Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/570

Rh 55d CAESAR. cordingly, when Pompey came up with Caesar, who was encamped on the plains of Pharsalus or Pharsalia, in Thessaly, he offered him battle, which was readily accepted by Caesar. Their numbers were very unequal : Pompey had 4.5,000 foot- soldiers and 7000 horse, Caesar 22,000 foot-soldiers and 1000 horse. The battle, which was fought on the 9th of August, B. c. 48, according to the old calendar, ended in the total defeat of Pompey's anny. Pompey fled to the court of Egypt, pursued by Caesar, but was murdered there before the latter arrived in the country. [Poaipeius.] The battle of Pharsalia decided the fate of the republic. When news of it reached Rome, various laws were passed, which conferred in fact supreme power upon Caesar. Though absent, he was no- minated dictator a second time, and that not for six months or a shorter time, but for a whole year. He appointed M. Antonius his master of the horse, and entered upon the office in September of this year (b. c 48), so that the commencement and tennination of his dictatorship and consulship did not coincide, as some modern writers have repre- sented. He was also nominated to the consulship for the next five years, but this privilege he did not avail himself of; he was invested, moreover, with the tribunicial power for life, and with the right of holding all the comitia for the election of the magistrates, with the exception of those for the choice of the plebeian tribunes ; and it was for this reason that no magistrates except the tribunes of the plebs were elected for the next year, as Caesai" did not return to Rome till September in B. c. 47 Caesar went to Egypt, as we have already said, in pursuit of Pompey, and upon his arrival there, he became involved in a war, which detained him several months, and gave the remains of the Pom- peian party time to rally and to make fresh prepa- rations for continuing the war. The war in Egypt, usually called the Alexandrine war, arose from Caesar's resolving to settle the disputes respect- ing the succession to the kingdom. Caesar de- termined that Cleopatra, whose fascinations com- pletely won his heart, and her elder brother Ptole- my should reign in common ; but as this decision was opposed by the guardians of the young king, a war broke out between them and Caesar, in which he was for some time exposed to great dan- ger on account of the small number of his forces. But, having received reinforcements, he finally prevailed, and placed Cleopatra and her younger brother on the throne, as the elder had perished in the course of the contest. It was soon after this, that Cleopatra had a son by Caesar. [Caesarion; Cleopatra.] After bringing the Alexandrine war to a close, in the latter end of March, b. c. 47, Caesar maixhed through Syria into Pontus in order to attack Phar- naces, the son of the celebrated Mithridates, who had defeated Cn. Doraitius Calvinus, one of Caesar's legates. This war, however, did not detain him long ; for Pharnaces, venturing to come to an open battle with the dictator, was utterly defeated, on the 2nd of August, near Zela. He thence pro- ceeded to Rome, settling the affairs of the provinces in the way, and arrived in the capital in Septem- ber. As the year of his dictatorship was nearly expiring, he caused himself to be appointed to the dignity again for a year, and he nominated M. Aemilius Lepidus his master of the horse. CAESAR. His third dictatorship consequently begins before the termination of the year 47. The property of Pompey and of several others of the aristo- cracy was now confiscated and sold by public auction. That he might the more easily re- ward his own friends, the dictator increased the nimiber of praetors and of the members of the priestly colleges, and also introduced a great num- ber of his partizans into the senate. For the re- mainder of this year he elevated Q. Fufius Calenus and P. Vatinius to the consulship, but he caused himself and his master of the horse, M. Aemilius Lepidus to be elected consuls for the next year. It was during this time that he quelled a formidable mutiny of his troops which had broken out in Campjmia. Caesar did not remain in Rome more than two or three months. With his usual activity and energy, he set out to Africa before the end of the year (b. c. 47), in order to carry on the war against Scipio and Cato, who had collected a large army in that country. Their forces were far greater than Caesar could bring against them at present ; but he was well aware of the advantage which a general has in acting on the offensive, and had too much reliance on his own genius to be alarmed by mere disparity of numbers. At the commencement of the campaign, however, Caesar was in considerable difficulties; but, having been joined by some of his other legions, he was able to prosecute the campaign with more vigour, and finally brought it to a close by the battle of Thapsus, on the (ith of April, b. c. i6, in which the Pompeian army was completely defeated. Cato, finding him- self unable to defend Uticti, put an end to his own hfe. The other towns in Africa submitted to the conqueror, and Caesar was thus able to be in Rome again by the latter end of July, according to the old calendar. Caesar was now the undisputed master of the Roman world. As he drew near to Rome, great apprehensions were entertahied by his enemies lest, notwithstanding his former clemency, he should imitate Marius and Sulla, and proscribe all his opponents. But these fears were perfectly ground- less. A love of cruelty was no part of Caesar's nature ; and, with a magnanimity which victors rarely shew, and least of all those in civil wars, he freely forgave all who had borne arms against him, and declared that he should make no difference between Pompeians and Caesarians. His object was now to allay animosities, and to secure the lives and property of all the citizens of his new kingdom. As soon as the news of his African vic- tory reached Rome, and before he himself arrived there, a public thanksgiving of forty days was de- creed in his honour, and the dictatorship was be- stowed upon him for ten years, and the censorship, under the new title of "Praefectus Morum," for three years. Caesar had never yet enjoyed a tri- umph ; and, as he had now no further enemies to meet, he availed himself of the opportunity of cele- brating his victories in Gaul, Egypt, Pontus, and Africa by four magnificent triumphs. None of these, however, were in honour of his successes in the civil war; and consequently his African tri- umph was to commemorate his victory over Juba, and not over Scipio and Cato. These triumphs were followed by largesses of com and money to the people and the soldiers, by public banquets, and all sorts of entertainments. Never before hud