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Vita Familiae Caesaris

Caesar, perhaps the most widely recognized Roman name, is not in fact a proper Roman gens. It is one of two cognomina known to be assigned to the Julian clan (the other being Libo). Its meaning has been translated as 'curly' or 'hairy.'

As with most Roman aristocratic families, the Julii Caesares, as represented in their most famous son, Caius Caesar Dictator, were startlingly well-connected to the other ruling families through blood and marriage. Through his father's side, Caesar was related by marriage to both Lucius Sulla (possibly through a paternal aunt, but certainly a Julia) and Gaius Marius (through his father's older sister). Through his mother, Aurelia, Caesar was firmly entrenched in the noble Aurelii Cottae, whose marriages brought the Rutillii Rufi and Calpurnii Pisones into the Caesar family's immediate relations. The Romans followed an agnate system, which meant that Caesar was completely a Patrician, both legally and socially. On the distaff side, however, Caesar did have Plebeian blood (though this counted for naught in Rome). His grandfather had married a member of the Marcian clan (Marcii Reges) and his mother was from a Plebeian family proud of their Sabine origins.

With Caesar Dictator's murder in 44 B.C.E., the sanguine relation between the name Caesar and the Julian gens was completely severed. As time passed, the name Caesar morphed into a title of office.

The Caesars believed the Julian legend of descent ultimately from Venus, and counted among their ancestors Aeneas, Iulus (Ascanius), Romulus and Remus. The family are believed to have originated in Alba Longa where they were 'kings.' This city was destroyed by the Roman King Tullus Hostilius, who afterwards customarily moved the Julii to Rome and made them Patricians. Prior to the rise of the Principate, the Caesars had a long history of service in the Republic; with a typical weak period, followed by a peak and finally extinction. With no mention of them until later in Roman history, we must assume that they were initially very weak indeed. More firmly historical, however, is the earliest of the documented Caesars: Numerius Julius Caesar, son of a certain L. Julius Libo (Cos. 267 B.C.E.). Numerius' praenomem died with him (as Libo didwith his father), and traditionally thereafter the Caesares named their sons Lucius, Sextus, and Gaius.

Sextus Julius Caesar, grandson of Numerius, was a military tribune under Lucius Aemilius Paullus and a Proconsul of Liguria who lived around 200 BCE. His sons were Gaius and Sextus Julius, and he was Caesar Dictator's great-great-grandfather. For about two generations after, the family seems to have been down on their luck. Gaius Caesar "Grandfather” (i.e. grandfather to the Dictator) can be credited with starting them on the path back up, when he married a daughter to the rising star, Caius Marius. With the marriage no doubt came political and financial support that would culminate in Caesar Dictator's rise to power.

Around the time of the War of the Allies or Marsic War we see much more of the family. Caesar Grandfather's uncle, Sextus Julius Caesar (Cos. 156 and ambassador to Abdera), sired a brood that rose to prominence during the 80’s B.C.E. His son Lucius had two sons; one of which, Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus, was an accomplished orator (whose grand name means Gaius Julius Caesar Cross-Eyed Survivor of Twins). He and his brother Lucius were killed by Marian supporters at the start of the Marsic War. The son of this last Lucius was Consul in 90 B.C.E. and proposed the lex Julia that enfranchised those Italians who had not rebelled and those who would lay down their arms. While an act of necessity, it is still nonetheless attributable to the Caesar clan. His son, also Lucius, followed his distant cousin Julius Caesar into yet another Civil War, only to see him die in 44 B.C.E.

Another interesting Caesar is in fact ranked among the Lutatii Catuli. Born Sextus Julius Caesar -son of the Dictator's grandfather's brother- he served with Gaius Marius as co-Consul during the invasions of the Teutones and Cimbri. While not completely inept, he was not as competent as his famous relation would prove to be. He was forced to retreat before joining forces with Marius to defeat the Germanic tribes. Only a few epigrams written by him survive, but evidence suggests that he wrote histories of his Consulship and the war in which he fought, as well as being an accomplished orator. His wealth was famous and he spent much of it on building projects in Rome, including a temple in the sacred complex: Largo di Torre Argentine in the Campus Martius, still partially extant today. He commited suicide when Marius added him to the proscription lists.

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Vita Familiae Caesaris