Archimedes vs Julius Caesar

Archimedes formulated the principle that a body immersed in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. He reportedly discovered this while bathing and used it to determine the purity of a gold crown.

Archimedes mathematically explained the principle of the lever and invented the compound pulley system. He demonstrated its power by reportedly moving a fully laden ship single-handedly using a system of pulleys.

During the Roman siege of Syracuse, Archimedes designed defensive war machines, including large catapults and the Claw of Archimedes, a crane-like device that lifted and capsized Roman ships. These machines delayed the Roman capture of the city for two years.

Roman forces under General Marcellus captured Syracuse after a prolonged siege. Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier, despite orders to spare him. He was reportedly engrossed in a mathematical diagram at the time.

Caesar, as proconsul of Gaul, launched a series of campaigns that conquered all of Gaul (modern France, Belgium, and parts of Switzerland). He fought numerous battles, including against the Helvetii, the Belgae, and the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix. The wars brought immense wealth and a loyal army to Caesar.

Caesar led Legio XIII across the Rubicon River into Italy, defying the Roman Senate's order to disband his army. This act triggered a civil war against Pompey and the Optimates, ultimately leading to Caesar's dictatorship and the end of the Roman Republic.

Caesar's outnumbered army defeated the larger forces of Pompey the Great at Pharsalus in Greece. Caesar's tactical use of a reserve line to counter Pompey's cavalry charge proved decisive. Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated, leaving Caesar as the undisputed master of the Roman world.

The Roman Senate appointed Caesar dictator perpetuo (dictator for life), granting him unprecedented personal power. This move concentrated military, legislative, and judicial authority in one person, effectively ending the Roman Republic's traditional system of checks and balances and alarming many senators.

A group of Roman senators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, stabbed Caesar to death at a meeting of the Senate in the Theatre of Pompey. The assassination was intended to restore the Republic, but instead triggered another civil war that led to the rise of the Roman Empire.