[beebuster2000]

i thought caesar ruled rome for only a year or so, and was killed soon after proclaiming himself a god.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Caesar became the defacto ruler of Rome after the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. During the next three years he spent some time in Rome, but most of his time in Egypt making Cleopatra the Pharaoh, in Asia Minor, conquering more territory for the Empire, and in North Africa, defeating the last of the Pompeian faction. He returned to Rome in the latter part of 45 BC, and was assassinated the following March 15th (the Ides), so he was the ruler of the Empire for just under four years. He never proclaimed himself a God, which would have been unthinkable in those days, but apparently was suspected of wanting to be named a Rex or king, a title hated by the leaders of the Republic since it overthrew the old Roman monarchy around 400 or 500 years earlier.