Why was Julius Caesar called dictator

Gaius Julius Caesar[2] (Classical Latin: [??a?.i.?s ?ju?.l?.?s?kaj.sar],[3] July 100BC[4] – 15 March 44BC)[5] was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, andnotable author of Latin prose. He played acritical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a politicalalliance that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Theirattempts to amass power through populisttactics were opposed by the conservativeruling class within the RomanSenate, among them Cato theYounger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar’s conquest ofGaul, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome’s territory to theEnglish Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to crossboth when he built a bridgeacross the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain.These achievements granted him unmatched military power andthreatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realignedhimself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the GallicWars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to lay down his militarycommand and return to Rome. Caesar refused, and marked his defiancein 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with alegion, leaving his province andillegally entering Roman territory under arms.[6]Civilwar resulted, from which he emerged as the unrivaled leader ofRome.After assuming control of government, Caesar began a program ofsocial and governmental reforms, including the creation of theJulian calendar. He centralised thebureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed “dictatorin perpetuity”. But the underlying political conflicts had not beenresolved, and on the Ides of March (15March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group ofsenators led by MarcusJunius Brutus. A new series of civil wars broke out, and the constitutional government ofthe Republic was never restored. Caesar’s adopted heirOctavian, later known as Augustus, rose tosole power, and the era of the RomanEmpire began.Much of Caesar’s life is known from his own accounts of hismilitary campaigns, and from other contemporary sources, mainly theletters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings ofSallust. The later biographies of Caesar bySuetonius and Plutarch are also major sources. Caesar is deemed tobe one of the greatest military commanders in history