look at the relief force,
1085
01:02:39,363 --> 01:02:41,670
you see that
you're outnumbered three to one,
1086
01:02:41,801 --> 01:02:43,498
and you wonder if those numbers
1087
01:02:43,628 --> 01:02:45,761
are ultimately,
gonna mean your demise,
1088
01:02:45,892 --> 01:02:48,068
but one thing
that you have is Julius Caesar,
1089
01:02:48,198 --> 01:02:49,939
and those seem
to even the odds by a degree.
1090
01:02:51,071 --> 01:02:53,160
Comrades, this is it.
1091
01:02:53,290 --> 01:02:55,553
Caesar knows
that this is going to be the end
1092
01:02:55,684 --> 01:02:56,685
of the Gallic campaign.
1093
01:02:57,860 --> 01:03:00,254
Everything
we've been fighting for,
1094
01:03:00,384 --> 01:03:04,562
for the past seven years,
is now on the line.
1095
01:03:05,172 --> 01:03:06,608
Either they'll win,
1096
01:03:06,738 --> 01:03:07,827
and all of Gaul
will be conquered,
1097
01:03:07,957 --> 01:03:09,350
or they will be annihilated.
1098
01:03:10,351 --> 01:03:13,180
We must fight, and we must win!
1099
01:03:14,137 --> 01:03:16,836
Victory or death,
1100
01:03:16,966 --> 01:03:18,881
which will you choose?
1101
01:03:19,534 --> 01:03:22,145
- For victory!
- For Rome!
1102
01:03:22,276 --> 01:03:25,583
For victory!
For Rome! For victory!
1103
01:03:25,714 --> 01:03:28,238
For Caesar, the stakes
of Alesia are everything.
1104
01:03:28,369 --> 01:03:30,762
He has gambled
his entire existence
1105
01:03:30,893 --> 01:03:33,069
on this single moment.
1106
01:03:40,860 --> 01:03:43,906
Vercingetorix and his men
have seen the attack
1107
01:03:44,037 --> 01:03:46,387
from the relief force outside,
1108
01:03:46,517 --> 01:03:48,606
and now, they can launch
an attack
1109
01:03:48,737 --> 01:03:51,087
from inside of Alesia.
1110
01:03:58,051 --> 01:04:00,967
He's got 8,000 Gauls
on the inside,
1111
01:04:01,097 --> 01:04:02,533
250,000 on the outside.
1112
01:04:04,361 --> 01:04:07,408
It looks like Caesar
is in deep trouble.
1113
01:04:09,889 --> 01:04:12,369
Caesar is either going to die
1114
01:04:12,500 --> 01:04:15,764
along with the entirety
of his legacy at this moment...
1115
01:04:18,680 --> 01:04:21,683
or somehow, emerge triumphant.
1116
01:04:30,997 --> 01:04:32,476
That area's breached.
1117
01:04:41,572 --> 01:04:43,357
The start
of the battle of Alesia
1118
01:04:43,487 --> 01:04:46,273
looks very bad for Caesar
and very good for the Gauls.
1119
01:04:46,403 --> 01:04:47,927
They look as though
they might win.
1120
01:04:49,450 --> 01:04:51,539
They have managed to tear down
a section of the wall,
1121
01:04:51,669 --> 01:04:53,715
and set to destroy
1122
01:04:53,845 --> 01:04:55,630
the much, much smaller
Roman army.
1123
01:04:58,676 --> 01:05:00,504
Caesar has to take
drastic action,
1124
01:05:00,635 --> 01:05:02,289
or everything will be lost.
1125
01:05:08,948 --> 01:05:12,516
Caesar himself leaps
into the frontlines,
1126
01:05:12,647 --> 01:05:15,563
inspiring his men,
encouraging them
1127
01:05:15,693 --> 01:05:16,956
to continue to fight.
1128
01:05:19,523 --> 01:05:23,266
You've beaten
these barbarians before,
1129
01:05:23,397 --> 01:05:24,964
you'll do it again!
1130
01:05:26,791 --> 01:05:30,143
You're the greatest soldiers
in the world!
1131
01:05:31,013 --> 01:05:32,101
For Rome!
1132
01:05:34,364 --> 01:05:37,454
Caesar sees himself
1133
01:05:37,585 --> 01:05:41,502
as lifting his men's morale,
and keeping them together
1134
01:05:41,632 --> 01:05:44,418
in the face
of this terrifying enemy.
1135
01:05:49,945 --> 01:05:52,643
Caesar manages to rally
his troops to hold the line,
1136
01:05:52,774 --> 01:05:55,559
and to not allow the Gauls
to penetrate and wreak havoc
1137
01:05:55,690 --> 01:05:56,996
in the back of the Roman lines.
1138
01:05:59,085 --> 01:06:00,782
But Caesar knows
the Romans can't hold out
1139
01:06:00,912 --> 01:06:02,523
against numbers
like this for long.
1140
01:06:04,307 --> 01:06:05,569
Although Julius Caesar
has now gone
1141
01:06:05,700 --> 01:06:07,093
to the point
of greatest friction,
1142
01:06:07,223 --> 01:06:08,659
I think he also starts
to recognize
1143
01:06:08,790 --> 01:06:09,965
this might not be enough.
1144
01:06:11,227 --> 01:06:13,099
Now, he starts
to go through his rolodex
1145
01:06:13,229 --> 01:06:14,883
of "What else
might I be able to do?
1146
01:06:15,014 --> 01:06:17,103
"How can I solve the pressure
1147
01:06:17,233 --> 01:06:19,844
"on this direct attack
against the Roman line?"
1148
01:06:19,975 --> 01:06:23,413
Labienus, hold the breach.
1149
01:06:24,023 --> 01:06:25,502
Then ride around the walls.
1150
01:06:25,633 --> 01:06:26,982
Yes, sir!
1151
01:06:27,113 --> 01:06:29,419
Hold the breach, hold the walls!
1152
01:06:29,550 --> 01:06:32,379
Caesar makes this decision
to deploy his cavalry
1153
01:06:32,509 --> 01:06:34,120
outside his perimeter.
1154
01:06:34,903 --> 01:06:37,558
The cavalry
rides 'round the back
1155
01:06:37,688 --> 01:06:39,125
of the Gaulish positions.
1156
01:06:39,255 --> 01:06:40,561
Keep formation!
1157
01:06:41,214 --> 01:06:42,563
Don't lose it!
1158
01:06:53,226 --> 01:06:55,489
Caesar's cavalry forces slam
1159
01:06:55,619 --> 01:06:57,404
into the rear
of the Gallic army,
1160
01:06:57,534 --> 01:06:59,754
taking them
completely by surprise...
1161
01:07:01,103 --> 01:07:03,062
spreading panic
throughout their entire ranks.
1162
01:07:04,933 --> 01:07:06,630
They think that
they're completely surrounded
1163
01:07:06,761 --> 01:07:08,589
by the Roman army,
and they start fleeing.
1164
01:07:09,677 --> 01:07:10,895
Attack!
1165
01:07:17,250 --> 01:07:18,773
These men start
to run for their lives,
1166
01:07:18,903 --> 01:07:20,340
rather than fight
for their lives.
1167
01:07:20,470 --> 01:07:22,298
Roman cavalry
will ride them down,
1168
01:07:22,429 --> 01:07:23,647
and it becomes a bloodbath.
1169
01:07:42,405 --> 01:07:45,060
After seven years of war,
1170
01:07:45,191 --> 01:07:47,541
Caesar has crushed
Gallic resistance
1171
01:07:47,671 --> 01:07:48,629
once and for all.
1172
01:07:51,632 --> 01:07:53,808
Caesar's conquest
of Gaul stands
1173
01:07:53,938 --> 01:07:56,854
as one of the most
impressive achievements
1174
01:07:56,985 --> 01:07:58,595
in human history.
1175
01:07:59,553 --> 01:08:02,686
The fact that he has, really,
a minimal amount of manpower
1176
01:08:02,817 --> 01:08:05,298
to pull off this huge campaign.
1177
01:08:17,919 --> 01:08:21,879
Caesar's conquest of Gaul
adds more than 300,000 miles
1178
01:08:22,010 --> 01:08:23,011
to Roman territory.
1179
01:08:24,491 --> 01:08:26,057
Rome now extends
1180
01:08:26,188 --> 01:08:27,972
from the Atlantic ocean
in the west...
1181
01:08:29,017 --> 01:08:30,671
to the river Rhine in the east.
1182
01:08:32,629 --> 01:08:34,849
Caesar's conquest of Gaul
in seven years
1183
01:08:34,979 --> 01:08:37,765
is an impressive
military achievement,
1184
01:08:37,895 --> 01:08:40,289
but it would be strange
to not acknowledge
1185
01:08:40,420 --> 01:08:44,598
that Caesar basically,
engages in genocide.
