August 30, 2011 – Rome, Italy

Julius Caesar was born in July in 100 BC.  He was a very good general and he expanded Rome’s borders.  He was Governor of Spain for three years.  The Senate was afraid that Caesar would overthrow them.  So they told him to come to Rome without his army.  But he went to Rome with his army and overthrew the Senate.  He took power and declared himself dictator for life. 

After that he gave land and jobs to the poor.  Caesar’s rule was short.  After one year, the Senate thought that Caesar was too powerful so they stabbed him with 20 knives because that’s how many people wanted to kill him.  Even though Brutus was his best friend he agreed to kill him. 

Interesting facts about Julius Caesar:

1.  Julius Caesar invented the first code for war in the world.  In Caesar’s code my name would be   PQCJ.

2.  He changed the Roman Calendar to the Julian Calendar which we have today with 365 days and 12 months in a year.  He even had a leap year every four years.

3.  In a deck of cards, Julius Caesar is the king of diamonds. 

4.  They think that Julius Caesar started wearing a crown because he was going bald and wanted to cover up his receding hairline. 

5.  His name, Caesar, became the term used for all Roman Emperors after him.  Other names for kings also came from the word Caesar like – Kaiser (German kings) and Czar (Russia).