You need a powerful leader to lead a country through difficult times. Weak leaders are likely to crack under pressure. An example of a powerful leader was George Washington. After winning the Revolutionary War, he had total control over his army, which would obey his every command without question. He was so powerful that he could have conquered the United States himself. Julius Caesar was another extremely powerful leader. Julius Caesar was a strong and persuasive political and military leader of ancient Rome who shaped Roman life and set the precedent for other Roman leaders who followed. An important primary source for understanding Julius Caesar is his speech “The Alternative to Exile.” It shows his fairness, pervasiveness and power that led him to become such a powerful leader. Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC (McManus 1). Cesare's parents were part of the Roman upper class. They also claimed to be descendants of the Trojan hero Aeneas and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Caesar's father and his uncle Sextus Julius Caesar had been prominent elected officials. His uncle Gaius Marius was a Roman war hero and politician. Marius created a different kind of army, he allowed volunteers of all classes to join. In the past only certain classes could join the Roman army. Even so, the greatest effect his uncle Marius had on his life was the idea of ​​giving land to retired war veterans, thus making them more loyal to him than the state (Nardo 14). When Caesar was growing up there were two important political parties, the Populares and the Ottimates. The Populares were the people who wanted the government to be made up of elected officials, while the Optimates wanted an aristocratic government (“Julius Caesar” 3). Caesar…… middle of paper…… Municipalities”. 44 BC History of Salem. Network. September 19, 2013..Cavendish, Richard. "Caesar's first landing in Britain: 26 August 55 BC". History Today 55.8 (2005): P.45-P.47. eLibrary. Network. 20 September 2013. “Julius Caesar”. Prehistoric Eras to AD 600 New York City: Infobase Publishing, 2008. Page No. vol. 1 of the Encyclopedia of World History: The Ancient World. 7 vols. Ancient and medieval history online. Network. 17 September 2013. .McManus, Barbara. "Julius Caesar: Historical Context." VROMA. Np, nd Web. 20 September 2013. .Nardo, Don, ed. Julius Caesar. San Diego: Grandhaven Press, 2002. Print.