Between 45 and 44 BC, Julius Caesar focused on consolidating his power and implementing a series of significant reforms that would leave a lasting impact on Rome. After his victory in the civil war against Pompey, he was appointed dictator for ten years and later declared dictator perpetuo (dictator for life) by the Senate. Utilizing this unprecedented authority, Caesar expanded the Senate from 600 to 900 members, incorporating his supporters and representatives from the provinces to centralize power and integrate Rome’s vast territories. He enacted social and economic reforms such as restructuring the debt system to relieve the lower classes, redistributing land to veterans and the poor, and regulating grain distribution to stabilize food supplies. Caesar also introduced the Julian calendar, standardizing timekeeping and correcting discrepancies in the previous lunar calendar.
In addition to his domestic policies, Caesar initiated extensive public works projects, including the rebuilding of Carthage and Corinth, to stimulate economic growth and provide employment opportunities. He planned a major military campaign against the Parthian Empire to avenge Rome’s earlier defeat at the Battle of Carrhae and to expand Rome’s eastern territories. However, his accumulation of power and adoption of regal symbols, like wearing a purple toga and placing his likeness on coins, alarmed many senators who feared the erosion of the Republic’s democratic principles. This growing discontent culminated in his assassination on the Ides of March in 44 BC. Caesar’s death not only halted his reforms but also plunged Rome into a series of civil wars, eventually leading to the rise of his adopted heir, Octavian (later Augustus), and the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.
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