Julius Caesar (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Gaius Julius Caesar was born - according to legend by Caesarean section - to a noble family. His father was a praetor, a mid-level functionary in the Republic. His family was respected, but not especially rich or influential. His father died while Caesar was still a teenager. At 19, Caesar married Cornelia, daughter of a prominent member of the popular political faction. The dictator of Rome at the time was Sulla, who belonged to the rival Optimate (pro-aristocrat) faction. He ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia, and when he refused, Sulla ordered him to be executed. Caesar went into hiding until his influential friends got him a pardon.
During his early manhood, Caesar had a varied career. He served on the staff of a military officer, where he was awarded oak leaves for saving a man's life in battle. He was sent on an embassy to Bithynia, where he persuaded the king to provide Rome with a fleet of ships. He worked as an orator/lawyer in the courts of Rome, where he honed his skills as a public speaker.
During a trip to Greece, Caesar was captured by pirates and held for ransom. When the pirates told him that they planned to ask for 20 talents for his release, he indignantly insisted that he was worth 50 talents at least. He maintained friendly relations with his captors, at one point jokingly informing them that upon his release he intended to hunt them down and crucify them. Imagine their surprise when, after they released him, he did just that. The pirates had treated Caesar well during his captivity, however, so he mercifully slit their throats before nailing them to the crosses.
Caesar began his climb to power. He was elected to the Senate, where he gave his support to Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey the Great), who with Caesar's help was given command of the war against King Mithridates. He spoke at funerals, including the one of his wife, Cornelia, dazzling the crowds with his oratory skill and personal magnetism. He married the granddaughter of his old enemy, Sulla. He later divorced her because of rumors that she had had an affair, saying famously, "The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion." He spent lavishly on games to win popular support.
In 60 BC, at the age of 40, Caesar entered into an alliance with Pompey and Crassus, two very important and influential men of Rome. He agreed to support their aims if they, in turn, would help him get elected to the consulship of Rome (at the time, Rome was ruled by two consuls, each elected for one-year terms). Upon being elected, Caesar pushed through measures that helped the other two men achieve their goals. At the end of his term, he strong-armed the Assembly into giving him a five-year term as the powerful proconsul of Gaul, and thus leader of a large portion of Rome's best troops.
Caesar was to remain in the field of battle for the next nine years. During that time he conquered most of what is now Central Europe, adding "great general" to his already formidable reputation. During his absence, however, Crassus died in battle against the Parthians, and Pompey took sole control of Rome. Worse, Pompey was siding with Caesar's enemies, the Optimates. When Caesar was informed that the Optimates intended to prosecute him for his illegal actions in forcing the Assembly to give him the Gaul proconsul, he broke relations with Pompey.
Having earned his legions firm loyalty and support, in 49 BC Caesar led them "across the Rubicon" and to Rome. Most of Pompey's legions at the time were in Spain, so he and the Senate abandoned the city to Caesar's legions. In a lightning campaign, Caesar destroyed Pompey's Spanish troops before his enemy could consolidate his forces, and Pompey retreated to Greece, where there remained forces still loyal to him. Caesar pursued as quickly as possible.
Caesar's sea transportation was limited, and he could only support about 20,000 troops in Greece. He left behind his trusted lieutenant Marc Antony, ordering Antony to rectify the supply situation and get him more troops as soon as possible. Knowing, however, that Pompey was using every moment's delay to gather allies and increase his forces, Caesar couldn't wait; at the head of his now 21,000-strong army he marched to battle.
The two armies met on the plains of Pharasulus, with Pompey's army outnumbering Caesar's by more than two-to-one. Despite the odds, Caesar was victorious, his brilliant generalship making up for his disadvantage in numbers. Pompey fled the field, and shortly thereafter was betrayed and murdered by the Egyptians. Now undisputed ruler of Rome, Caesar went to Egypt, where he set his lover Cleopatra upon the throne after a short but bitter fight.
Back in Rome, Caesar began an extensive program of reforms. He began to resolve the Roman debt problem; he settled his veterans abroad, giving them the land they craved but not dispossessing others (other Romans, that is). He reformed the Roman calendar, regulated public assistance and strengthened the middle class. His actions greatly improved life for the average citizen, but angered the aristocracy, the remnants of the Optimate party.
In February of 44 BC, the puppet Senate voted Caesar "dictator perpetuus," or dictator for life. For the first time he began wearing purple garb, a color associated at that time with kings and emperors. Further, he allowed his statues to be adorned like the statues of the gods. On March 15, Caesar was murdered, stabbed at least 23 times by a coalition of aristocrats and senators.