Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleepy History of Julius Caesar (Premium)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. From its beginnings in 27 BCE, the Roman Empire's influence expanded over many centuries, as its armies conquered regions in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Rome divided these areas into governable provinces. At its peak, the Roman Empire covered approximately 1.9 million square miles. It stretched from Britain in the northwest to Egypt in the southeast. Rome's leaders held jurisdiction over the lives of 55 to 65 million

Starting point is 00:01:32 people, equal to approximately 20% of the world's population. However, the roots of the Roman Empire were in a Roman republic that crumbled, and that downfall was partly due to the ambitions of Gaius Julius Caesar. He was a man who would prove so influential that the Romans would honour him by renaming the month of Quintilus as July. Caesar was born in Subura, Rome, in July of the year 100 BCE. His family was of the Yulee Chazarus Petrishankas, a noble group that held ruling status in the Roman Republic. Caesar's mother, Oralia, was descended from a line of military leaders.

Starting point is 00:02:46 And his father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, came from a family that drew its lineage back to the city's founding. Caesar's father held many notable roles, including serving as a Roman senator and overseeing a provincial army. And Caesar's aunt was married to the celebrated military leader, Gaius Marius. That was an important role in the expanding republic. Caesar attended lectures on philosophy and persuasive speaking as a youngster. These were necessary skills for anyone wishing to enter the public eye.

Starting point is 00:03:46 At the time, the Roman Forum was the center of the city's political life. It was a rectangular plaza surrounded by government buildings. And it was the place where crowds would gather to watch people of stature debate ideas, answer questions, and lay out to their visions for the future of Rome. Speakers who could hold the audience's attention were the most revered. And it said young Caesar aspired to acquire such a talent. When Caesar was still a teenager, his uncle fell into a dispute with political rival Lucius Cornelius Sula. Marius and Sula disagreed on many things, not least of which was how to deal with rising disquiet among those outside of Rome.

Starting point is 00:05:00 Over many years, the two men engaged in multiple confrontations, fighting for control of Rome's future. In 85 BCE, the tumult between Marius and Sula was spilling over into civil war. was spilling over into civil war. The same year, Caesar's father suddenly died, leaving the 16-year-old as the head of his family. The young Caesar was swiftly nominated to the role of Flamondialis, the high priest of Jupiter. At the time, Romans worshiped many gods. Priests performed religious ceremonies in the belief that the deities would bring good fortune to the people of the Republic. The revered position gave Caesar several privileges, including the ability to grant a reprieve to a single night outside the city's walls. Around this time, Caesar was also married to Cornelia, the daughter of Marius' ally. Nelia, the daughter of Marius' ally. That certified his place among the Roman elites.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleepy History of Julius Caesar (Premium)

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