Roman Republic · 49-44 BC

Caesar: from the Rubicon to the Ides of March

Caesar crossed the Rubicon, beat Pompey, became dictator for life and was stabbed at a Senate meeting five years later. Students follow the civil war across the Mediterranean and debate why the conspirators killed him.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, 49 BC to 44 BC
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

Caesar crossed the Rubicon, beat Pompey, became dictator for life and was stabbed at a Senate meeting five years later. Students follow the civil war across the Mediterranean and debate why the conspirators killed him.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain why crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC meant civil war.
  • Locate the Rubicon, Pharsalus and Zela and explain their role in Caesar's civil war.
  • Weigh different views on Caesar's murder on the Ides of March, 44 BC.
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

49 BC

A small river

Open the map in 49 BC and zoom in on the Adriatic coast of Italy near Ariminum (Rimini). The Rubicon, a small river, marked the edge of Caesar's province. Why did such a small river matter so much?

Open this view on the map
b

48 BC

A war across the sea

Turn on Historical Events, choose Battles, and find Pharsalus (48 BC). Then pan to Egypt and Asia Minor. Why did the civil war spread so far from Rome?

Open this view on the map
c

44 BC

The Ides of March

Jump to 44 BC, zoom in on Rome and find the Political Events marker for Caesar's murder. He was stabbed at a Senate meeting in a hall beside the Theater of Pompey, his old rival. What does that detail add to the story?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Ancient writers say Caesar quoted the saying "the die is cast" when he crossed the Rubicon. What did he mean?
  2. After Pharsalus, Pompey fled to Egypt and was killed there as he came ashore. Why might the Egyptian court have done that?
  3. Caesar pardoned many enemies, including Brutus and Cassius, who later killed him. Was his mercy a mistake?
  4. In 44 BC Caesar was named dictator for life. Why did that frighten senators who believed in the Republic?
  5. The killers said they had freed Rome from a tyrant. Yet civil war followed, and then an emperor. Did they save the Republic or end it?
4

Game round

10 min

Play the Julius Caesar round in Rule History together. At each decision, pause and ask: what would a senator who loved the Republic have wanted you to choose? Compare the class's choices with Caesar's real ones.

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.