Revolt in Gaul

Revolt in Gaul

As Caesar returned from his second expedition to Britain in 54 BC, there was already trouble looming in Gaul and in his personal life. He received word that his daughter Julia, wife of Pompey had died in childbirth. This event was assuredly difficult for Caesar on a personal level, but it carried monumental political ramifications as well. While Julia lived Pompey remained at least partially allied to Caesar, but with her death, he drifted ever closer to Caesar?s enemies, the boni. Caesar attempted to confirm the alliance by offering his grandniece Octavia as a new bride to Pompey, while also offering to divorce his own wife and marry Pompey?s daughter. Pompey?s refusal, though an indication of his own personal grief, was also a clear signal that the triumvirate was slowly breaking apart. With the death of Crassus at Carrhae two years later, the coming civil war seemed inevitable. Shortly after word of Julia?s death, Caesar also received the news of the death of his mother Aurelia. With the Gallic revolt on the horizon, and the recent tragic news, 54 BC was shaping into a terrible year for Caesar...