# Julius Caesar — The Lives of the Caesars character guide

> Julius Caesar in The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Gaius Caesar, Caesar Strabo, Caesar, Gaius, the Deified Julius, Julius, Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo, Julius

**First appearance:** 0000-book-i-the-deified-julius

## Snapshot

The brilliant, reckless patrician whose defiance of Sulla, pirate captivity, and boundless ambition set Rome on the road to empire.

## Who they are

Caesar opens Suetonius's gallery as a young man already defying Sulla's orders by refusing to divorce his wife, then surviving pirates and political exile with equal audacity. His charm, debts, and military genius make him beloved by soldiers and feared by the Senate, and his refusal to accept second place drives the civil war that ends the Republic. His chapter establishes the template for every emperor who follows: personal charisma and armed force trumping constitutional restraint.

## Relationships

### [Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/augustus)

_family_

Julius Caesar was Augustus's great-uncle and adoptive father, and Augustus avenged his assassination and built his power on Caesar's legacy.

## In the story

### [Book I: The Deified Julius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-i-the-deified-julius)

Central figure; his early life, military campaigns, and dictatorial rule are detailed.

### [Book II: The Deified Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-ii-the-deified-augustus)

Augustus's uncle and adoptive father, whose assassination sets the stage for Augustus's actions.

### [Book III: Tiberius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-iii-tiberius)

Tiberius's father Nero served as quaestor under Caesar during the Alexandrian war.

### [Book IV: Gaius Caligula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-iv-gaius-caligula)

The deified dictator; Caligula dismissed his citizenship certificates as 'old and out of date.'

### [Book V: The Deified Claudius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-v-the-deified-claudius)

Mentioned as the last to attempt an invasion of Britain before Claudius.

### [Book VI: Nero](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-vi-nero)

Ancestor of the Domitian family; his command was challenged by Nero's ancestor Gnaeus Domitius.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/endnotes)

Referenced in notes about his campaign in Gaul and his role as aedile.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/julius_caesar
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters