History Final essay

My AP world history teacher gave me a 88 on this do you agree? Context is you choose three people to talk about and their impact. 

The Roman Empire remains one of the most influential civilizations in human history, and much of its evolution can be understood through the lives of three transformative leaders: Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Constantine the Great. These men did not simply rule; they reshaped Rome’s identity—militarily, politically, and spiritually. Through their actions and legacies, we can trace the Republic’s fall, the birth of the Empire, and the Christianization of Roman power. Their lives are not only compelling stories but also keystones for understanding the foundations of Western civilization.

Julius Caesar, as chronicled by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars and later analyzed by modern historians like Adrian Goldsworthy in Caesar: Life of a Colossus, was both a brilliant general and a master of political maneuvering. His military conquests in Gaul, detailed in his own Commentarii de Bello Gallico, brought him fame and loyalty from the legions, while his crossing of the Rubicon in 49 BCE sparked a civil war that shattered the norms of Republican governance. Though Caesar amassed unprecedented power and was declared dictator perpetuo (dictator in perpetuity), his centralization of authority alarmed traditionalists in the Senate. His assassination in 44 BCE—on the Ides of March—was meant to preserve the Republic, but as noted by historian Tom Holland in Rubicon, it instead accelerated its collapse.

Octavian, Caesar’s adopted heir, would become Augustus—the first Roman emperor. His path to power, marked by the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, is detailed in Ronald Syme’s classic The Roman Revolution. Augustus masterfully cloaked his autocracy in the language of the Republic, taking the title “Princeps” (First Citizen) rather than “King” or “Emperor.” Yet, as Mary Beard discusses in SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, Augustus restructured the state in ways that ensured centralized imperial control. He initiated the Pax Romana, a period of peace and prosperity that lasted for two centuries, and beautified the city of Rome with monuments and infrastructure. His statement, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble,” captured both his ambition and his role in reimagining Rome as the heart of a vast empire.

Centuries later, Constantine the Great would guide Rome through another monumental transformation—its conversion to Christianity. His rise came during a turbulent period of division within the empire, culminating in the famous Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE. According to Eusebius, a Christian historian and biographer, Constantine claimed to have seen a vision of a cross in the sky accompanied by the words “In this sign, conquer.” While some modern scholars, such as Timothy D. Barnes in Constantine and Eusebius, question the literalness of this vision, its symbolic impact is undeniable. In 313 CE, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity and ending centuries of persecution. He also convened the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, helping to define early Christian orthodoxy. His founding of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) as a new imperial capital further cemented the empire’s eastward and spiritual shift—a transformation explored in detail by Averil Cameron in The Later Roman Empire.

Together, Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Constantine the Great form a triad of transformation in Roman history. Each seized a moment of crisis to reshape Rome’s identity and legacy: Caesar dismantled the old Republic; Augustus laid the imperial foundations; and Constantine redefined the empire’s spiritual core. Their lives offer enduring lessons in ambition, leadership, and the long arc of historical change. For those passionate about history, studying these figures not only deepens our understanding of Rome but also of the political and cultural roots of the modern West.