‘Portfolios of Power’: Julius Caesar in the Late Roman Republic

Abstract

Julius Caesar’s rise to power was achieved through a combination of different sources of power. These ‘portfolios of power’ were money and connections, oratory, and religion, and they worked either in conjunction or separately throughout Caesar’s life to further his career. Each portfolio served multiple functions. For instance, connections were used to advocate on his behalf when needed, money was utilised to create financial dependency (i.e. loaning to potential allies), rhetoric was applied to promote himself, while religion was used to assert his hegemony over the Gauls. It was indeed his cultivation and expansion of these diverse portfolios that led to his eventual supremacy over the Roman world. One asset alone would not have sufficed during the various challenges throughout his career. Furthermore, it was his diverse portfolios of power that set him apart from other Roman politicians. For example, Cicero and Pompeius, each relied chiefly on one portfolio to acquire power, oratory for Cicero and military prowess for Pompeius. The extent to which Caesar sought to be sole ruler is debatable, but we can say with confidence that throughout his career, he had clear goals and developed strategies to achieve them.