Alexander Hamilton once said, "There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism." In the ancient Roman times, bravery was a key personality trait to be well respected. Both political and military leaders were brave, and that is why they conquered much of Europe at that time. Two of the leaders who displayed bravery were Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. .
Gaius Julius Caesar was born 100 B.C. His father of the same name and his mother Aurelia Cotta were part of the Roman upper-class. He was a brilliant military general who conquered Gaul (modern day France) and invaded Britain a total of 2 times. He was not liked by many due to his controlling demeanor, but he was appreciated for his protection of Rome. He was married three times and was known to be involved with three more women. One of his most notable affairs was with Cleopatra of Egypt, with whom he had a child. The only reason that he and Cleopatra did not marry was that under Roman law at that time, only Roman citizens could be married to each other. Caesar had a total of 3 children with various women and a nephew, whom he took in as his own. He did not get along very well with the Roman senators, and he was killed on March 15th, 44 B.C by Brutus and Cassius. Over 30 other senators were plotting with Brutus and Cassius to assassinate Caesar. .
Mark Antony was born Marcus Antonius in Rome 83 BC to a not wealthy but well respected Roman family. He was a reckless teenager, and that squandered his reputation. He was in debt, so he fled to Greece in 58 BC to take part in military campaigns. Due to his prestigious military career, Julius Caesar appointed Antony as a staff officer in 52 BC. Antony assisted Caesar in the conquering and invasions of Britain and Gaul. Antony was gaining popularity and support throughout Rome and became a high-ranking statesmen. When Caesar was killed Mark Antony assumed the role of leader of Rome, but Caesar's nephew believed that he should be a ruler, so he challenged Antony.