1186
01:08:45,816 --> 01:08:50,081
He himself claimed to kill
one million people
1187
01:08:50,212 --> 01:08:51,431
in the conquest of Gaul.
1188
01:08:52,171 --> 01:08:56,000
And to have enslaved
1.1 million people.
1189
01:08:56,131 --> 01:08:58,089
He killed or enslaved, what,
1190
01:08:58,220 --> 01:09:00,788
20% of the entire population
of northern Europe?
1191
01:09:00,918 --> 01:09:02,137
And we have to be
reminded of that,
1192
01:09:02,268 --> 01:09:04,661
because we're so pre-conditioned
1193
01:09:04,792 --> 01:09:06,272
by the shape of history,
1194
01:09:06,402 --> 01:09:08,143
to think of Caesar
as a remarkable figure.
1195
01:09:08,274 --> 01:09:10,276
It's absolutely incredible.
1196
01:09:10,406 --> 01:09:13,583
Alesia would remain
as a national trauma
1197
01:09:13,714 --> 01:09:16,412
for Gaulish peoples
for hundreds of years.
1198
01:09:16,543 --> 01:09:18,458
As the Gauls' back
had been broken,
1199
01:09:18,588 --> 01:09:21,504
never again would a large
federation ally like this
1200
01:09:21,635 --> 01:09:23,376
against the Romans.
1201
01:09:23,506 --> 01:09:26,901
Our great Caesar,
hurried to join into the fight.
1202
01:09:27,031 --> 01:09:29,077
After his total victory in Gaul,
1203
01:09:29,208 --> 01:09:31,210
Caesar's popularity
with ordinary Romans
1204
01:09:31,340 --> 01:09:32,994
goes higher and higher.
1205
01:09:33,124 --> 01:09:35,866
They regard him now,
as the very definition
1206
01:09:35,997 --> 01:09:38,521
of a successful Roman warlord.
1207
01:09:38,652 --> 01:09:40,131
The conspicuous color
1208
01:09:40,262 --> 01:09:42,308
of the cloak
he always wore into battle,
1209
01:09:42,438 --> 01:09:43,918
proclaimed his arrival.
1210
01:09:45,528 --> 01:09:47,487
The Gauls turned tail,
1211
01:09:47,617 --> 01:09:49,924
and the cavalry charged them
as they fled!
1212
01:09:50,403 --> 01:09:52,405
A massive slaughter followed.
1213
01:09:53,057 --> 01:09:55,582
Caesar wants to return
to Rome in triumph.
1214
01:09:55,712 --> 01:09:58,106
He wants to win
a second term as consul,
1215
01:09:58,237 --> 01:10:00,543
and be Rome's
undisputed first man.
1216
01:10:01,675 --> 01:10:03,198
But Caesar has a problem.
1217
01:10:10,466 --> 01:10:12,251
Cato has different plans
1218
01:10:12,381 --> 01:10:14,557
for how Caesar's life
will turn out.
1219
01:10:15,471 --> 01:10:19,475
Caesar has indeed
won great victories
1220
01:10:19,606 --> 01:10:21,260
for our republic,
1221
01:10:21,390 --> 01:10:25,046
but these victories
come at a price.
1222
01:10:26,961 --> 01:10:30,617
One that we will pay for
with our republic itself.
1223
01:10:31,705 --> 01:10:34,969
Caesar recruited an army
that answers only to himself.
1224
01:10:36,927 --> 01:10:40,627
Cato and the optimates have
tremendous distrust of Caesar,
1225
01:10:40,757 --> 01:10:44,848
based on his previous consulship
and his growth of power in Gaul.
1226
01:10:44,979 --> 01:10:48,765
Some senators fear
that he may seize power in Rome,
1227
01:10:48,896 --> 01:10:51,681
and this fear
is becoming self-fulfilling.
1228
01:10:51,812 --> 01:10:55,250
This is too much power
for any man,
1229
01:10:55,381 --> 01:10:57,208
let alone Caesar.
1230
01:10:58,645 --> 01:11:02,736
Can we forget how he behaved
when he was consul?
1231
01:11:02,866 --> 01:11:05,304
I think Cato was able
to rally a group of senators
1232
01:11:05,434 --> 01:11:07,393
against Caesar,
partially out of jealousy.
1233
01:11:07,523 --> 01:11:09,264
These senators resent
1234
01:11:09,395 --> 01:11:11,353
that Caesar's
the most popular man in Rome
1235
01:11:11,484 --> 01:11:12,920
and that they're not the ones
1236
01:11:13,050 --> 01:11:14,748
who are having
all of these victories.
1237
01:11:14,878 --> 01:11:17,838
I move that Caesar
1238
01:11:17,968 --> 01:11:20,623
be stripped of his command.
Yes!
1239
01:11:20,754 --> 01:11:23,191
For them, it's both
a political calculation,
1240
01:11:23,322 --> 01:11:24,497
but it's also a personal one.
1241
01:11:25,280 --> 01:11:27,108
Crassus is dead,
1242
01:11:27,238 --> 01:11:29,937
Pompey is no longer
politically aligned with Caesar.
1243
01:11:30,067 --> 01:11:31,634
The optimates see this
as the moment
1244
01:11:31,765 --> 01:11:34,071
where they can end
Caesar's career for good.
1245
01:11:34,202 --> 01:11:35,943
Caesar is vulnerable.
1246
01:11:36,073 --> 01:11:38,641
We must
back to Rome,
1247
01:11:38,772 --> 01:11:40,251
and prosecute him!
1248
01:11:46,040 --> 01:11:49,217
g]
1249
01:11:51,741 --> 01:11:55,484
Cato is resolved to destroy
his old foe, Caesar,
1250
01:11:55,615 --> 01:11:57,704
but he can't do it without help.
1251
01:11:58,966 --> 01:12:00,707
The optimates are impotent
1252
01:12:00,837 --> 01:12:02,839
to bring Caesar to heel
without an army.
1253
01:12:02,970 --> 01:12:05,189
And the only person capable
of raising an army
1254
01:12:05,320 --> 01:12:07,496
besides Caesar, is Pompey.
1255
01:12:08,323 --> 01:12:10,456
The Republic
needs you again, Pompey.
1256
01:12:10,586 --> 01:12:11,544
I've retired.
1257
01:12:18,420 --> 01:12:20,466
How many families
will be sacrificed
1258
01:12:20,596 --> 01:12:23,207
if Caesar is allowed
to march on Rome.
1259
01:12:23,338 --> 01:12:26,689
They will only be sacrificed
if we go to war with him.
1260
01:12:27,560 --> 01:12:31,215
His army is loyal only to him,
1261
01:12:31,346 --> 01:12:32,391
not Rome.
1262
01:12:33,174 --> 01:12:35,785
Loyalty is a virtue, Cato.
1263
01:12:35,916 --> 01:12:39,049
Caesar is a danger
to the Republic.
1264
01:12:40,311 --> 01:12:42,401
He's more powerful
than any Roman before him.
1265
01:12:43,489 --> 01:12:44,403
More than Sulla.
1266
01:12:46,100 --> 01:12:47,667
More even than you.
1267
01:13:05,815 --> 01:13:07,774
Pompey ends up
siding with Cato
1268
01:13:07,904 --> 01:13:09,863
and the optimates.
1269
01:13:09,993 --> 01:13:12,518
I think he was jealous
of Caesar's popularity.
1270
01:13:12,648 --> 01:13:16,043
Caesar was essentially
and unequivocally replacing him
1271
01:13:16,173 --> 01:13:18,785
as the military darling
of the Roman population.
1272
01:13:20,526 --> 01:13:22,049
As the temperature
rises in Rome,
1273
01:13:22,179 --> 01:13:24,443
Caesar sends back Antony
1274
01:13:24,573 --> 01:13:26,445
to represent him
in the Roman Senate.
1275
01:13:28,621 --> 01:13:30,013
Caesar
reminds the Senate
1276
01:13:30,144 --> 01:13:32,189
of all
that he has done for Rome.
1277
01:13:33,016 --> 01:13:36,106
How he served
dutifully as consul,
1278
01:13:36,237 --> 01:13:38,892
how he pacified Gaul,
1279
01:13:39,022 --> 01:13:42,896
and he vows
that he will lay down his arms,
1280
01:13:43,026 --> 01:13:45,159
if Pompey does the same.
1281
01:13:47,640 --> 01:13:49,816
But if the Senate
will not see sense,
1282
01:13:49,946 --> 01:13:52,775
Caesar will uphold
his personal honor
1283
01:13:52,906 --> 01:13:54,777
by any means necessary.
1284
01:13:54,908 --> 01:13:56,692
Senators,
1285
01:13:56,823 --> 01:13:59,521
this is nothing
but a declaration of war.
1286
01:14:00,957 --> 01:14:04,352
I move that the house
declare Caesar a public enemy.
1287
01:14:04,483 --> 01:14:06,354
Yes!
- Who's in favor?
