Sextus Julius Caesar (governor of Syria) facts for kids

Sextus Julius Caesar was a relative of the famous Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar. He worked as one of Caesar's helpers during the big Roman Civil War. Sadly, he died when he was still young, during a rebellion by his own soldiers.

Who Was Sextus Julius Caesar?

Sextus was the son of another Sextus Julius Caesar, who was a priest called the Flamen Quirinalis. His grandfather, also named Sextus Julius Caesar, was a very important official called a consul in 91 BC.

Some people thought that Sextus (the one this article is about) was the same person as his father, the priest. But a historian named Appian said that Sextus was "very young" in 47 BC. His grandfather, the consul, had died much earlier in 89 BC. Also, his father, the priest, held a very important job many years before Sextus was described as young. This means they were different people.

Sextus's grandfather, the consul, was actually the uncle of Gaius Julius Caesar. This made young Sextus a cousin of the famous Julius Caesar, whom he would later serve in the Civil War.

Sextus Caesar's Role in the Civil War

In 49 BC, at the start of the Civil War, Sextus was in Spain. He was part of his cousin Julius Caesar's army. Caesar sent him as a messenger to Marcus Terentius Varro, who was one of Pompey's commanders. Later, Caesar forgave Varro after the Battle of Pharsalus.

After the Alexandrine War ended in 47 BC, Julius Caesar put Sextus in charge of Syria. It's not completely clear what his exact job title was. Some historians think he might have been a military tribune in 49 BC, and then a quaestor in 48 BC. In Syria, he might have been Caesar's legate (a general's assistant) or perhaps a proquaestor (a former quaestor acting like a governor). Either way, he was the governor of Syria.

The Revolt and Sextus's Death

Around this time, a man named Quintus Caecilius Bassus caused trouble. Bassus was one of Pompey's former helpers who had escaped to Tyre after the Battle of Pharsalus. He tried to get some of Sextus's soldiers to join him.

When Sextus found out what Bassus was doing, Bassus claimed he was just gathering troops to help Mithridates of Pergamon. But then, Bassus spread a false rumor that Caesar had been defeated and killed in Africa. He even claimed that he had been made the new governor of Syria.

Bassus then marched his forces against Sextus. Sextus fought back and defeated him. However, Bassus managed to convince Sextus's own soldiers to turn against him. They rebelled and killed their commander, Sextus.

After this, Bassus declared himself a praetor (another important Roman official) and took control of most of Sextus's troops. A few soldiers remained loyal to Sextus and escaped to Cilicia. Julius Caesar then gave the job of governing Syria to Quintus Cornificius, who was in Cilicia at the time.

See also

In Spanish: Sexto Julio César (gobernador de Siria) para niños

• Julia (gens)