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Ancient Rome was at that time the world's greatest superpower, which had an impact on its architecture

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four men who had a large impact on the architecture of Rome

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1. Julius Caesar

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59 BC: elected consul

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joins First Triumvirate

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gets consulship in Gaul

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54 BC: triumvirate falls apart

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53-50 BC: difficult times, food shortages in Rome

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Pompey took charge

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his reward was that the senate would help him overthrow his rival Julius Caesar, as Crassus had since died

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48 BC: Julius Caesar defeats Pompey the Great at Pharsalos

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Pompey flees to Egypt, where Egyptians cut off his head, put it on a plate, and presented it to Caesar

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Caesar was not thrilled as he did not like seeing the head of a fellow Roman delivered on a plate

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45 BC: Caesar appointed dictator in Rome

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went to Egypt to stay with Cleopatra

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returns to Rome

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pursued fiscal reforms and commissions public works

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aristocrats in Rome considered him a tyrant, thought his relationship with Cleopatra had man him too monarchical

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44 BC: assassinated by Cassius and Brutus

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42 BC: divinized (made a god) by the senate

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Suetonius wrote a biography of the twelve Caesars

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Julius Caesar was dictator, not emperor, but still the first covered by Suetonius

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wrote about major architectural projects, many of them "the best and the greatest"

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was influenced by his time with Cleopatra and what she showed him in Egypt

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*** he wanted to make Rome into a city that was the equal to Alexandria

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started to build a temple to Mars which he wanted to make the "largest in the world"

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wanted to make Greek and Latin public libraries, to compete with the great library of Alexandria

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started a highway from Adriatic across the Apennines to the Tiber

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many ambitions cut short by assassination in 44 BC

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2. Pompey the Great

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3. Mark Antony

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4. Octavian Augustus, especially