What is the definition of being notable? According to the definition presented to us by our form masters, being a noble person's description is “A notable person is someone who has a positive on our life and the progress of humanity" This can be apmplied in many ways. It may be for black rights, helping people in need, bringing or creating inventions that spread around the world, or it may be someone trying to bring peace. A notable person is someone that brings the best out of themselves to help humanity.  

These notable people in general are mostly well known, and if one was told the name of a notable person, they would know the man or woman, or at least would have heard of them somewhere. But a notable person doesn't go to bed one day and thinks 'One day, I'm going to be a notable!' when asked what they want to do in their future. No one becomes a notable easily, such as Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years in prison while encouraging black rights, or Malala Yousafzai, who was shot multiple times to fight for what she believed. 

Being a notable isn't a planned action. It isn't like getting a doctor's degree and starting to work like any ordinary doctor, seeing patients and running check-ups. All doctors benefit society, but you probably can't recognize any doctor's names except for three or four. To become notable as a doctor, or any other profession, you need to do something the world has never seen before. You might have to discover something, like Marie Curie, or see the world as it is and speak out against it, like George Orwell. The point is, though there are billions of people in this world, and only a select few can become notable. That’s why being notable is such a hard thing to achieve. If every social worker or engineer became notable, the definition would lose its meaning. 

There are also things that notables are born with. They have a set of personalities that set them above the rest. They are things such as resolve, nobility, loyalty and perseverance. These can’t be made if you’re not born with them. All notables have suffered hardships. Winston Churchill had a condition called bipolar disorder, which meant he had dramatic mood swings that could send him elated to depressed, yet he led the allies into victory in World War 2. Steven Jobs had cancer in his pancreas, meaning he would never walk normally again. They showed determination and perseverance, as well as resolve in their situation. No person, or notable, is the same, but all notables displayed the same qualities and virtues. 

So, why is Julius Caesar notable? What did he do to deserve this title? How did he rewrite history to help the progress of humanity? Caesar wasn’t a doctor like Mother Theresa, didn’t write books like J.K. Rowling, and wasn’t famous for his teachings, like Socrates. Caesar was a conqueror. That doesn’t sound like a noble thing, but its significance on the Roman influence is. The countries Caesar conquered in the name of Rome developed faster than if they weren’t. Roman influences spread to those countries, bringing technology and ideas. That, and the invention of the Julian calendar, the one we use today, make Caesar a notable. 

As well as this, Caesar had personality traits, the traits that defined a noble. Though he wasn’t born rich, he worked hard, and with his genius he rose through the ranks. Ambition was one of the reasons that Caesar was notable. Caesar was unrelenting, and his resolve was strong enough that he fought his own friend after he declared war on him. He never stopped his conquests, and his instinct and characteristics allowed him to never be happy with what he had, making him work harder to conquer countries. Caesar couldn’t have succeeded every time, but he was one of the most famous conquerors of all time, proving his perseverance and his drive for success. 

Caesar wasn’t born into a wealthy family, like many other famous Roman generals. His family was aristocratic, though they weren’t rich. But you can gain wealth, but you can never gain the gift of rhetoric unless you were born with it. Caesar was a good talker, a smart general, and knew how to rise in the world of politics and the military. With the help of a rich general whose name was Crassus and a man called Pompey with a famous military reputation; Caesar gained the army he needed to go to conquer the countries around Rome. However, because Rome was divided, they wouldn’t have lasted long as many other countries would gain advantage of their confusion and conquer Rome. Caesar united Rome brought it under control and conquered many countries. Not bad for a once small town. 

Still, why does that make him notable? When Rome conquered a country, they brought things with them, and the people that settled planted new plants or brought new ideas and inventions to those people. Roman ideas and laws are still used today, as well as their inventions. Things such as central heating and running water all came from the Romans, who spread it throughout the countries that they inhabited. These impacted the people who lived in those countries, and indirectly made many countries better. To add on, think about the last time you crunched on an apple or was forced to eat cabbage. The Romans spread those to the countries they conquered. 

Apart from conquering countries, Caesar was famous for many other things. He made laws that some countries use today, except that maybe the punishments were less extreme. So, if modern day humans had laws based off ancient humans, then those laws must’ve been good or fair. Caesar’s law and leadership were great and helped the civilians of Rome. He got rid of a tax system, made military reforms and reduced the debt of Rome. This means that his leadership must’ve been very good. His words, knowledge and skill all made him an exceptional leader. In fact, he inspired George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte, who wanted to be like him. 

Aside from that, Caesar printed the first newspaper and made the calendar we use today. He stopped nobles or rich men from abusing the vague calendar to make people pay more taxes. The invention of the 365-day calendar was certainly a great invention that meant clarity for the people of Rome who had to use an unreliable, hard to read calendar. Making the first newspaper was a stroke of genius ahead of his time, even if only the rich and noble could read them.  

Including that, Caesar helped the poor in Italy, granting land and creating jobs. He made the rich pay extra for their lifestyles, taxing overseas imports and encouraging domestic production to create more jobs. He created the pension system, which basically meant the military took two sevenths of your salary and saved it for the retired soldier. This made Caesar popular, which was unlike the many rulers of Rome or the ancient world. To be popular with the people means you had to be a good leader, like Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama. That quality itself, combined with the reason why the person was popular is one of the reasons why Julius Caesar should be considered a notable. 

Think about the last time you rode in a car, bus or truck. You probably have within the last 24 hours. Now imagine that you had to ride on a vehicle that was bumpy and uneven. The Romans were the first people to use straight, smooth roads. When they brought those roads also to the countries they conquered. They were the first to use such roads, even if they only used chariots. Caesar banned chariots during certain hours of the day, as there were too many road accidents. By now you must realize that the Romans’ influence is everywhere. From plumbing to roads and buildings and cabbages, the Romans had a connection to them all.  

So, Julius Caesar may not have worked on the BBC like Davin Attenborough, or protested for independence like Gandhi, but he did have many reasons that he was notable. He spread Roman influences throughout the ancient world, indirectly benefiting their and our lives, was a great ruler and leader, and was the inventor of the calendar. Julius Caesar was, in my opinion, a definite notable person.