Who were the Julii Caesares in ancient Rome?

The Julii Caesares were the most illustrious family branch within the patrician gens Julia, first appearing in history during the Second Punic War. Their most famous descendant was the general and dictator Gaius Julius Caesar, whose adopted son Augustus inaugurated the Julio-Claudian imperial dynasty.

What we know

• The Julii Caesares constituted a patrician branch and stirps of the broader gens Julia. [1, 2]
• The family first appears in historical records in 208 BC during the Second Punic War with Sextus Julius Caesar serving as praetor in Sicily. [2]
• Gaius Julius Caesar became the master of Rome following a civil war, instituted reforms, and was assassinated in 44 BC. [2]
• Caesar's adopted son and heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, was proclaimed Augustus and started the Julio-Claudian line of emperors. [2, 3]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat was the broader gens Julia family history?
• what followedHow did Augustus become the first Roman emperor?
• a case in pointWho was Julia, the daughter of Julius Caesar?
• whoWho was Gaius Julius Caesar the governor of Asia?
• whenWhen did Sextus Julius Caesar obtain the consulship?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a political marriage connect Caesar to Pompey?Julius Caesar's only child Julia became the fourth wife of Pompey the Great, bridging two major political rivals through marriage.

Sources

• [1]Julii Caesares (Wikidata Q3268376) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Julii Caesares · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Julia gens · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Julia (daughter of Caesar) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Gaius Julius Caesar (governor of Asia) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. What was Chinese Ding ware pottery?
2. /What were the Knickerbocker Rules in baseball history?
3. /Who were the Julii Caesares in ancient Rome?