The Jackuul Blog

It’s been more than two thousand years since Julius Caesar overthrew the corrupt Senate and became Dictator of Rome (much like Sulla did) and it will be 2052 years since his death at the hands of the Senate who feared his power (which allowed his Nephew, Octavius Caesar, to become a power in Rome and then declare himself Emperor). Julius Caesar set out to gain power and fix the Senate, and for a time it seemed he’d done well. Unfortunately the Senate of the Roman Republic feared his power, and killed him. In so doing they killed the Roman Republic, as had he not died at the hands of treasonous Senators, it is likely that he would have passed on old, and left the country back in the hands of said Senate.

The death of the Roman Empire began as well when Caesar died (this is all opinion now when it comes to what could have been). You see, Julius had a grand master plan to conquer lands far to the east and the north, and the west - and he could have done so with the financing of the richest woman in the world at the time. Cleopatra would have financed the expeditions and the total Romanization of lands that would later hold the keys to the Western and eventually Eastern empire’s collapse. How is this possible? The lands he wished to incorporate into the Roman Republic were the breeding grounds of the people who would eventually sack Rome 300 years later, and then sack the Byzantine Empire 1,400 years later (as the Ottomans did).

With those lands under Roman occupation, and later incorporation with the industry, public works, and all things else Roman (roads, bathing facilities, sewage systems) it is easy to see that 300 years later there wouldn’t have been groups from these areas who would attack the Roman Republic’s capital. In addition to this the dark ages after the collapse of Rome may have been averted, along with much of the Plague’s devastation (with the sewage systems intact, running fresh water, aqueducts, and cleanliness). With the dark ages averted, what could later be true is there would have been no Holy Roman Empire that went about on inquisitions and suppression of thought.

T hat’s not to say the Roman Republic would do the same, however, perhaps technology would have advanced much more that it has today. What if those who were labeled heretics in the ages of the inquisition were not, and were allowed to continue to work? What if eventually some of them used the already-known properties of electricity and figured out how it worked in greater detail? Industrial revolution by the 700’s. Combustion based engines by the 1000’s. The information that was saved in the Byzantine Empire may not have been so secluded and thus more would have had access. Printing press by the late 700’s would have been possible, and anyways they may have been able to further industrialize than they already were by Caesar’s time.

In Julius’s time they already had mechanized labor for mining and for production of bread by using the power of water, and also men in wheels (for the mining). Who knows if steam power could have been harnessed by the 500’s. In the inevitable decline of the Roman Republic it is likely the mother city of Rome itself would not have been sacked when it was, seeing how all of Europe would serve as a buffer, furthermore who knows if the Roman Republic would still be around today. What if they have vehicles combustion powered by the 1100’s. What further advancements could have been achieved? Micro-technology, medicine, by the time Michaelangelo was alive perhaps he’d have grown up in a world of machines and of electricity. Leonardo could have used his theories to have created an age of aircraft before his own death.

With the death of Julius, came the death of his plans to assimilate as much of the lands as possible. He likely understood that all of those lands would be a threat eventually, but his untimely death halted this. His real son, born to Cleopatra, was later put to death by Octavius (known as Augustus Caesar after he began his reign), thereby ending any direct descendants of male lineage for Julius. Had Julius lived - it is likely his son would have taken precedence over his nephew, and thus the crisis of Octavian averted.

In the end though, Octavius became the Augustus Caesar who was emperor when a little known Jewish carpenter was put to death, which then sparked a revolution in religion and politics. It might have been different if Julius had lived another 10-20 years and his son, not Octavius, was declared the next Dictator (and not Emperor), and perhaps it would have gone back to praetor elected control via the Senate. Octavius never expanded like his uncle had planned to, although he did expand to the largest point in the Roman Empire’s history.

If Julius had lived…