The House of Julii were a household of the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. The Julii family's home was Arretium (Arezzo) in Etruria (present-day northern Italy), and famous Julii include Julius Caesar and Octavian.
History[]
Origins[]
The House of Julii were descended from the people of Alba Longa, a city-state that was conquered by the Roman Kingdom of Romulus. The Julii lived in the city of Arretium in Etruria and Ariminum (Rimini) to the east, ruling over the lands from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy. The Julii were vassals of the Roman Republic for many centuries, although they sought to be the Emperors of Rome one day. In the 4th century BC, their leader Gaius Julius not only defeated the Gauls of northern Italy (including the Sabines), but he also conquered the Samnites and Greek cities.
3rd century BC[]
The Julii would become very powerful under the leadership of Tiberius Brutus in the 3rd century BC, and his children would also be major leaders of Roman politics. Julius was a sworn enemy of the Gauls, as they had put out the eye of his grandfather. The Julii began their expansion by conquering Segesta in 270 BC, and continued to expand in northern Italy, eventually fighting the Gauls of Mediolanium (Milan) and Patavium (Padua). They made peace with the Gauls after taking over northern Italy, but the Senate ordered them to carry out several tasks that led to war with Carthage. The Julii conquered Sardinia in 266 BC, defeating the Carthaginians in another siege battle. They also conquered Lilybaeum (Marsala) from Carthage, and proceeded to expand to conquer the Adriatic coast. The Julii were victorious in their defeating of the slave Ilyrians, and they occupied present-day Croatia. During this time, the Julii gained popularity in the Senate, while the people were still getting used to them. The Senate contemplated giving Flavius the keys to the Vestal Virgins and believed that he was a great commander, while the people soon grew fond opinions of the Julii.
Marching Julii legionaries
The House of Julii's path to power was set once they decided to take on the mighty Kingdom of Macedon in Greece and Gaul in France, as the Gauls were the sworn enemies of the Julii and the Macedonians were the last vestiges of Alexander the Great's empire.
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