Gaius Julius Caesar (100 BC-44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and subsequently became dictator from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Caesar was an accomplished author and historian as well as a statesman; much of his life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns.