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From its beginnings in 27 BCE, the Roman Empire's influence expanded over many centuries,

as its armies conquered regions in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Rome divided these areas into governable provinces.

At its peak, the Roman Empire covered approximately 1.9 million square miles.

It stretched from Britain in the northwest to Egypt in the southeast.

Rome's leaders held jurisdiction over the lives of 55 to 65 million people,

equal to approximately 20% of the world's population.

However, the roots of the Roman Empire were in a Roman republic that crumbled.

And that downfall was partly due to the ambitions of Gaius Julius Caesar.

He was a man who would prove so influential that the Romans would honour him by renaming the month

of Quintilus as July.

Caesar was born in Subura, Rome, in July of the year 100 BCE.

His family was of the Yulee Chazarus Petrishan class, a noble group that held ruling status

in the Roman Republic. Caesar's mother, Oralia, was descended from a line of military leaders.

And his father, also called Gaius Julius Caesar, came from a family that drew its lineage back

to the city's founding.

Caesar's father held many notable roles, including serving as a Roman senator and overseeing

...