Julius Caesar is born into a patrician Roman family

The Roman general Sulla takes the unprecedented step of marching upon Rome with a Roman army, to restore his own faction to power

Gaius Marius, uncle of Julius Caesar, marches on Rome and massacres many of the supporters of Sulla

Julius Caesar's father dies, and in his teens he becomes head of the family

Julius Caesar marries Cornelia Cinna, whose family, like Caesar's own, are in the faction opposed to Sulla

Sulla takes Rome for the second time, after a battle at the Colline Gate, and then publishes his lethal 'proscriptions'

Sulla launches a massacre of his opponents and Julius Caesar is lucky to escape with his life, but his inheritance is confiscated

To escape from Italy Caesar joins the army, and serves in Asia with distinction (winning the Civic Crown for courage in action)

The 26-year-old Pompey conducts such a successful campaign in Africa that his soldiers hail him as Pompey the Great

Sulla dies and Caesar returns to Rome, taking up a legal career as an advocate

To improve his skills as an orator, Julius Caesar travels to Rhodes to study with Cicero's teacher, Apollonius Molon

Julius Caesar, captured by pirates on his way to Rhodes, warns them that he will crucify them - and later keeps his word

Cleopatra, destined to become the last ruling pharaoh as Cleopatra VII, is born in Egypt – the daughter of Ptolemy XII

Julius Caesar's wife, Cornelia Cinna, dies

Julius Caesar marries Pompeia, a granddaughter of Sulla and a distant relative of Pompey

Pompey takes Antioch and brings Syria under control as a Roman province

Caesar is elected Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of the Roman state religion

An unproven rumour about Pompeia causes Caesar to divorce her on the grounds that 'Caesar's wife must be above suspicion'

Caesar's numerous creditors prevent him leaving Rome until the immensely wealthy Marcus Licinius Crassus stands bail for some of his debts

Caesar sets off to take up a post as governor of southern Spain, where a series of profitable raids improve his finances

Back in Rome, Caesar stands in the election to become one of the two consuls for the year 59, and wins

Julius Caesar persuades Pompey and Crassus to join him in a political alliance to their mutual advantage, known now as the first triumvirate

The alliance between Pompey and Caesar is sealed when Pompey marries Caesar's only daughter, Julia

Caesar and Pompey use violence and intimidation to force through the senate a bill giving public land to retired soldiers (with Pompey's men at the head of the queue)

At the end of his year as consul, Caesar travels north to become governor of northern Italy and southern France