1288
01:14:10,619 --> 01:14:13,013
The house
has spoken, Antony.
1289
01:14:17,931 --> 01:14:20,063
Veto, the vote is set aside.
1290
01:14:20,716 --> 01:14:22,718
I call upon the gods
as witnesses,
1291
01:14:22,849 --> 01:14:25,112
it is you
who are against the Republic!
1292
01:14:25,765 --> 01:14:28,332
You are the one
leading us to war!
1293
01:14:29,029 --> 01:14:30,813
Fearing Caesar's growing power,
1294
01:14:30,944 --> 01:14:33,686
the Roman Senate
declares him a public enemy.
1295
01:14:38,299 --> 01:14:41,868
And now, he faces the biggest
decision of his life.
1296
01:14:43,957 --> 01:14:45,828
The Rubicon was a river,
1297
01:14:45,959 --> 01:14:48,396
so small, at the time
it was more like a stream,
1298
01:14:48,527 --> 01:14:51,094
about 200 miles north of Rome.
1299
01:14:51,225 --> 01:14:53,749
And the reason this stream
was so important
1300
01:14:53,880 --> 01:14:56,970
was it marked the boundary
between Italian Gaul
1301
01:14:57,100 --> 01:15:00,887
and territory directly
controlled by Rome itself.
1302
01:15:02,758 --> 01:15:05,108
Crossing the Rubicon
with an army
1303
01:15:05,239 --> 01:15:08,503
means that
not only has a governor
1304
01:15:08,634 --> 01:15:11,506
left his territory behind,
which is a violation of law,
1305
01:15:11,637 --> 01:15:14,596
but now, he is moving
against Rome.
1306
01:15:14,727 --> 01:15:16,946
It is an outright act
of treason,
1307
01:15:17,077 --> 01:15:20,733
it is a declaration of war
against the Roman State.
1308
01:15:22,952 --> 01:15:24,867
Caesar
doesn't have great options.
1309
01:15:24,998 --> 01:15:27,783
If he crosses the Rubicon,
he's begun a civil war.
1310
01:15:27,914 --> 01:15:29,655
But if he obeys the Senate,
1311
01:15:29,785 --> 01:15:31,831
he has to give up his command
of his armies
1312
01:15:31,961 --> 01:15:34,355
and face the fact
that he's going to be hauled
1313
01:15:34,485 --> 01:15:36,313
into court in Rome,
put on trial,
1314
01:15:36,444 --> 01:15:38,446
probably be convicted,
and face execution.
1315
01:15:42,929 --> 01:15:46,585
The offer
I sent back with Antony
1316
01:15:46,715 --> 01:15:47,934
has been rejected.
1317
01:15:51,067 --> 01:15:52,939
I must return
to the Senate in person.
1318
01:15:54,288 --> 01:15:55,811
I will have to take
at least a legion
1319
01:15:55,942 --> 01:15:57,596
across the river with me
for my own protection.
1320
01:15:59,162 --> 01:16:00,294
Across the Rubicon?
1321
01:16:01,861 --> 01:16:03,297
You know
this is against the law.
1322
01:16:06,866 --> 01:16:08,824
If there's a war,
1323
01:16:08,955 --> 01:16:10,609
you will be fighting
your own people.
1324
01:16:12,436 --> 01:16:14,482
Then let's hope
it doesn't come to that.
1325
01:16:20,227 --> 01:16:21,141
Let's hope not.
1326
01:16:22,664 --> 01:16:24,318
Pompey has
twice as many men as us.
1327
01:16:27,713 --> 01:16:29,279
But we have
something he doesn't.
1328
01:16:35,764 --> 01:16:37,287
Me.
1329
01:16:38,332 --> 01:16:39,812
And you, Labienus.
1330
01:16:42,162 --> 01:16:43,163
Do I have you?
1331
01:16:53,173 --> 01:16:54,696
When Caesar arrives
at the Rubicon,
1332
01:16:54,827 --> 01:16:56,567
he's in this
difficult situation.
1333
01:16:56,698 --> 01:16:59,570
He knows that
if he crosses with his legions,
1334
01:16:59,701 --> 01:17:02,356
he plays into the hands
of his opponents,
1335
01:17:02,486 --> 01:17:05,359
because he has violated
Rome's law,
1336
01:17:05,489 --> 01:17:08,579
by bringing his military forces
into the political game.
1337
01:17:09,493 --> 01:17:12,496
I think he believes
that if he doesn't do that,
1338
01:17:12,627 --> 01:17:15,586
Pompey and others will have
maneuvered against him,
1339
01:17:15,717 --> 01:17:17,676
and so he believes
he's gotta act.
1340
01:17:18,764 --> 01:17:20,679
It isn't too late.
1341
01:17:20,809 --> 01:17:23,986
Any man who wishes to turn back,
1342
01:17:24,117 --> 01:17:26,336
go now, with no dishonor.
1343
01:17:29,078 --> 01:17:31,037
But cross this stream...
1344
01:17:33,517 --> 01:17:35,563
and we are fighting
all the way to Rome.
1345
01:17:36,869 --> 01:17:37,826
Are you with me?
1346
01:17:38,435 --> 01:17:40,307
Long live Caesar!
1347
01:17:40,437 --> 01:17:42,222
According to one source,
1348
01:17:42,352 --> 01:17:45,878
Caesar quotes a line
from Greek drama,
1349
01:17:46,008 --> 01:17:47,706
as he prepares
to cross the Rubicon.
1350
01:17:48,663 --> 01:17:51,492
Let the dice fly high!
1351
01:17:55,931 --> 01:17:57,672
"Let the dice fly high."
1352
01:17:57,803 --> 01:17:59,500
In other words,
"Let's take a risk,
1353
01:17:59,630 --> 01:18:00,936
"and come what may."
1354
01:18:05,549 --> 01:18:07,290
Caesar knew
he was in trouble.
1355
01:18:07,421 --> 01:18:09,336
He had a choice,
he could surrender,
1356
01:18:09,466 --> 01:18:13,383
and go peacefully to Rome,
or he could bring his legion,
1357
01:18:13,514 --> 01:18:15,472
rely on his popularity,
1358
01:18:15,603 --> 01:18:18,084
and seize power in Rome.
1359
01:18:18,214 --> 01:18:21,609
Caesar chose for himself,
rather than for his country.
1360
01:18:23,176 --> 01:18:25,874
Crossing the Rubicon
is a critical moment in history.
1361
01:18:26,005 --> 01:18:28,921
Caesar will always be someone
who, when confronted
1362
01:18:29,051 --> 01:18:31,227
with other people
raising the stakes,
1363
01:18:31,358 --> 01:18:33,708
he'll raise the stakes again,
he'll take up the challenge,
1364
01:18:33,839 --> 01:18:35,666
he will gamble,
he will trust that he will win.
1365
01:18:43,500 --> 01:18:46,025
Crossing the Rubicon
is a terrible gamble for Caesar.
1366
01:18:46,155 --> 01:18:48,854
It means there is
only one way out of this.
1367
01:18:48,984 --> 01:18:50,769
Defeating the Senate,
1368
01:18:50,899 --> 01:18:53,859
and making himself
the central power in Rome.
1369
01:18:53,989 --> 01:18:56,600
Any other outcome ends
in his death and destruction.
1370
01:18:57,558 --> 01:18:58,733
He wants the glory
1371
01:18:58,864 --> 01:19:00,126
that he believes
that he deserves
1372
01:19:00,256 --> 01:19:02,041
for his conquest of Gaul,
1373
01:19:02,171 --> 01:19:04,347
the glory
that he was denied by Cato.
1374
01:19:04,478 --> 01:19:06,741
But he frames what he's doing
1375
01:19:06,872 --> 01:19:10,527
as an act of protecting
the democratic ideals
1376
01:19:10,658 --> 01:19:11,615
of the Roman State.
1377
01:19:13,269 --> 01:19:14,531
Caesar has
marched into Italy
1378
01:19:14,662 --> 01:19:16,620
with very few soldiers
behind him.
1379
01:19:16,751 --> 01:19:18,535
More will be coming,
but it will take a long time
1380
01:19:18,666 --> 01:19:20,363
before he has a major army.
1381
01:19:20,494 --> 01:19:23,540
News will take time
to reach his opponents.
1382
01:19:24,672 --> 01:19:27,153
Pompey has boasted,
"I have only to stamp my feet,
1383
01:19:27,283 --> 01:19:29,503
"and legions will spring up
out of the soil of Italy."
1384
01:19:29,633 --> 01:19:31,070
But they're not ready yet.
1385
01:19:31,200 --> 01:19:33,550
Caesar rushes on,
he overruns settlements,
1386
01:19:33,681 --> 01:19:35,509
and many people welcome him,
1387
01:19:35,639 --> 01:19:36,902
that means
he's gaining momentum.
