Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/118

 io6 THE ROMAN DOMINION the forces of the Pompeians at Thapsus. Again he returned to Rome ; but Spain rose in revolt, led by one of Pompey's sons, against the governor whom he had previously left in charge. Again, therefore, Caesar had to take the field, and finally overthrew his enemies at the battle of Munda, one of the hardest fought engagements in which he ever took part. Once more he returned to Rome, but with the prospect before him of having to lead the forces of the empire against the Parthians. He was publicly offered a royal crown ; but, gauging the popular sentiment, he refused what he was doubtless willing to accept. But the rule of a single man was traditionally hateful to the Romans j a conspiracy was formed partly of enthusiasts, who Murder of imagined that a republic meant liberty and Caesar, 44 B. C. monarchy meant slavery; partly of ambitious men who hoped to profit by revolution ; and partly of those whom mere party spirit impelled to the overthrow of a triumphant opponent. On March 15th, Caesar was assassinated, and once more the Roman world was rent with civil broils. Five years passed between the crossing of the Rubicon and the death of Caesar. During those years he had conducted a campaign in Spain, another in the Grecian peninsula, an- other in Asia, another in Africa, and yet another in Spain. What Caesar His political work was done in the intervals. He did - had only begun the mighty task which he had set himself. In the years that followed his death, what he had accomplished appeared to be wiped out. Nevertheless, he had created the Roman Empire. He had designed the edifice, and it was on the foundations he had laid that his adopted son raised the great structure. His supreme genius triumphed in spite of his death. The old order was ended. A restoration of the Senatorial power was impossible. An absolute monarchy ruling through constitutional forms, treating the empire as a Commonwealth, not as a mere appanage of the Imperial city, was to replace the old system. Hitherto, the triumph of one leader over another had meant the triumph of a party, and had been turned to account to penalise the members of the opposing party. Caesar, though he had risen to power as a democrat, discarded partisanship when he grasped supreme dominion.