JULIUS. Gaius Julius Caesar was born c. 102 or 100 B.C. In 60 B.C., he formed the first triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus, and in 59 B.C. was elected Consul. Between 59 and 49 B.C., Caesar's successes in Gaul and Britain increased his power in the Senate, but on January 1, 49 B.C., the Senate voted that Caesar lay down his command. On January 10, 49 B.C., Caesar crossed the Rubicon into Italy and plunged Italy into civil war. He defeated Pompey's forces in 47 B.C. and Pompey's sons in 45 B.C. In 48 B.C. he was appointed dictator to hold elections. In 46 he was appointed dictator for ten years, and in 44 he was made dictator for life, and the month Quintilis was named Julius after him. Although he refused the title Rex, his increasing powers offended many senators, and he was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C. in the Senate (Suetonius, The Deified Julius). Pharsalia III is Lucan's lament that Caesar had no triumph. He is one of the Nine Worthies in The Parlement of the Thre Ages, 405-420.
The death of Julius is painted on the walls of Mars's oratory, KnT 2031, and foretold in the stars, MLT 199. The Man of Law says, erroneously, that Lucan describes Julius's triumph, MLT 400-401. The Monk tells the story of Julius, MkT 2670-2726, and gives his sources as Lucan, Suetonius, Valerius, MkT 2719-2721, but he also uses Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum historiale VI.35-42, as Pauline Aiken shows. Lucan, historian of the Roman civil war caused by Julius, stands on a pillar of iron, Mars's metal, HF III.1497-1502. Chaucer says that Julius took two days from February and added two days to July, Astr I.10. When Caesar revised the calendar, he adapted the Egyptian solar calendar to Roman use and inserted a day between February 23 and 24 in the leap year or bissextile year. [Cesar1: Lucan: Pompe: Socrates: Swetonius: Valerie]
Julius, "descendant of Iulus" since the family claimed descent from Aeneas's son, is the name of the Roman clan to which Caesar belonged. The name never occurs initially. It appears seven times in medial positions, MLT 199; MkT 2673, 2692, 2700, 2703, 2711; HF III.1502, and three times in final rhyming position, KnT 2031; MLT 400; MkT 2695.