1388
01:20:01,317 --> 01:20:03,232
Caesar
is riding on the road south
1389
01:20:03,363 --> 01:20:05,104
when a figure in slave's clothes
1390
01:20:05,234 --> 01:20:06,192
comes into view.
1391
01:20:08,368 --> 01:20:09,369
It's Antony.
1392
01:20:11,023 --> 01:20:13,590
He's dressed as a slave
to escape the city.
1393
01:20:14,113 --> 01:20:16,376
What happened? Cato? The Senate?
1394
01:20:19,901 --> 01:20:20,859
Men, come close.
1395
01:20:22,686 --> 01:20:25,211
It is our friend and comrade...
1396
01:20:26,386 --> 01:20:27,387
Mark Antony.
1397
01:20:28,040 --> 01:20:29,041
A war-hero...
1398
01:20:30,651 --> 01:20:33,393
driven from Rome
in defiance of all that is just.
1399
01:20:35,612 --> 01:20:37,397
Will you let this stand?
1400
01:20:38,485 --> 01:20:40,835
Caesar is declaring war
on his own people
1401
01:20:40,966 --> 01:20:44,534
to serve the interests
of the Roman population
1402
01:20:44,665 --> 01:20:46,362
as his basic political case.
1403
01:20:46,493 --> 01:20:49,061
However, it is obviously
about his own dignity
1404
01:20:49,191 --> 01:20:51,802
and his own
growing thirst for power.
1405
01:20:51,933 --> 01:20:56,416
It is also, because Caesar
never, ever backs down.
1406
01:20:56,546 --> 01:20:59,419
Will you let these senators,
1407
01:20:59,549 --> 01:21:02,117
who care nothing for Rome,
1408
01:21:02,248 --> 01:21:03,423
destroy it?
1409
01:21:04,032 --> 01:21:07,775
Will you let Pompey and Cato
1410
01:21:07,906 --> 01:21:09,559
attack my honor?
1411
01:21:12,040 --> 01:21:13,868
After
eight years of war,
1412
01:21:13,999 --> 01:21:17,089
the soldiers
are completely loyal to Caesar.
1413
01:21:17,219 --> 01:21:18,699
He's doubled their pay,
1414
01:21:18,829 --> 01:21:21,049
and he's given each man
his own slave.
1415
01:21:22,659 --> 01:21:25,880
It's the sort of
personal loyalty from the army
1416
01:21:26,011 --> 01:21:28,404
that makes Caesar so powerful,
1417
01:21:28,535 --> 01:21:31,755
and also, uniquely dangerous
in the eyes of the Senate.
1418
01:21:44,681 --> 01:21:46,857
With war now inevitable,
1419
01:21:46,988 --> 01:21:49,643
Caesar suffers a real,
serious defection.
1420
01:21:51,036 --> 01:21:52,951
Labienus goes over
to Pompey's side.
1421
01:21:54,039 --> 01:21:56,519
It's possible that Labienus
turned against Caesar,
1422
01:21:56,650 --> 01:21:58,782
because he was offended
by Caesar's actions.
1423
01:21:59,914 --> 01:22:02,003
On the other hand,
we know that Labienus
1424
01:22:02,134 --> 01:22:04,310
started his career
as a Pompey guy,
1425
01:22:04,440 --> 01:22:06,921
and so perhaps,
he's just going back
1426
01:22:07,052 --> 01:22:08,270
to his original patron.
1427
01:22:09,097 --> 01:22:11,143
What we see in this civil war,
1428
01:22:11,273 --> 01:22:13,493
is that everybody
has to choose sides,
1429
01:22:13,623 --> 01:22:16,061
and rarely is it about policy,
1430
01:22:16,191 --> 01:22:17,976
or belief, or ideals,
1431
01:22:18,106 --> 01:22:19,542
it's about personal loyalty.
1432
01:22:23,024 --> 01:22:25,157
As Caesar
continues towards Rome...
1433
01:22:28,029 --> 01:22:30,162
his former ally, Pompey,
1434
01:22:30,292 --> 01:22:32,512
tries to negotiate
one last time.
1435
01:22:34,296 --> 01:22:37,038
Even though
Caesar has crossed the Rubicon,
1436
01:22:37,169 --> 01:22:39,084
lines of communication
are still open
1437
01:22:39,214 --> 01:22:40,694
between him and Pompey.
1438
01:22:42,348 --> 01:22:44,480
I regret
it has come to this, Gaius.
1439
01:22:45,264 --> 01:22:48,528
My country called me to duty,
and I could not refuse.
1440
01:22:48,658 --> 01:22:51,618
I know you feel
you've been let down,
1441
01:22:51,748 --> 01:22:54,621
but can you not put Rome
before your pride?
1442
01:22:54,751 --> 01:22:57,015
You've raised an army
against me!
1443
01:22:57,145 --> 01:22:59,017
You've raised an army
against the Republic!
1444
01:23:01,497 --> 01:23:04,544
You know I can't just simply
surrender myself to Cato.
1445
01:23:05,458 --> 01:23:06,502
So...
1446
01:23:07,590 --> 01:23:09,940
your bruised ego means war,
does it?
1447
01:23:10,724 --> 01:23:13,988
Mark Antony's offer,
that we both lay down our arms,
1448
01:23:14,119 --> 01:23:15,033
was rejected.
1449
01:23:15,903 --> 01:23:18,210
So, a new offer.
1450
01:23:19,733 --> 01:23:21,604
Caesar makes
one final offer to Pompey.
1451
01:23:21,735 --> 01:23:23,867
They'll both leave Italy,
and they'll leave things
1452
01:23:23,998 --> 01:23:25,652
for the Senate
and the other bodies
1453
01:23:25,782 --> 01:23:27,958
of Roman political society
to figure out.
1454
01:23:28,089 --> 01:23:29,351
We don't know
how Pompey reacts to this,
1455
01:23:29,482 --> 01:23:31,092
but we know how the Senate does.
1456
01:23:31,701 --> 01:23:35,053
No, his offer
will not be accepted.
1457
01:23:35,183 --> 01:23:36,793
Caesar needs to face punishment,
1458
01:23:36,924 --> 01:23:39,883
and that means
you crushing him in battle.
1459
01:23:40,536 --> 01:23:42,190
Then we need to leave the city.
1460
01:23:42,321 --> 01:23:43,235
I will not run.
1461
01:23:44,932 --> 01:23:48,240
He is approaching right now
with his entire army.
1462
01:23:48,370 --> 01:23:50,503
We don't have
enough loyal soldiers in Italy
1463
01:23:50,633 --> 01:23:52,200
to defend Rome.
1464
01:23:52,331 --> 01:23:54,333
I thought Pompey
only has to stamp his feet,
1465
01:23:54,463 --> 01:23:55,638
and troops will appear.
1466
01:23:56,683 --> 01:23:59,338
My men are spread
through the Mediterranean.
1467
01:23:59,468 --> 01:24:00,817
We need time.
1468
01:24:02,384 --> 01:24:04,473
We must leave the city.
1469
01:24:04,604 --> 01:24:06,954
Anyone who stays
to welcome Caesar
1470
01:24:07,085 --> 01:24:09,087
is a traitor to the Republic.
1471
01:24:18,966 --> 01:24:23,144
g]
1472
01:24:28,541 --> 01:24:30,804
After Pompey
and the Senate fled Rome...
1473
01:24:32,545 --> 01:24:34,242
Caesar gave chase.
1474
01:24:34,373 --> 01:24:36,853
He pursued them first,
to southern Italy,
1475
01:24:36,984 --> 01:24:37,985
and then, to Greece.
1476
01:24:39,943 --> 01:24:41,728
Greece is one
of Pompey's power bases,
1477
01:24:41,858 --> 01:24:44,122
it's a place where he can gather
soldiers to resist Caesar.
1478
01:24:46,689 --> 01:24:49,214
The two armies
find each other camped,
1479
01:24:49,344 --> 01:24:51,085
at Pharsalus in Greece,
1480
01:24:51,216 --> 01:24:53,783
and at this point,
Pompey has the upper hand.
1481
01:24:54,697 --> 01:24:57,309
Caesar's army is very far
1482
01:24:57,439 --> 01:24:59,224
from their supply lines
and from reinforcements,
1483
01:24:59,354 --> 01:25:00,616
they're hungry.
1484
01:25:02,705 --> 01:25:04,881
Pompey has
numerical superiority,
1485
01:25:05,012 --> 01:25:07,014
greater equipment
and greater supply lines.
1486
01:25:08,276 --> 01:25:11,540
Caesar is completely outgunned.
1487
01:25:11,671 --> 01:25:15,501
He is in a win-or-die situation,
1488
01:25:15,631 --> 01:25:17,807
and time is not on his side.
1489
01:25:23,857 --> 01:25:26,294
We have him pinned down, here.
1490
01:25:27,817 --> 01:25:30,385
All we need to do
is starve him out.
