ABSTRACT
Roman citizens always cherished the idea that their state was a public possession and a co-operative venture. Res publica was 'the public business' or 'the public concern', and it implied that the government was based on an agreement to share power. This chapter aims to recapitulate some of the main points against the long-held view that Gaius Julius Caesar sought monarchy from an early age and intended to change the state because of his supposed dissatisfaction with the way in which it was operating under the corrupt and inept nobility. It surveys some of the main theories about Caesar's role in the transformation of the Roman Republic and to argue that individuals and processes operated together to produce gradual transformation rather than dramatic collapse. Historical processes were vitally important, but Caesar should bear a significant amount of responsibility, as should other individuals of his age.
