Julius Caesars Dictatorship?

Question

Ok im getting confused.

He first became dictater in what year?

Then he resigned after 11 days is that correct?

But then when did he become dictator again? which let to his assasination.

Answer 1

The first time Caesar was dictator was in 49 BC. This was during the Civil War when Rome passed from Pompey's hands to his own. He remained Dictator for only 11 days because he just needed to be in power to make sure an election was held to make him Consul again. Then he set off to defeat Pompey's forces. The 11 day dictatorship was pretty much inconsequential.

In 48 BC, he became dictator again, but he was gone the entire year fighting and he was made Consul for five years. Again, this stuff is not too important in the scheme of things, just the way he maintined power in Rome during the war.

His dictatorship in 46 BC was the important one. It was granted for an unprecedented 10 years. He was also given power to appoint all offices instead of having elections. The next year his dictatorship was expanded to dictator for life. This made him incredibly powerful, equal to a king, and inspired Brutus, Cassius, and company to want kill him in order to restore the Republic, where no man was supposed to have too much power (obviously, their plan backfired).