Gaius Julius Caesar was born July 12, 100 BC in Rome, Italy, and died on March 15, 44 BC in Rome, Italy. Caesar was a Roman general and statesman. He commanded the Roman armies through wars such as the Gallic wars and a civil war in which he faced his political rival Pompey. He was the emperor of Rome until his assassination. He ushered in a new era for Rome, the fall of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire.