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A bloody civil war between Marius and Sulla forced Caesar to pick sides. Caesar sided with Marius, but when the war shifted in favor of Sulla, Caesar was forced to flee Rome and join the army to avoid execution. Caesar quickly rose through After narrowly escaping execution under Sulla he fled Rome and served in ranks of the armyand distinguished himself. Upon the death of Sulla, he returned to Rome and became one of the leader of the popular party in Rome. A  He was a charismatic figure he leader and became one of the best-known figures on the Roman political scene. Caesar was able to enter entered into an informal political arrangement with Crassus and Pompey, known as the First Triumvirate. This was an agreement that allowed the three men to secure their political goals and to become , in essence, the de-facto government of the Republic.<ref> Goldsworthy, Anthony. <i>Caesar: Life of a Colossus </i> (Yale, Yale University Press, 2006), p. 61</ref>. Under this arrangement , Caesar was able to secure election as consul and to become the commander of several Roman legions. An inveterate gambler Caesar used a Germanic incursion lead these legions into Gaul to intervene in that pacify this region. At the time , Gaul covered most France and Belgium. Caesar in then embarked on a ten-year campaign gradually conquered this region and raided . He then used his legions to raid the people in Germany and Britain.  After the death of Crassus, the First Triumvirate broke down, at the same time the . The Senate and Pompey saw an opportunity to oust Caesar from power and threatened Caesar him with criminal prosecution.<ref>Goldsworthy, p. 141</ref>. In response, Caesar advanced on Rome, to secure his political position and this led to a started civil war between him himself and the Roman senate, whose army was commanded by . Pompey the Greatdefended Rome alongside the senate. Caesar defeated his enemies at Pharsalus (Greece), but this did not end the war. Mark Anthony ruled in Caesar’s name in Rome and Italy. The conflict continued to rage over the Mediterranean for several years. Caesar emerged victorious and by 44 BC after his decisive victory at the Battle of Mutina. By this time Caesar was the most powerful man in Rome. He had been elected by the Senate as dictator initially for five years, but later for life. This meant that along with the army under his control, he was granted extraordinary powers. His position it seemed was beyond challenge, but this was all to change on the Ides of March 44 BCE.