HAIL, Caesar!

How Julius Caesar destroyed democracy to take control of Ancient Rome

- HANNAH DAVIES, IAN MACEWAN, SEAN MARLAND

NEW FACTUAL
Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator
Monday, 9pm, BBC2 (box set, BBC iPlayer)

It’s one of the most famous tales from ancient history – how Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of knife-wielding Roman senators on the Ides of March 44 BC.

But what led to this fateful day? How was Caesar able to overturn Roman democracy and put the republic under his imperial rule in just 16 years?

A new three-part BBC2 documentary series brings together expert historians and military leaders to trace his remarkable rise to the top, revealing the devastating impact of Caesar’s ambition and what led to his demise.

RISE TO POWER

The series begins this week with his arrival in Rome as a young senator in 63 BC. By then, the republic had been a thriving democracy for more than 500 years, with elected officials ruling over the people. But Caesar soon set about challenging the status quo.