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Why did Julius Caesar increase the size of the Roman Senate?

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Statue of Julius Caesar in Roman military attire stands in front of a domed building in Rome, Italy, with a clear blue sky in the background. — Julius Caesar Julius Caesar, bronze sculpture in Rome.

Following the civil war of 49–45 BCE, the number of senators in the Roman Senate had been significantly depleted. Julius Caesar revised the senatorial list and increased the body's membership to 900 to address this shortage and consolidate his political position.

By expanding the Senate, Caesar was able to fill the vacancies with his own supporters. This move fundamentally altered the composition of the body, as it introduced many knights, municipal Italians, and even a few provincials from Gaul, while effectively replacing the senators who had opposed him.1