Who was Julius Caesar? Julius Caesar accomplished many things in his time that most would consider incredible. He was considered a tyrant or dictator, and some believe he was one of the greatest politicians in the world. In this article we will compare the manual and documentation written around 44 BCE, at the time of his death. The documents are considered “primary sources” because of the time period in which they were written. To understand who Julius Caesar really was, we must not only delve into the primary sources, but also examine his accomplishments. By analyzing his achievements, textbooks, and primary sources, we can better understand how Julius Caesar was portrayed during his reign. Julius Caesar was born into a political family where his father expected him to pursue a career in the lower reaches of politics. When Caesar's father dies, he realizes that money runs the political machine in Rome. He then sought to gain political power by establishing relationships with political figures opposed to the current Roman dictator Sulla. This allows Caesar to be arrested, eventually pardoned and released. He then goes into exile. During his exile, he joined the army, but it is not known whether he served as a soldier or as an aide. Many believe that because of his family lineage, he served as an aide to the governor (Roman-Empire.net). Regardless, after his first assignment, he was said to be among the ranks of the army that defeated Spartacus' rebellion. After the rebellion was crushed, he considered his career over, and once he left the army he left to continue his studies. Caesar sought to continue his studies by speaking in public. Cicero notices this when he says: “Do you know a man... in the middle of a paper... y. (2004). The assassination of Julius Caesar, 44 BC Extracted from: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/caesar2.htm (accessed February 21, 2014).-Tranquillus, Gaius Suetonius. (Reproduced by Livius: Articles on ancient history). Lives of the 12 Caesars. Joseph Gavorse. Retrieved from: http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t09.html (accessed February 21, 2014).-Plutarch. (Reproduced by Internet Ancient History Sourcebook, August 2000). The Assassination of Julius Caesar, after Marcus Brutus (extracts). John Dryden. Retrieved from: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-caesar.asp (accessed February 21, 2014).-Athens. (2013). Making of the West, Volume I: To 1750, 4th edition. Excerpted from: VitalSource Bookshelf Downloaded E-Book.-Roman-Empire.net. (nd). Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC). Extracted from: http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/caesar.html