Genghis Khan vs Caesar: two of history's greatest conquerors

Quick answer

Who conquered more, Genghis Khan or Caesar?

Genghis Khan conquered far more. In a single lifetime he conquered from northern China deep into Central Asia, founding the empire that became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Caesar conquered less ground, above all Gaul, but struck at the heart of the Roman world and brought the Republic to its end.

They are two of the greatest conquerors who ever lived, separated by more than a thousand years and half a world. Genghis Khan forged from the steppe the empire that would become the largest contiguous land empire in history; Julius Caesar conquered Gaul and reshaped Rome itself. They never met, but the comparison is irresistible. Here they are, side by side.

Head to head

	Genghis Khan	Julius Caesar
Lived	about 1162 to 1227¹	100 to 44 BC²
Role	Founder and khan of the Mongol Empire	Roman general, dictator and conqueror
Great achievement	Founder of what became history's largest contiguous land empire	The conquest of Gaul
Strength	Mobility, organization and total war	Speed, daring and political mastery
Defeated	Khwarazm, Jin China and many more³	Vercingetorix at Alesia, Pompey at Pharsalus
Rule	United the Mongol tribes and built an empire⁴	Made himself master of Rome
Legacy	The conqueror who remade half the world	The man who ended the Roman Republic

Genghis Khan: the conqueror from the steppe

Genghis Khan united the warring tribes of the steppe and turned them into the most formidable army of the age, built on speed, discipline and ruthless organization. In a single lifetime he conquered from northern China deep into Central Asia, laying the foundation of what, under his heirs, would become the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen.⁵

Persian miniature of a Mongol ruler enthroned under a canopy surrounded by courtiers and attendants — Temüjin proclaimed Genghis Khan at the assembly of 1206, a miniature from a 15th-century manuscript of Rashid al-Din's Jami' al-tawarikh made in Herat. Bibliothèque nationale de France. Public domain

Caesar: the conqueror who remade Rome

Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, crushing the great revolt of Vercingetorix at Alesia in 52 BC, then turned on Rome itself, beating Pompey at Pharsalus in 48 BC. Master of the Roman world, he made himself dictator, in effect bringing the Republic to its end, and held power until his assassination in 44 BC.⁶

Painting of a Roman hall with a body lying in the foreground and a group of senators raising swords as they leave — The Death of Caesar by Jean-Léon Gérôme, painted between 1859 and 1867; Gérôme shows not the killing itself but its immediate aftermath. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Public domain

The verdict

They conquered on utterly different scales and in different ways, so the contest is one of imagination. Genghis Khan built by far the larger empire, remaking the map of Asia in a single generation; Caesar conquered less ground but struck at the heart of a civilization, ending a Republic and opening the way to an empire whose name still echoes. The steppe conqueror had the greater reach; the Roman had the deeper legacy. Which counts for more is a matter of taste.

Colored historical map of Asia and Eastern Europe showing the Mongol khanates — The Mongol dominions from 1300 to 1405, when the empire founded by Genghis Khan had divided into successor khanates stretching from Korea to Eastern Europe. Map from William R. Shepherd's Historical Atlas. Public domain

Compare more in Genghis Khan vs Alexander and Alexander vs Caesar, or meet the field in the greatest military commanders.

About this comparison

Each commander above has a full biography on this site, with its own sources. Judgments of who was "greater" are ours and openly a matter of debate; the facts and dates follow established histories. See our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

Did Genghis Khan and Caesar ever meet?

No. They lived more than a thousand years apart, so they are compared as two of history's greatest conquerors rather than as opponents.

Who conquered more, Genghis Khan or Caesar?

Genghis Khan, by far. He founded the empire that became the largest contiguous land empire in history, far larger than the territory Caesar conquered, though Caesar's conquests struck at the heart of the Roman world.

What was Genghis Khan famous for?

Uniting the Mongol tribes and conquering an empire that stretched from northern China to Central Asia, which his heirs carried into eastern Europe, all built on the speed and discipline of his cavalry armies.

What was Julius Caesar famous for?

Conquering Gaul, winning the civil war against Pompey, and making himself dictator of Rome, which effectively ended the Roman Republic.

Who was the greater conqueror?

A matter of taste. Genghis Khan had the greater reach and built the larger empire; Caesar conquered less but left perhaps the deeper mark on world history.

Sources