Gaius Julius Caesar, denarius, 44 BC, RRC 480-10

''Dictator perpetuo'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: "dictator in perpetuity"), also called ''dictator in perpetuum'', was the office held by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

from between 26 January and 15 February during the year 44 BCE until his death on 15 March. By abandoning the time restrictions usually applied in the case of the Roman

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...

, it elevated Caesar's dictatorship into the monarchical sphere.

History

Julius Caesar held the dictator position for only eleven days in 49 BCE (holding elections either as ''dictator Comit. habend.'' or as ''dictator rei gerundae causa'') and again for the year 48/47 BCE. In 46 BCE, he was elected dictator for the next ten years. At some point between January and February 44 BCE he was appointed ''dictator perpetuo'', but was assassinated less than two months later (on the

Ides of March The Ides of March (; la, Idus Martiae, Late Latin: ) is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and was notable in Rome as a deadline for settling debts. In 44 BC, it became ...

). Weinstock has argued that the perpetual dictatorship was part of the senatorial decrees regarding Caesar's divine honors, as well as his planned apotheosis as ''Divus Iulius'', a complex of honors aimed at

eternity Eternity, in common parlance, means infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas sempit ...

and

divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

.Stefan Weinstock, ''Divus Julius'', Oxford 1971.

References

Bibliography

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian. Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' a ...

, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', Cambridge University Press, 1974, . {{Julius Caesar, state=collapsed Heads of government Heads of state Latin political words and phrases Positions of authority Julius Caesar

History

See also

References

Bibliography