Why the words ‘Kaiser’ and ‘Tsar’ both come from one Roman name
Julius Caesar's name went on to inspire royal titles such as Kaiser in Germany and Tsar in Russia, more than two thousand years after his death.
More than two thousand years after his death, Julius Caesar’s influence remains extraordinary. His name inspired royal titles such as Kaiser in Germany and Tsar in Russia, and his life has inspired countless books, films and William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Julius Caesar.
That legacy traces back to a man born in 100 BC into the Julian family, noble but not among Rome’s most powerful. Through determination, political skill and extraordinary military talent, Caesar rose through the ranks of Roman public life, most notably during the Gallic Wars of 58 to 50 BC, when he conquered vast territories covering much of modern-day France, Belgium and parts of Switzerland.
He is perhaps best remembered for the phrase ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ — ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ — which he wrote in 47 BC after defeating Pharnaces II, King of Pontus, at the Battle of Zela, choosing just three words over a lengthy report to the Senate.
As dictator, Caesar also introduced the Julian Calendar, which later became the basis of the modern Gregorian calendar used across most of the world today — a legacy that, alongside his military campaigns, still shapes daily life more than two millennia later.
Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Wilfredor
Leave a Reply