1491
01:25:31,299 --> 01:25:32,518
How long?
- Perhaps a month.
1492
01:25:33,519 --> 01:25:35,260
A month?
1493
01:25:35,390 --> 01:25:37,000
How much money
will that cost the Republic?
1494
01:25:38,176 --> 01:25:40,439
Cato, this is our best option.
1495
01:25:41,527 --> 01:25:44,921
He will surrender.
Fewer lives will be lost.
1496
01:25:45,052 --> 01:25:47,881
I think
you're losing your nerve...
1497
01:25:48,925 --> 01:25:50,013
old man.
1498
01:25:51,450 --> 01:25:52,668
Pompey doesn't want to fight,
1499
01:25:52,799 --> 01:25:53,930
but Pompey is under pressure
1500
01:25:54,061 --> 01:25:55,497
from his fellow nobles.
1501
01:25:55,628 --> 01:25:57,151
They do want to fight a battle,
1502
01:25:57,282 --> 01:25:59,066
they believe
that they can defeat Caesar.
1503
01:26:02,983 --> 01:26:03,897
You want a battle?
1504
01:26:06,508 --> 01:26:07,509
Have it your way.
1505
01:26:12,906 --> 01:26:14,386
Pompey's taking the field.
1506
01:26:16,779 --> 01:26:18,390
Have the centurions
ready the men.
1507
01:26:18,520 --> 01:26:19,739
The men haven't eaten in days.
1508
01:26:21,741 --> 01:26:24,744
Hunger makes a man fight harder,
Pompey's men have grown fat.
1509
01:26:27,834 --> 01:26:29,575
Let's face it, my friend...
1510
01:26:31,403 --> 01:26:32,752
the odds
aren't going to get any better.
1511
01:26:44,633 --> 01:26:46,548
At Pharsalus,
1512
01:26:46,679 --> 01:26:50,596
Pompey has managed
to put together a massive force
1513
01:26:50,726 --> 01:26:52,119
from throughout
all of the territories
1514
01:26:52,250 --> 01:26:54,034
that Pompey
has conquered previously.
1515
01:26:54,164 --> 01:26:56,863
Pompey! Pompey! Pompey!
1516
01:26:56,993 --> 01:27:00,910
Jewish mercenaries,
Egyptians, Syrians and Greeks.
1517
01:27:01,737 --> 01:27:05,524
You fight for a just cause.
1518
01:27:06,394 --> 01:27:10,703
For liberty,
for our laws and the Senate,
1519
01:27:10,833 --> 01:27:12,966
against one man,
1520
01:27:13,096 --> 01:27:15,795
who is seizing supreme power.
1521
01:27:19,494 --> 01:27:21,104
Pompey is up in years.
1522
01:27:21,235 --> 01:27:23,193
It has been quite some time
1523
01:27:23,324 --> 01:27:26,719
since he actually engaged
in a battle and won one.
1524
01:27:26,849 --> 01:27:28,590
Top that with the fact
that he has
1525
01:27:28,721 --> 01:27:30,244
an inexperienced military force
1526
01:27:30,375 --> 01:27:32,420
that he's trying to work with.
1527
01:27:32,551 --> 01:27:35,597
Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!
1528
01:27:35,728 --> 01:27:37,512
Caesar has the veteran force,
1529
01:27:37,643 --> 01:27:40,080
Caesar's infantry
are more experienced in battle
1530
01:27:40,210 --> 01:27:41,777
than Pompey's,
and Pompey knows it.
1531
01:27:41,908 --> 01:27:43,170
Caesar!
1532
01:27:43,301 --> 01:27:45,999
Today, we face only men.
1533
01:27:47,740 --> 01:27:49,785
The same men,
1534
01:27:49,916 --> 01:27:52,571
who wanted to disband us,
1535
01:27:52,701 --> 01:27:54,224
without honors.
1536
01:27:54,355 --> 01:27:55,835
Remember,
1537
01:27:55,965 --> 01:27:59,273
they wanted this, not us.
1538
01:28:01,014 --> 01:28:03,146
Caesar has asked
his soldiers to do
1539
01:28:03,277 --> 01:28:05,671
many things in the last decade,
1540
01:28:05,801 --> 01:28:07,673
but one thing
that has kept them going,
1541
01:28:07,803 --> 01:28:10,719
is his intense confidence
in himself.
1542
01:28:11,285 --> 01:28:15,158
This day will decide everything.
1543
01:28:15,768 --> 01:28:18,597
I order you now, advance!
1544
01:28:25,168 --> 01:28:27,519
Caesar's soldiers
are more battle-hardened
1545
01:28:27,649 --> 01:28:29,172
than their opponents,
1546
01:28:29,303 --> 01:28:31,566
but Pompey has a secret weapon.
1547
01:28:31,697 --> 01:28:35,614
Caesar's former lieutenant,
Titus Labienus.
1548
01:28:35,744 --> 01:28:38,486
Labienus is now in command
of Pompey's cavalry.
1549
01:28:39,835 --> 01:28:42,316
Caesar is now facing
one of his deputies
1550
01:28:42,447 --> 01:28:44,362
who is familiar
with how Caesar operates.
1551
01:28:48,931 --> 01:28:51,586
Pompey wants to push
his infantry out into the center
1552
01:28:51,717 --> 01:28:54,415
and hold the line,
and allow Labienus' cavalry
1553
01:28:54,546 --> 01:28:56,417
to move around,
and outflank Caesar's.
1554
01:28:58,027 --> 01:29:01,901
Pompey's got about seven times
as many horsemen as Caesar has,
1555
01:29:02,031 --> 01:29:05,339
and he's concentrated them
on the one flank on the left.
1556
01:29:05,470 --> 01:29:08,255
Julius Caesar recognizes
his cavalry is outnumbered,
1557
01:29:08,386 --> 01:29:10,257
so he adapts incredibly quickly.
1558
01:29:11,127 --> 01:29:12,085
Javelin.
1559
01:29:13,782 --> 01:29:15,175
Listen carefully.
1560
01:29:18,004 --> 01:29:20,746
He hides infantrymen
in amongst his cavalry.
1561
01:29:32,235 --> 01:29:34,586
Caesar's infantrymen
use their javelins
1562
01:29:34,716 --> 01:29:37,284
to thrust
at the enemy cavalrymen.
1563
01:29:46,989 --> 01:29:49,035
This is a new strategy
1564
01:29:49,165 --> 01:29:51,907
that Caesar concocts
for this particular battle.
1565
01:29:54,214 --> 01:29:55,955
Javelins were usually used
1566
01:29:56,085 --> 01:29:58,566
as throwing weapons
in ancient warfare.
1567
01:29:59,785 --> 01:30:01,830
Labienus' men,
they are stunned,
1568
01:30:01,961 --> 01:30:03,571
taken by surprise,
he starts to suffer losses.
1569
01:30:03,702 --> 01:30:05,312
Do not retreat!
1570
01:30:07,140 --> 01:30:08,620
Keep formation!
1571
01:30:11,057 --> 01:30:13,189
Labienus is forced to retreat
1572
01:30:13,320 --> 01:30:15,104
and now Caesar has
the initiative in the battle.
1573
01:30:17,455 --> 01:30:18,456
Push!
1574
01:30:19,152 --> 01:30:20,893
Come on!
1575
01:30:21,023 --> 01:30:23,722
Caesar will now send
his infantry forward,
1576
01:30:23,852 --> 01:30:25,593
including
his most experienced men.
1577
01:30:26,246 --> 01:30:28,074
Harder!
1578
01:30:28,204 --> 01:30:31,033
Pompey's men
have not fought together before,
1579
01:30:31,164 --> 01:30:33,253
whereas Caesar's men
have tasted victory before,
1580
01:30:33,383 --> 01:30:34,733
they have greater confidence,
1581
01:30:34,863 --> 01:30:36,822
they smash
through Pompey's line.
1582
01:30:45,352 --> 01:30:47,485
Realizing
that he has lost the battle,
1583
01:30:47,615 --> 01:30:49,922
Pompey decides to flee.
1584
01:30:50,052 --> 01:30:52,272
It's his only chance to live
and fight again another day.
1585
01:30:58,234 --> 01:31:01,411
I think Pharsalus
shows Caesar at his finest.
1586
01:31:01,542 --> 01:31:03,936
The ploy that he uses
against Labienus' cavalry
1587
01:31:04,066 --> 01:31:05,764
is sheer genius.
1588
01:31:05,894 --> 01:31:08,984
Caesar may be a gambler
but he's a smart gambler
1589
01:31:09,115 --> 01:31:11,378
and smart gamblers often win.
1590
01:31:14,033 --> 01:31:16,818
Pompey heads east
through Greece and Turkey
1591
01:31:16,949 --> 01:31:20,039
and then south through Cyprus
and on to Egypt.
1592
01:31:20,996 --> 01:31:23,433
Officially,
Egypt is an independent country.
