The story of Caesar begins in 75 BCE, when as a 25 year old son of a Senator, Julius was kidnapped by pirates for ransom. The historian, Plutarch, tells the story.
To begin with, then, when the pirates demanded twenty talents for his ransom, he laughed at them for not knowing who their captive was, and of his own accord agreed to give them fifty. In the next place, after he had sent various followers to various cities to procure the money, he often laughingly threatened to hang all the pirates. The pirates were delighted at this, and attributed his boldness of speech to a certain simplicity and boyish mirth. But after his ransom had come from Miletus and he had paid it and was set free, he immediately manned vessels... took the robbers, and crucified them all, just as he had often warned them on the island that he would do, when they thought he was joking.
(@23.10).
Throughout the rest of his life, Caesar walked with a chip on his shoulder. His most notorious saying, "veni, vidi, vici" captured his attitude perfectly. After he won a battle, he often wrote a book about it, with himself as the hero of the tale. Julius Caesar was full of himself. Is this characteristic more helpful or more harmful in a military leader?
DECISION: What is your opinion of Caesar's Swagger? Is it better for a military leader to be self-confident or low-key? What is the proper place for bragging among great military leaders?
Consider the related histories:
Haman
Napoleon
Lee
Hitler
Muhammad Ali