Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/317

 CESAR. 309 chosen dictator, though that office had never before lasted a whole year, and was elected consul for the next He was ill spoken of, because upon a mutiny of some soldiers, who killed Cosconius and Galba, who had been praetors, he gave them only the slight reprimand of call- ing them Citizens, instead of Felloiv- Soldiers, and afterwards assigned to each man a thousand drachmas, besides a share of lands in Italy. He was also reflected on for Dolabella's extravagance, Amantius's covetousness, Antony's debauchery, and Corfinius's profuseness, who pulled down Pompey's house, and rebuilt it, as not mag- nificent enough ; for the Romans were much displeased with all these. But Caesar, for the prosecution of his own scheme of government, though he knew their char- acters and disapproved them, was forced to make use of those who would serve him. After the battle of Pharsalia, Cato and Scipio fled into Africa, and there, with the assistance of king Juba, got together a considerable force, which Caesar resolved to engage. He, accordingly, passed into Sicily about the winter-solstice, and to remove from his officers' minds all hopes of delaj 7 there, encamped by the sea-shore, and as soon as ever he had a fair wind, put to sea with three thousand foot and a few horse. When he had landed them, he went back secretly, under some apprehensions for the larger part of his army, but met them upon the sea, and brought them all to the same camp. There he was informed that the enemies relied much upon an ancient oracle, that the family of the Scipios should be always victorious in Africa. There was in his army a man, otherwise mean and contemptible, but of the house of the Africani, and his name Scipio Sallutio. This man Caesar, (whether in raillery, to ridicule Scipio, who com- manded the enemy, or seriously to bring over the omen to his side, it were hard to say,) put at the head of his