1593
01:31:23,564 --> 01:31:26,524
Unofficially,
it's almost a vassal of Rome.
1594
01:31:28,003 --> 01:31:30,092
Pompey thinks
he can get help in Egypt,
1595
01:31:30,223 --> 01:31:32,007
because the Egyptians owe him.
1596
01:31:32,138 --> 01:31:34,662
Pompey was the patron
of the king's father,
1597
01:31:34,793 --> 01:31:36,055
Ptolemy the 12th.
1598
01:31:37,404 --> 01:31:39,537
Caesar stays
on Pompey's heels,
1599
01:31:39,667 --> 01:31:41,147
following him to North Africa.
1600
01:31:41,277 --> 01:31:42,714
Caesar knows
1601
01:31:42,844 --> 01:31:45,020
that as long as Pompey
is out there,
1602
01:31:45,151 --> 01:31:47,022
he hasn't won the war.
1603
01:31:47,153 --> 01:31:51,026
He needs to stop Pompey
before he can rally a new army.
1604
01:31:56,858 --> 01:31:58,512
When Caesar arrives in Egypt,
1605
01:31:58,643 --> 01:32:01,080
the country
is tearing itself apart.
1606
01:32:01,210 --> 01:32:03,996
The boy-king,
Ptolemy Theos, is at war
1607
01:32:04,126 --> 01:32:06,085
with his older sister, Cleopatra.
1608
01:32:07,390 --> 01:32:09,871
With the help of his regent,
the eunuch Pathinas,
1609
01:32:10,002 --> 01:32:12,831
Theos manages
to oust Cleopatra from power,
1610
01:32:12,961 --> 01:32:14,049
for now.
1611
01:32:21,143 --> 01:32:23,015
Majesty,
1612
01:32:23,145 --> 01:32:26,540
I understand my countryman,
Pompey, is here in Egypt,
1613
01:32:26,671 --> 01:32:28,586
I only wish to speak with him.
1614
01:32:29,804 --> 01:32:32,241
Caesar, please, join us.
1615
01:32:33,373 --> 01:32:34,504
We have a gift for you.
1616
01:33:01,053 --> 01:33:03,925
Pompey is stabbed
to death and beheaded.
1617
01:33:04,622 --> 01:33:05,927
The Egyptian rulers at the time
1618
01:33:06,058 --> 01:33:07,276
saw the Battle of Pharsalus
1619
01:33:07,407 --> 01:33:09,191
as decisive in the civil war
1620
01:33:09,322 --> 01:33:11,237
and they wanted to curry favor
1621
01:33:11,367 --> 01:33:13,500
with the new overlord
of the Roman world.
1622
01:33:16,155 --> 01:33:18,026
Caesar is distraught
1623
01:33:18,157 --> 01:33:20,942
when he finds out about
what's happened to Pompey,
1624
01:33:21,073 --> 01:33:23,815
he does not think that the man
deserved such a cruel death.
1625
01:33:30,822 --> 01:33:32,040
After Pompey's death,
1626
01:33:32,171 --> 01:33:34,434
Caesar spends nine months
in Egypt
1627
01:33:34,564 --> 01:33:36,523
with a new ally and lover.
1628
01:33:37,872 --> 01:33:39,439
Caesar.
1629
01:33:39,569 --> 01:33:42,355
The Egyptian queen, Cleopatra,
1630
01:33:42,485 --> 01:33:44,357
the older sister
of Ptolemy Theos.
1631
01:33:45,445 --> 01:33:46,533
Leave us.
1632
01:33:51,886 --> 01:33:54,541
They even have a child together, Caesarion.
1633
01:33:55,890 --> 01:33:58,023
Caesar eventually leaves Egypt
1634
01:33:58,153 --> 01:34:00,329
in the summer of 47 BC,
1635
01:34:00,460 --> 01:34:02,549
nearly a year after he arrived.
1636
01:34:04,594 --> 01:34:07,510
Caesar then continues
fighting his enemies,
1637
01:34:07,641 --> 01:34:09,382
the remaining allies of Pompey,
1638
01:34:09,512 --> 01:34:11,166
who have regrouped under Cato
1639
01:34:11,297 --> 01:34:12,907
and are fighting
in North Africa.
1640
01:34:13,821 --> 01:34:15,605
Cato is defending
the city of Utica,
1641
01:34:15,736 --> 01:34:17,129
which is a seaport.
1642
01:34:17,259 --> 01:34:20,045
The city
is about to fall to Caesar
1643
01:34:20,175 --> 01:34:22,700
and Caesar offers Cato his life.
1644
01:34:22,830 --> 01:34:25,137
He says, "Ask me for pardon
1645
01:34:25,267 --> 01:34:26,791
"and I will spare you."
1646
01:34:26,921 --> 01:34:28,314
Cato refuses.
1647
01:34:28,923 --> 01:34:31,012
Rather than submit
to Caesar's will,
1648
01:34:31,143 --> 01:34:33,972
he decides that a good Roman
would rather commit suicide.
1649
01:34:34,886 --> 01:34:38,280
Cato's death
is exactly how he lived,
1650
01:34:38,411 --> 01:34:40,456
overly dramatic.
1651
01:34:40,587 --> 01:34:43,416
For some people,
he's gone down in history
1652
01:34:43,546 --> 01:34:45,461
as an example
of a freedom fighter,
1653
01:34:45,592 --> 01:34:48,247
who would rather die
than accept a dictatorship.
1654
01:34:51,424 --> 01:34:54,775
Finally, more than
a decade after he left for Gaul,
1655
01:34:54,906 --> 01:34:56,603
Caesar returns to Rome...
1656
01:34:58,823 --> 01:35:01,260
not as a rebel,
but as its ruler.
1657
01:35:02,827 --> 01:35:05,612
When Caesar returns
to Rome in 46 BC,
1658
01:35:05,743 --> 01:35:08,833
he is the unquestionable master
of Rome.
1659
01:35:08,963 --> 01:35:10,748
Nobody even competes
1660
01:35:10,878 --> 01:35:14,099
when it comes to the power
at Caesar's disposal.
1661
01:35:15,753 --> 01:35:17,450
Rome's Empire
under Caesar
1662
01:35:17,580 --> 01:35:20,583
now stretches
more than 2,500 miles.
1663
01:35:20,714 --> 01:35:23,238
From the French Atlantic coast,
1664
01:35:23,369 --> 01:35:25,110
to the river Euphrates in Syria.
1665
01:35:27,373 --> 01:35:29,679
Julius Caesar is
bestowed with the highest honor
1666
01:35:29,810 --> 01:35:32,682
that a Roman official
could receive, a triumph.
1667
01:35:32,813 --> 01:35:35,468
It's an extensive
military parade
1668
01:35:35,598 --> 01:35:37,644
that welcomes him back
into the city.
1669
01:35:38,340 --> 01:35:40,560
Caesar has
his face painted red,
1670
01:35:40,690 --> 01:35:42,867
because for one of [indistinct],
1671
01:35:42,997 --> 01:35:45,783
the triumph symbolizes
that this one man
1672
01:35:45,913 --> 01:35:48,655
is being given
the privilege of becoming a god.
1673
01:35:51,527 --> 01:35:53,051
All the while
1674
01:35:53,181 --> 01:35:54,443
that Caesar's going
through this triumph,
1675
01:35:54,574 --> 01:35:55,705
there's a slave with him,
1676
01:35:55,836 --> 01:35:57,316
whispering in his ear,
1677
01:35:57,446 --> 01:35:58,970
"Remember you are mortal.
1678
01:35:59,100 --> 01:36:00,536
"Remember you are mortal."
1679
01:36:00,667 --> 01:36:02,321
"Remember, you are not a god."
1680
01:36:02,451 --> 01:36:05,063
Even at the peak
of his accomplishments,
1681
01:36:05,193 --> 01:36:06,629
there is still somebody there
to remind Caesar
1682
01:36:06,760 --> 01:36:07,805
to keep his feet on the ground.
1683
01:36:11,634 --> 01:36:13,071
As part of the triumph,
1684
01:36:13,201 --> 01:36:15,160
high-profile prisoners
are executed
1685
01:36:15,290 --> 01:36:17,205
in front of the crowds.
1686
01:36:17,336 --> 01:36:19,947
Poor Vercingetorix
has been waiting for six years
1687
01:36:20,078 --> 01:36:23,516
since his defeat at Alesia,
to be executed in Rome.
1688
01:36:29,217 --> 01:36:31,611
This triumph
is establishing the narrative
1689
01:36:31,741 --> 01:36:34,179
"Caesar is the hero
that conquered Gaul for Rome.
1690
01:36:34,309 --> 01:36:36,834
"Here is the leader of the Gauls
being executed for us.
1691
01:36:40,576 --> 01:36:42,274
This is our moment to gloat,
1692
01:36:42,404 --> 01:36:44,667
on our victory
and our conquest of Gaul.
