Video narration
Who was Caesar of Rome, really? Think of a captain: influence can make people trust you—or fear you. Julius Caesar was a Roman general whose victories made him popular. He became dictator, meaning a ruler with extraordinary power—not necessarily cruel—instead of returning authority to the Roman Republic. His success threatened it. Assassinated in 44 BCE, he was not Rome’s first emperor; Augustus became the first. Caesar was a general and dictator who helped end the Republic.