Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/569

Rh CAESAR, nrrival in Gaul foinul, that Massilia refused to submit to him. He forthwith laid siege to the place, but unable to tjikc it immediately, he left C. Trebonius and D. Brutus with part of his troops to prosecute the siege, ajid continued his march to Spain. In this country Pompey had seven legions, three under the command of L. Afranius in the nearer province, two under M. Petreius in the further, and two mider M. Terentius Varro also in the latter province west of the Anas (Ouadiana). Varro remained in the west ; but Afranius and Petreius on the approach of Caesar united their forces, and took up a strong position near the town of Ilerda (Lerida in Catalonia) on the right bank of the Sicoris (Segre). Into the details of this campaign we cannot enter. It is sufficient to state, that, after experiencing great difficulties at first and some reverses, Caesar at length reduced Afranius and Petreius to such difficulties that they were obliged to surrender. They themselves were dismissed uninjured, part of their troops disbanded, and the remainder incorpo- rated among Caesar's troops. Caesar then pro- ceeded to march against Varro ; but after the victory over Afranius and Petreius, there was no army in Spain capable of resisting the conqueror, and Varro accordingly surrendered to Caesar when the latter arrived at Corduba (Cordova). Having thus subdued all Spain, which had engaged him only forty days, he returned to Gavl. Massilia had not yet yielded, but the siege had been prosecuted with so much vigour, that the inhabitants were compelled to surrender the town soon after his arrival before the walls. While Caesar was before Massilia, he received intelligence that he had been appointed dictator by the praetor M. Lepidus, who had been em- powered to do so by a law passed for the purpose. This appointment, which was of course made in accordance with Caesar's vishes, was contrary to all precedent ; for a praetor had not the power of nominating a dictator, and the senate was entirely passed over : but it is idle to talk of established forms under such circumstances ; it was necessary that there should be a higher magistrate than praetor to hold the comitia for the election of the consuls ; and Caesar wished to enter Rome invested with some high official power, which he could not do so long as he was merely pro- consul. Accordingly, as soon as Massilia sur- rendered, Caesar hastened to Rome and entered upon his dictatorship, but laid it doAvn again at the end of eleven days after holding the consular comitia, in which he himself and P. Servilius Vatia Isauricus were elected consuls for the next year. But during these eleven days he caused some very important laws to be passed. The first, which was intended to relieve debtors, but at the same time protect to a great extent the rights of creditors, was in the present state of atfairs a most salutary measure. (For the provisions of this lex, see Did. of Ant. s. v. Jtdia Lex de Foenore.) He next obtained the reversal of the sentences which had been pronounced against various persons in ac- cordance with the laws passed in Pompey's last consulship ; he also obtained the recall of several other exiles ; he further restored the descendants of those who had been proscribed by Sulla to the enjoyment of their rights, and rewarded the Trans- pjidani by the citizenship for their faithful support of his cause. CAESAR, 6S After laying down the dictatorship, Caesar went in December to Brundisium, where he had pre- viously ordered his troops to assemble. He had lost many men in the long march from Spain, and also from sickness arising from their passing the autumn in the south of Italy. Pompey had not been idle during the summer, and had employed his time in raising a large army in Greece, Egypt, and the East, the scene of his former glory. He thug collected an army consisting of nine legions of Ro- man citizens, and an auxiliary force of cavalry and infantry; and, though it is impossible to estimate its exact strength, as we do not know the number of men which each legion contained, it was decidedly greater than the army which Caesar had assembled at Brundisium. His fleet entirely commanded the sea, and so small was the number of Caesar's ships, that it seemed impossible that he should venture to cross the sea in face of Pompey's superior fleet. This circumstance, and also the time of the year caused M.Bibulus, the commander of Pompey 's fleet, to relax in his guard ; and thus when Caesar set sail from Brundisium, on the 4th of January, he arrived the next day in safety on the coast of Epeirus. In consequence, however, of the small number of his ships, Caesar was able to caiTy over only seven le- gions, which, for the causes previously mentioned, had been so thinned as to amount only to 13,000 foot and 500 horse. After landing this force, he sent back his ships to bring over the remainder ; but part of the fleet was intercepted in its return by M. Bibulus, who cruelly put all the crews to death ; and the Pompeian fleet kept up such a strict watch along the coast, that the remainder of Caesar's army was obliged for the present to remain at Brundisium. Caesar was thus in a critical position, in the midst of the enemy's country, cut otf from the rest of his army ; but he knew that he could thoroughly rely on his men, and therefore immediately commenced acting on the offensive. After gaining possession of Oriciun and ApoUonia, he hastened northwards, in hopes of surprising Dyrrhachium, where all Pompey's stores were deposited ; but Pompey, by rapid marches, reached this town before him, and both armies then encamped opposite to each other, Pompey on the right and Caesar on the left bank of the river Apsus. Caesar was at length joined by the remainder of his troops, which were brought over from Brundisium with great difficulty by M. Antonius and Q. Fufius Calenus. Pompey mean- time had retired to some high ground near Dyr- rhachium, and as he would not venture a battle with Caesar's veterans, Caesar began to blockade him in his position, and to erect lines of circum- vallation of an extraordinary extent; but when these were nearly completed, Pompey forced a passage through Caesar's lines, and drove back his legions with considerable loss. Caesar thus found himself compelled to retreat from his present position, and accordingly commenced his march for Thessaly, pursued by Pompey's army, which was not however able to come up with him. Pompey's plan of avoiding a general engagement with Caesar's veterans till he could place more reliance upon his own troops, was undoubtedly a wise one, and had been hitherto crowned with success ; but his victory at Dyrrhachium and the retreat of the enemy inspired him with more confi- dence, and induced him to give heed to those of his officers who recommended him to bring the contest to an issue by an immediiite battle. Ac*