Did Julius Caesar destroy the Roman Republic? By Zoe Fewtrell Introduction: Gaius Julius Caesar is a controversial figure who’s commonly held accountable for the collapse of the Roman Republic, although it remains debatable. He initiated lots of serious and long-lasting reforms that benefited Rome, yet that good was thought to be done through politically devious means for power hungry motives, leaving many differing perspectives following Caesar and if his motives were primarily why the Roman Republic fell. His complex legacy continues to be contested in our modern-day world by historians and individuals, globally. Caesar's actions were perceived as either justified or an irredeemable dictator. Body Paragraph 1: According to historians, Greg …show more content…
Strauss believes that Caesar's rise to prominence and willingness to undermine established institutions ultimately impacted the Republican system and while Woolf and Gruen state that pre-existing matters were relevant, Syme and Strauss majorly rely on Caesar’s actions and express Caesar's motives as a significant figure to whose actions caused the downfall of the Republic. His actions were perceived differently and led to the understanding that Caesar destroyed the Roman Republic. Body paragraph 3: Following this, senators believed that Caesar was to blame and needed to put an end to his dictatorship. Many disliked him, for in 44 BCE, he was announced “dictator for life” which caused an uproar in senators, as it threatened the traditional authority of the senatorial class. They saw him as an “egotistical power hungry monster” and the Senate greatly disliked him. Caesar's actions were blamed for the diminishing of the Republic as they significantly altered the political situation of Rome and did not abide by the institutions. Caesars centralised power and inability to abide by these institutions was unseen before, and was deemed disrespectful for republican