Portrait bust of Julius Caesar (also known as the Tusculum portrait), 50–40 B.C., Roman. Marble. Museum of Antiquities, Turin, Italy. Creative Commons CCO 2.0
From the Consulship to the Ides: Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Roman Republic 59–44B.C.
GETTY VILLA
Auditorium
This is a past event
This event has been canceled as part of Getty’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Gaius Julius Caesar—a lawyer, politician, general, author, and eventually dictator—had a tremendous impact on the course of Roman history. Yet his ascent to the dictatorship through political intrigue, violence, and civil war helped to bring about the ultimate destruction of the free republic. Historian Stefan Chrissanthos discusses Caesar’s dramatic rise and sudden fall, and his prominent role in the collapse of the Roman Republic. He considers Roman political history, and Caesar’s career in particular, as a cautionary tale, one that can provide a clear warning of the similar dangers that threaten all republics throughout history.
This lecture is part of a weekend focus on Julius Caesar and the Ides of March. Learn more >
Stefan G. "Steve" Chrissanthos is a lecturer in the department of history at UC Riverside, where his courses include Greek and Roman social, political, and military history. He received his BA in history from UC Santa Barbara, and his MA and PhD from the University of Southern California. His articles have appeared in periodicals such as Historia and The Journal of Roman Studies. Chrissanthos has contributed many chapters to anthologies; the latest was published in the Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical World. His book Warfare in the Ancient World offers a comprehensive look at military history, while his most recent book, The Year of Julius and Caesar: 59 B.C. and the Transformation of the Roman Republic (2019), focuses on the impact of powerful figures over one year.