Caesar's Dictator Perpetuo: The Power That Destroyed Rome

Caesar's Illyrian Campaign and the Forgotten War

In this episode, we step back from the familiar battles of Gaul and the drama of the civil war to explore a campaign that Caesar himself often overlooked: his war in Illyricum in 57 BCE. While he was conquering Gaul, the province of Illyricum — roughly modern-day Croatia, Bosnia, and Albania — was under threat from the Pirustae and other local tribes. Caesar, as governor of both Gallia and Illyricum, had a duty to defend the region. We dive into the geography of the Dinaric Alps, the logistical challenges of campaigning in rugged terrain, and the political importance of Illyricum to Roman control of the Adriatic. Lucas explains how Caesar's dealings with the Illyrian tribes reveal his pragmatism: he negotiated terms with the Pirustae rather than fighting a costly war, sending a clear message about his priorities. We also touch on the role of Illyrian sailors in the later civil war, the legacy of Caesar's brief presence in the region, and why this campaign is so often forgotten. #Illyricum #JuliusCaesar #RomanRepublic #Pirustae #IllyrianWar #Adriatic #DinaricAlps #CommentariiDeBelloGallico #RomanProvince #57BCE #AncientWarfare #RomanHistory #MilitaryHistory #Balkans #LucasAndLuna #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Caesar's Calendar Reform and the Year of Confusion

Before Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, before the Ides of March, he fixed time itself. In 46 BCE, the Roman calendar was so broken that the seasons drifted by months. Caesar, advised by the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes, introduced a solar calendar of 365.25 days—the model we still use today. But getting there required a 'year of confusion' that stretched 445 days, and involved inserting two extra months between November and December. This episode explores the politics behind the reform: how Caesar used the calendar to assert control, why the pontifices had let it slip into chaos, and how a small miscalculation of 11 minutes eventually added up to ten days by the 16th century. We also look at the legacy of the Julian calendar—from the Council of Nicaea to Pope Gregory XIII—and what it tells us about power, precision, and the human need to order time. Along the way, we meet the intercalary month Mercedonius, the Roman leap year system, and the surprising role of the Vestal Virgins in keeping the calendar straight. #JuliusCaesar #RomanCalendar #Sosigenes #Alexandria #JulianCalendar #YearOfConfusion #CalendarReform #Mercedonius #VestalVirgins #PontifexMaximus #GregorianCalendar #CouncilOfNicaea #RomanRepublic #AncientHistory #Chronology #Timekeeping #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Caesar's Cisalpine Gaul: The Province That Made Him

Long before the Rubicon, before the civil wars, before the title dictator perpetuo, Julius Caesar governed a single province: Cisalpine Gaul. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Caesar's three-year proconsulship of this fertile, strategically vital region in northern Italy gave him the army, the wealth, and the political base to challenge the Republic itself. They discuss the lex Vatinia of 59 BCE, which granted Caesar Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, and how control over the Po Valley's grain, manpower, and roads allowed him to recruit the Legio X and campaign in Gaul. They examine the region's unique status—neither fully Italian nor fully provincial—and how Caesar's veterans from colonies like Narbo Martius became loyal clients. The episode also touches on the assassination of Cicero's protégé Gaius Antonius and how Cisalpine Gaul became the first battleground of the civil war after Caesar's death. Names and terms: Cisalpine Gaul, lex Vatinia, Narbo Martius, Rubicon, Legio X, Mutina, Decimus Brutus, Gaius Antonius, Marcus Antonius, proconsul, provincia, ager publicus, colonia, Via Aemilia. #CisalpineGaul #JuliusCaesar #LexVatinia #RomanRepublic #LegioX #Rubicon #NarboMartius #Mutina #DecimusBrutus #GaiusAntonius #ViaAemilia #PoValley #RomanArmy #Proconsul #CivilWar #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Caesar's Naval War: The Siege of Brundisium and the Civil War at Sea

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known but critical phase of Caesar's civil war: the naval blockade at Brundisium and the broader maritime struggle against Pompey's fleet. They discuss Caesar's daring crossing of the Adriatic in winter 49 BCE, his failed pursuit of Pompey, and how control of the sea shaped the conflict's outcome. Key figures include Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, Caesar's bitter rival who commanded Pompey's navy, and Publius Cornelius Dolabella, a young Caesarian officer. The episode also covers the innovative use of liburnian vessels, the siege of Curicta, and the battle of Tauroento. Listeners learn how Caesar's lack of a fleet forced him into desperate measures, including cutting off his own supply lines to trap Pompey in Dyrrhachium. The conversation highlights the importance of naval power in ancient warfare and how the Roman civil war was as much a war at sea as on land. #Brundisium #AdriaticSea #Pompey #CivilWar #Bibulus #Dolabella #liburnian #Curicta #Tauroento #Dyrrhachium #Caesar #RomanNavy #NavalWarfare #RomanRepublic #AncientHistory #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Caesar's Financial Reforms and the End of Roman Debt

Before he crossed the Rubicon or reformed the calendar, Gaius Julius Caesar tackled Rome's most explosive issue: debt. In 49 BCE, as civil war loomed, Caesar enacted a radical debt relief program that set the urban plebs against the senatorial elite. This episode unpacks the lex Iulia de pecuniis mutuis, Caesar's controversial cancellation of a year's interest, the role of the tribunus plebis Marcus Caelius Rufus, and the violent backlash that followed. We explore how debt shaped Roman politics, from the Social War to the Catilinarian conspiracy, and how Caesar's solution—neither full cancellation nor creditor protection—sought to stabilise an economy wrecked by war and speculation. Along the way, we touch on the role of the argentarii (bankers), the nexum (debt bondage), and the enduring tension between debtors and creditors that outlived the Republic itself. #JuliusCaesar #RomanDebt #LexIuliaDePecuniisMutuis #MarcusCaeliusRufus #ServiusSulpiciusRufus #DebtRelief #RomanEconomy #Argentarii #Nexum #TribunusPlebis #CivilWar #RomanRepublic #CrisisOfTheRepublic #EconomicHistory #History #FexingoHistory #AncientRome #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]