1693
01:36:53,546 --> 01:36:56,723
Caesar's big challenge
is to try to unite Rome
1694
01:36:56,854 --> 01:36:58,377
behind his unparalleled power.
1695
01:36:58,507 --> 01:37:00,248
But the problem with that
1696
01:37:00,379 --> 01:37:03,034
is Rome is supposed to be
a republican democracy.
1697
01:37:04,949 --> 01:37:07,038
Caesar's dominance
is completely abnormal
1698
01:37:07,168 --> 01:37:08,561
in Rome's recent history.
1699
01:37:08,691 --> 01:37:10,215
It only happened once before
1700
01:37:10,345 --> 01:37:12,347
within in Caesar's lifetime,
with Sulla.
1701
01:37:17,265 --> 01:37:19,615
Caesar has
the Senate declare him dictator.
1702
01:37:19,746 --> 01:37:21,791
At this point, the Senate
has no fight left in it,
1703
01:37:21,922 --> 01:37:23,054
Caesar has won.
1704
01:37:24,925 --> 01:37:27,754
Dictator
is a form of exceptional power
1705
01:37:27,885 --> 01:37:29,974
that was supposed
to be temporary.
1706
01:37:30,626 --> 01:37:33,325
Caesar is using this
as a fig leaf
1707
01:37:33,455 --> 01:37:35,240
to hide the fact
there are no limits
1708
01:37:35,370 --> 01:37:36,589
to his influence and power.
1709
01:37:42,073 --> 01:37:44,989
Caesar now uses
his unprecedented power
1710
01:37:45,119 --> 01:37:46,991
to pass reforms
he thinks are needed
1711
01:37:47,121 --> 01:37:48,906
to transform
a crumbling republic.
1712
01:37:52,039 --> 01:37:53,823
Caesar believes
1713
01:37:53,954 --> 01:37:57,001
that the Roman Republic
cannot function anymore,
1714
01:37:57,131 --> 01:38:00,352
because it was set up
to rule over a small city
1715
01:38:00,482 --> 01:38:03,485
and they're now ruling
over a vast empire.
1716
01:38:03,616 --> 01:38:05,574
The forms of government
in a republic
1717
01:38:05,705 --> 01:38:07,272
simply can't manage this.
1718
01:38:09,143 --> 01:38:11,276
Caesar has come
to the conclusion,
1719
01:38:11,406 --> 01:38:13,931
that the only way
to save the Republic,
1720
01:38:14,061 --> 01:38:16,934
is to fundamentally destroy
and rebuild it.
1721
01:38:17,891 --> 01:38:20,024
He needs to create a new system,
1722
01:38:20,154 --> 01:38:21,851
centered around him.
1723
01:38:21,982 --> 01:38:24,202
No longer
will there be open elections,
1724
01:38:24,332 --> 01:38:26,639
optimates and populares,
1725
01:38:26,769 --> 01:38:28,815
now there will
only be Caesar's will.
1726
01:38:30,860 --> 01:38:32,601
As Caesar's power grows,
1727
01:38:32,732 --> 01:38:34,995
he looks for new ways
to display that publicly,
1728
01:38:35,126 --> 01:38:37,258
to legitimate his new role.
1729
01:38:50,793 --> 01:38:52,926
Caesar wears
a purple robe
1730
01:38:53,057 --> 01:38:54,754
whenever he pleases.
1731
01:38:54,884 --> 01:38:56,321
Now, this is significant,
1732
01:38:56,451 --> 01:38:58,976
because purple
is the color of royalty.
1733
01:39:05,460 --> 01:39:07,071
Caesar has
his dictatorship
1734
01:39:07,201 --> 01:39:08,898
extended in perpetuity.
1735
01:39:09,029 --> 01:39:13,338
He will now rule
as a sole ruler for life.
1736
01:39:22,347 --> 01:39:24,392
Caesar now
has greater power
1737
01:39:24,523 --> 01:39:26,568
than the man he hated
and ran away from,
1738
01:39:26,699 --> 01:39:27,874
the dictator Sulla.
1739
01:39:29,310 --> 01:39:32,531
For a guy
who claims to be a populares,
1740
01:39:32,661 --> 01:39:36,143
for someone who stands up
for the little guy,
1741
01:39:36,274 --> 01:39:39,712
now he begins
to lose his mind with hubris.
1742
01:39:39,842 --> 01:39:44,064
This was a man
who used to be a reformer
1743
01:39:44,195 --> 01:39:47,372
and now he just wants
absolute power.
1744
01:39:47,502 --> 01:39:51,767
Caesar has always been
a populares
1745
01:39:51,898 --> 01:39:53,595
in name only.
1746
01:39:53,726 --> 01:39:55,510
He is not interested
1747
01:39:55,641 --> 01:39:58,644
in improving
the lot of the people.
1748
01:39:59,601 --> 01:40:02,648
The people were always
just a means to an end.
1749
01:40:04,084 --> 01:40:05,564
You're sure
this is the right thing to do?
1750
01:40:07,131 --> 01:40:09,176
I'm the most powerful man
Rome has ever seen.
1751
01:40:10,003 --> 01:40:11,918
It's time to make it official.
1752
01:40:12,049 --> 01:40:14,268
Long-serving Senators
might not take well to it,
1753
01:40:14,399 --> 01:40:15,965
even Sulla
was careful with them,
1754
01:40:16,096 --> 01:40:17,750
not to make them
feel disrespected.
1755
01:40:18,533 --> 01:40:19,578
They'll do nothing.
1756
01:40:20,840 --> 01:40:22,407
They owe me their lives.
1757
01:40:22,537 --> 01:40:25,453
- But the Republic--
- I am the Republic.
1758
01:40:26,324 --> 01:40:29,588
With each success,
Caesar's ambitions grow.
1759
01:40:31,329 --> 01:40:32,808
What else is there,
1760
01:40:32,939 --> 01:40:36,464
than Rome
and the power of ruling Rome?
1761
01:40:36,595 --> 01:40:38,988
There hasn't been a king
for 400 years.
1762
01:40:39,119 --> 01:40:42,122
Could he possibly
even become a king?
1763
01:40:42,644 --> 01:40:43,776
It's a gamble.
1764
01:40:45,256 --> 01:40:46,257
Yes.
1765
01:40:47,388 --> 01:40:48,259
But you forget...
1766
01:40:49,825 --> 01:40:50,826
I never lose.
1767
01:40:56,963 --> 01:40:57,790
]
1768
01:41:00,184 --> 01:41:02,229
Caesar,
from the beginning,
1769
01:41:02,360 --> 01:41:05,798
from Sulla's demand
to divorce Cornelia...
1770
01:41:07,234 --> 01:41:08,888
he was a gambler.
1771
01:41:09,018 --> 01:41:12,805
He was willing
to throw those dice.
1772
01:41:15,329 --> 01:41:17,940
Rome had been founded
by kings
1773
01:41:18,071 --> 01:41:22,380
and it was that foundation
that Caesar had invoked,
1774
01:41:22,510 --> 01:41:25,818
all the way back
at Cornelia's funeral.
1775
01:41:26,862 --> 01:41:28,342
For Caesar,
1776
01:41:28,473 --> 01:41:30,649
the only place
he has left to go,
1777
01:41:30,779 --> 01:41:32,825
is to become an outright king
1778
01:41:32,955 --> 01:41:35,175
and fulfill
that political mission
1779
01:41:35,306 --> 01:41:38,439
that he had set for himself
years previously.
1780
01:41:38,570 --> 01:41:40,049
At a public festival,
1781
01:41:40,180 --> 01:41:42,530
he has Mark Antony
try to crown him,
1782
01:41:42,661 --> 01:41:44,228
to see how the crowd will react.
1783
01:41:44,358 --> 01:41:46,491
The people ask me,
1784
01:41:46,621 --> 01:41:49,146
to give Caesar this crown.
1785
01:41:50,582 --> 01:41:52,845
Caesar is gambling
1786
01:41:52,975 --> 01:41:55,064
that the Roman people
will accept their first king
1787
01:41:55,195 --> 01:41:57,154
in 400 years.
1788
01:42:03,247 --> 01:42:05,162
It's a wager that backfires.
1789
01:42:08,600 --> 01:42:11,777
Jupiter alone
1790
01:42:11,907 --> 01:42:14,345
is king of the Romans.
1791
01:42:15,389 --> 01:42:16,347
I'm no king...
1792
01:42:18,044 --> 01:42:19,828
but only Caesar.
1793
01:42:23,397 --> 01:42:24,790
Senators
could never accept
1794
01:42:24,920 --> 01:42:26,400
the possibility
of a king in Rome,
1795
01:42:26,531 --> 01:42:28,141
that would be
the death of the Republic,
1796
01:42:28,272 --> 01:42:30,404
the death of everything
that they held sacred.
