Julius Caesar Leadership Essay

The Roman Republic slowly went downhill because of a parasite eating away at its core. The core slowly was destroyed by Marius when he allowed volunteers in the army. The core was constantly buffeted by the inequality between the patricians and the plebians, and the class war that it caused. The core was shattering from the political violence and squabbling in the Senate. Culminating in the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Fall of the Roman Republic could be seen from a mile away, and the key reason behind it was the virtues held by the Roman people. Courage, the ability to do something that frightens one and charisma, compelling charm that can inspire devotion in others, were two virtues that all Roman leaders had. However, many successful

This however, is something that the best Roman leaders had in spades. Without courage, Rome would not have been founded. Without charisma, the Roman Kingdom, later the Roman Republic, would have fallen apart. While most think of courage on the battlefield, it is not limited to it. Aeneas displayed great courage by suppressing his emotions for the sake of his men. The ability to fight through fear and lead men who are feeling the same negative feelings as you is quite courageous. He also proved himself to be a charismatic leader, guiding his men through their “odyssey,” keeping them set on the path ahead. Julius Caesar, one of the greatest Roman generals and statesmen of all time, had these same qualities. Courage and charisma were his bread and butter as he won over the hearts of the Romans. He was never afraid to take the minority position or the unpopular view. Coming out of exile to become dictator for life, he put his charisma on full display and become the most powerful man in the world for ten

While many of the virtues that Aeneas and Julius Caesar had were positive, the two men would change their views and be indecisive at times. These qualities eventually led to the downfall of the Roman Republic as the people of Rome, and often even those in power, would shift their stance on the slightest whim. For example, the Roman populus shifted back and forth on their view of Caesar and his assassination just from two speeches. Aeneas displayed these negative values when he left Carthage. Leaving immediately at the command of Juno, he left Dido to wallow in sorrow and eventually commit suicide. He went with their less than legitimate marriage until it told no to, and changed his mind on the situation. Julius Caesar’s problems with this quality revolved more around the changing viewpoints or hypocrisy side of the problem. While at first being a champion for the tribunes and the power they had, he later sacked two tribunes for doing their job. He also insulted the Senate and slowly began to take away their power little by