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Julius Cesar is one of the most famous men in history. He was one of the greatest military commanders of all time and transformed the Roman Republic into an Empire. One of Cesar’s greatest achievements was Gaul's conquest in a series of bloody wars (57-51 BCE). This conquest was not only a remarkable achievement, but it had a profound impact on the future of Europe. It changed the balance of power within the Roman Republic.
Ultimately, it allowed Caesar to overthrow overthrew the Roman Republic and establish established the Imperial system under his grand-nephew Octavian (Augustus). The Romanization of the Gallic provinces led to the development of Gallo-Roman culture and the end of Celtic Gaul. One of the long-term consequences of the Caesarean conquest of Gaul was that it probably saved Celtic Gaul from becoming overrun by German tribes. The conquest of Gaul confirmed that Rome was not just a Mediterranean power but a European one. After the conquest, Rome was free to take over other areas in western Europe, including Britain.
==How did Julius Caesar conquer Gaul?==
Pompey and Caesar were not only leaders of the Triumvirate but family. Pompey had been the son-in-law of Caesar. Both Julia, Caesar's daughter, and Pompey’s wife, died in childbirth. Her death weakened the alliance between the two men. Many regarded Cesar as a war-monger in the Roman Senate and believed that he was engaged in Gaul's illegal war.<ref> Holland, p. 178</ref> The Roman senators were not concerned with the Gauls' fate but were extremely suspicious of Caesar's motives. They believed that he was building up a power base in Gaul, and he was treating the legions under his command as his private army.
The senators feared that Cesar would seize power and become a dictator just as Sulla had. Many of the Roman elite were suspicious of Cesar because of Marius's close connections and the Popularas Populares party. During the war, Caesar had been able to retain retained control of his legions because he claimed that they were needed in Gaul's conquest.<ref> Holland, p 214</ref> With the end of the conflict, he was not supposed to retain control of his army.
After Cesar’s great victory at Alessia, the Senate demanded that he return to Rome and give up command of his legions. The Senate had the law on its side, but Caesar was worried that if he gave up his legions, he would be vulnerable to his Roman enemiesif he gave up his legions. Caesar demanded that he be given an extraordinary command and that he be allowed to command some legions. Pompey sided with the Senate, and he began to regard Cesar as his enemy.<ref> Goldsworthy, p 278</ref>
The Senate rejected Caesar's proposal. Caesar, bold as ever, tried to force the issue and marched his legions on Rome. Caesar claimed that there was a conspiracy against him ‘it was evident to everyone that war was designed against Caesar.’ <ref> Cesar, 8 55</ref> When he ordered his legionnaires to cross the River Rubicon, he defied the Senate, which made the Civil War inevitable. The Gallic Wars made Cesar the most powerful man in Rome, resulting in a civil war. Caesar used his legions of battle-hardened veterans to defeat Pompey and the Republican army at Pharsalus.<ref> Holland, p. 278</ref> This civil war led to the Caesar's ascent of Caesar as Rome's sole power. Caesar’s Gallic Wars were an important stage in the final downfall of the Roman Republic.<ref> Plutarch. <i>Life of Augustus</i> 15</ref>
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Caesar destroyed the Celtic civilization in Gaul. The Celtic priesthood, the druids, were key to the culture and religion of Gaul. The Gauls, despite their sophistication, were a pre-literate people, although some used Greek for official purposes. The Druids were renowned for their remarkable memories, and they retained the oral history of the Gauls. The druids were also the judicial class, and they alone could remember the legal codes of the various tribes.<ref> Holland, p. 213</ref> The priestly class also played a significant role in the Celts' oral literature.
The druids were among the Romans' fiercest opponents, and Caesar recognized them as one of the Rome's primary obstacles to his conquest of Rome. The Romans also hated the druids because they allegedly practiced human sacrifice as part of their religion. Caesar targeted the druids during his war with the Gallic tribes. In his history of the Gallic Wars, he reported that his armies would often target the Druids' sacred groves and killed many of these priests. He justified this violence because he argued that they were barbarians who engaged in bloody rites and ceremonies.<ref> <i>Caesar,</i>, 7. 34</ref> Caesar eliminated the druids and destroyed their shrines and sanctuaries.
As the druids disappeared, the Celtic religion and culture rapidly decline. Trade between Gaul and Rome increased, and the Romans imposed their laws on Gauls. The increased trade transformed the province, and it quickly Romanized. The old Gallic elite soon began to imitate the Romans, and many learned Latin. Soon Roman-style villas dotted the Gaulish landscape. By the first century AD, the Gallic elite was so Romanized that some were admitted into the Senate by Emperor Claudius.<ref> Tacitus. Annals. 6. 45</ref>. Many historians believe that Celtic Gaul was doomed anyway and that the German tribes would have conquered it. Around the time of the Roman invasion, many German tribes were raiding and even settling in Gaul. One of Caesar's justifications for his war was were that he sought to protect Roman interests in Gaul from the Germans.
==How did the Conquest of Gaul change Rome?==
==Conclusion==
The conquest of Gaul by Caesar was to have momentous consequences. It resulted in a large area of western Europe coming under the sway of the Romans. From Gaul, they could expand their empire into parts of Germany and Britain. The Roman province of Gaul was to remain part of the Roman Empire until 450 AD. The Roman's conquest of Roman changed Gaul's character and led to the decline of the local Celtic civilization and the rise of a Romano-Gallic culture. This culture played a critical role in the development of the kingdom of France during the Middle Ages. If Caesar had not conquered, the Germanic tribes might have completely overrun Gaul.
Perhaps the most immediate consequence of Gaul's conquest was that it upset the balance of power in Rome. It led to a confrontation between Cesar and the Roman Senate over control of Gaul's legions, which led to a civil war. Over the long term, this was to result resulted in Caesar's heir becoming the first Emperor of Rome. It could be argued that the most dramatic consequence of the Roman victories in Gaul was that they ultimately led to the emergence of the Imperial system in Rome.
====Recommended Readings====

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