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[[File: Julius One.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Modern statue of Julius Caesar]]
Julius Caesar is widely regarded as one of the greatest commanders of all time. His campaigns and tactics have been studied and admired by soldiers since the ancient era. Among his admirers were Napoleon and Rommel. Many regard him as the greatest general in history. There are many reasons why the Roman general was so successful and why he never suffered a major reversal on the battlefield. This article will focus on the factors that made Caesar near-invincible in war. The three main reasons for the success of the Roman were his leadership skills, his daring and speed and his masterly use of artillery.
====Early Life====
Caesar was born into the Roman aristocracy into a family that had been distinguished in the city for centuries. He was associated with the popular party in Rome and was related to the great general Marius<ref> Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus (Yale University Press, 2008), p. 13</ref>. He was fortunate to escape the proscriptions of Sulla and to escape the attention of the dictator he joined the army. Caesar was a capable soldier and he received the highest award for bravery in the Roman Republic because of his role in a siege in modern Turkey. On one occasion he was captured by some pirates and after he was ransomed he returned and seized his former captors and crucified them, all. This led him to be awarded another award for bravery. He became very prominent in Rome because of his lavish expenditure and oratory.
====Caesar’s career as a general====
[[File: Julius Two.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Julius and Cleopatra]]
Some allies of the Romans in Gaul (France) were defeated by invading Germanic tribes (55 BCE). Caesar used this as a pretext to intervene in the area, which was outside the Empire. He beat back the Helvetia and massacred many German tribes.<ref> Caesar, The Gallic Wars (London, Penguin Books, 1984), p 19</ref> This alarmed the Celtic tribes and they banded together in a defensive alliance. Once more, ever the opportunist Caesar used this as an excuse to invade Gaul. He was to spend the following years conquering the Celts who were organized into powerful confederation. Caesar in a series of battles defeated major tribes such as the Belgae. Caesar was able to extend his consulship as part of a deal with Pompey and Crassus. The commander launched an invasion of Britain, to punish tribes who were supporting his Gallic opponents (55 BCE).