1797
01:42:30,535 --> 01:42:31,971
For them, this would be a line
1798
01:42:32,101 --> 01:42:33,538
that they would never be willing
to cross.
1799
01:42:35,322 --> 01:42:36,671
Within the Senate,
1800
01:42:36,802 --> 01:42:38,760
a growing group is now beginning
1801
01:42:38,891 --> 01:42:40,849
to organize opposition
against Caesar.
1802
01:42:40,980 --> 01:42:42,895
Around 60 Senators
are ever less comfortable
1803
01:42:43,025 --> 01:42:44,853
with Caesar's growing power
1804
01:42:44,984 --> 01:42:47,726
and start to accuse him
of becoming a tyrant.
1805
01:42:49,597 --> 01:42:51,512
One month
after the failed crowning,
1806
01:42:51,643 --> 01:42:53,340
on March 15th...
1807
01:42:54,472 --> 01:42:56,648
the Ides of March,
1808
01:42:56,778 --> 01:42:59,216
Caesar is invited
to meet a group of Senators.
1809
01:43:07,136 --> 01:43:08,399
One of the leaders
1810
01:43:08,529 --> 01:43:10,052
of the conspiracy
against Caesar,
1811
01:43:10,183 --> 01:43:12,229
is a man named Marcus Brutus.
1812
01:43:14,579 --> 01:43:15,928
Caesar.
1813
01:43:16,668 --> 01:43:17,756
Please, a petition.
1814
01:43:40,039 --> 01:43:42,781
Is it you, my son?
1815
01:43:44,652 --> 01:43:46,654
The words that are known
throughout the world
1816
01:43:46,785 --> 01:43:48,613
as being Caesar's
final words are,
1817
01:43:48,743 --> 01:43:51,093
"Et tu, Brutes?"
"And you, Brutus?"
1818
01:43:51,224 --> 01:43:53,792
But these words don't originate
in the ancient sources,
1819
01:43:53,922 --> 01:43:56,403
they actually originate
with Shakespeare.
1820
01:43:57,491 --> 01:43:59,276
What he said
to Brutus was,
1821
01:43:59,406 --> 01:44:00,451
"You, too, child?"
1822
01:44:01,669 --> 01:44:03,802
Brutus' mother, Servilia,
1823
01:44:03,932 --> 01:44:06,413
was Caesar's long-time mistress
1824
01:44:06,544 --> 01:44:08,720
and there're even those who say
1825
01:44:08,850 --> 01:44:12,114
that Brutus
was Caesar's natural child.
1826
01:44:15,466 --> 01:44:17,946
Every gambler
will tell you that, eventually,
1827
01:44:18,077 --> 01:44:19,557
their luck is going to run out.
1828
01:44:20,732 --> 01:44:22,516
Caesar gambled and gambled
and gambled
1829
01:44:22,647 --> 01:44:24,562
until, eventually, he lost.
1830
01:44:25,258 --> 01:44:27,129
In the end,
there's a real tragic irony
1831
01:44:27,260 --> 01:44:28,653
in Caesar's life.
1832
01:44:28,783 --> 01:44:32,047
That he ran
from a despot dictator
1833
01:44:32,178 --> 01:44:34,006
and he comes full circle
1834
01:44:34,136 --> 01:44:36,138
to actually end his life as one.
1835
01:44:40,099 --> 01:44:42,406
Caesar's assassins
are hoping to kill him
1836
01:44:42,536 --> 01:44:44,582
and to bring
the old Republic back.
1837
01:44:44,712 --> 01:44:46,932
In practice,
the result is a disaster.
1838
01:44:47,062 --> 01:44:50,849
The assassins do not
successfully restore democracy.
1839
01:44:52,807 --> 01:44:54,243
When Caesar dies,
1840
01:44:54,374 --> 01:44:56,550
there are just too many
1841
01:44:56,681 --> 01:44:58,509
ambitious,
powerful men around him.
1842
01:44:58,639 --> 01:45:00,249
There's Mark Antony,
1843
01:45:00,380 --> 01:45:03,470
who thinks of himself
as his protégé.
1844
01:45:03,601 --> 01:45:06,865
But Mark Antony
is not Caesar's chosen heir.
1845
01:45:06,995 --> 01:45:09,171
Instead, his will nominates
1846
01:45:09,302 --> 01:45:12,218
his cunning great-nephew,
Octavian.
1847
01:45:15,395 --> 01:45:17,354
The next few years
of Roman history
1848
01:45:17,484 --> 01:45:20,487
are a colossal struggle
over five separate civil wars.
1849
01:45:20,618 --> 01:45:22,707
Particularly between
Mark Antony and Octavian,
1850
01:45:22,837 --> 01:45:24,839
to inherit Caesar's power.
1851
01:45:24,970 --> 01:45:26,798
Octavian comes out on top
1852
01:45:26,928 --> 01:45:29,322
and becomes
the first-ever Emperor of Rome,
1853
01:45:29,453 --> 01:45:32,020
establishing what we now know
as the Roman Empire.
1854
01:45:32,151 --> 01:45:34,545
Crucially, Octavian
never declares himself king.
1855
01:45:35,546 --> 01:45:37,461
The Roman Empire
survived in the west
1856
01:45:37,591 --> 01:45:39,550
for another 500 years,
1857
01:45:39,680 --> 01:45:42,770
and the east,
for another 1,500 years.
1858
01:45:42,901 --> 01:45:45,904
And, really, it all goes back
to Julius Caesar.
1859
01:45:48,515 --> 01:45:49,908
Even though
Julius Caesar
1860
01:45:50,038 --> 01:45:52,650
did not himself
become the emperor,
1861
01:45:52,780 --> 01:45:55,870
there's a reason
why later European monarchs
1862
01:45:56,001 --> 01:45:58,046
named themselves after Caesar,
1863
01:45:58,177 --> 01:46:00,005
because he establishes
an example,
1864
01:46:00,135 --> 01:46:01,833
for well or ill,
1865
01:46:01,963 --> 01:46:05,271
of what leadership
and conquest looked like.
1866
01:46:06,533 --> 01:46:08,056
So, during World War I,
1867
01:46:08,187 --> 01:46:10,058
you have in Germany the Kaiser
1868
01:46:10,189 --> 01:46:12,539
and in Russia you have the Czar.
1869
01:46:12,670 --> 01:46:15,934
Both of these words
come from the Roman "Caesar."
1870
01:46:16,064 --> 01:46:18,806
Caesar's legacy
is dictatorship itself.
1871
01:46:18,937 --> 01:46:22,027
The excuse that a democracy,
when it's in trouble,
1872
01:46:22,157 --> 01:46:24,812
can be resolved
by giving all power to one man.
1873
01:46:25,596 --> 01:46:28,381
Every dictator since,
including Napoleon,
1874
01:46:28,512 --> 01:46:30,731
Mussolini, Pinochet,
1875
01:46:30,862 --> 01:46:33,386
is always drawing
on Julius Caesar.
1876
01:46:34,300 --> 01:46:35,910
Caesar was a great man,
1877
01:46:36,041 --> 01:46:37,608
he was equally good
1878
01:46:37,738 --> 01:46:40,567
at politics, at war,
and at literature.
1879
01:46:40,698 --> 01:46:43,135
But he's also a murderous man,
a violent man.
1880
01:46:44,615 --> 01:46:47,052
A man who commits genocide.
1881
01:46:48,749 --> 01:46:50,447
It is unfortunate,
1882
01:46:50,577 --> 01:46:54,320
that in people that have
this exceptional genius,
1883
01:46:54,451 --> 01:46:58,150
you also find
an exceptional ambition.
1884
01:47:01,370 --> 01:47:03,068
There was so much
1885
01:47:03,198 --> 01:47:05,897
that Caesar
could have accomplished
1886
01:47:06,027 --> 01:47:08,029
for the Roman state,
1887
01:47:08,160 --> 01:47:11,424
that to see him finally
get wrapped up in his own power,
1888
01:47:11,555 --> 01:47:13,731
is ultimately a tragedy.
1889
01:47:14,645 --> 01:47:16,081
I think
what Julius Caesar teaches us,
1890
01:47:16,211 --> 01:47:17,648
more than anything else,
1891
01:47:17,778 --> 01:47:19,693
is that there is a danger
1892
01:47:19,824 --> 01:47:21,913
with unparalleled ambition,
1893
01:47:22,043 --> 01:47:23,915
matched
with unparalleled ability.
1894
01:47:24,045 --> 01:47:25,830
Power corrupts
1895
01:47:25,960 --> 01:47:27,962
and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
1896
01:47:28,093 --> 01:47:31,357
When you think you are
the smartest person in the room
1897
01:47:31,488 --> 01:47:33,577
and the only one
with all the answers...
1898
01:47:33,707 --> 01:47:36,623
Let the dice fly high!
1899
01:47:36,754 --> 01:47:38,016
...disaster awaits.