Lepidus-On the sixteenth the conspirators attempt to discover the feel-

ings of the people—Dolabella assumes the ensigns of consular dignity and

visits the men in the Capitol-M. Brutus and Cassius address the people;

or perhaps Brutus only-Commissioners are selected by the conspirators

to negotiate with Antonius and Lepidus-A meeting of the Senate is fixed

for the seventeenth of March, on which day the Senate meet in the temple

of Tellus-The praetor Cornelius Cinna-Cicero is present at the meeting

on the seventeenth; and Dolabella-Various proposals about the mur-

derers-M. Antonius observing the difference of opinion dexterously uses

the opportunity-He proposes as a preliminary to further discussion that

those who were present and held offices from Caesar should divest them-

selves of these offices-All declare that they will keep what they have

-The scandalous behaviour of Dolabella-During the deliberation Anto-

nius and Lepidus are summoned from the house to address the people—

The speeches of Antonius and Lepidus-They return to the Senate-house

-Antonius proposes to the Senate that Caesar's acts should be maintained

-He is supported by Cicero, who recommends an amnesty-A Senatus-

consultum is made to the effect that there should be no inquiry into

Caesar's murder, and that his acts should be confirmed, since it was for

the interest of the State-The veterans by their leaders demand another

Senatus-consultum to secure their grants of lands; which is done-A

third Senatus-consultum to the same effect is made in favour of the

veterans already settled in their grants-The conspirators on the same day

invite the people to a meeting, and Brutus addresses them-Brutus sends

to Cicero a copy of this speech-The people are satisfied with the speech-

The conspirators come down from the Capitol, and are reconciled with

Antonius and Lepidus-Salutations, pressing of hands, and dinner-giving

-On the eighteenth the conspirators, or as they are otherwise named

liberators, appear in the Senate-Caesar's will is read: the testamentary

dispositions-Notice is given that the body of Caesar will be burnt in the

Campus Martius-Preparations for the funeral-Antonius delivers the

funeral oration-The last act of the play is an exhibition of a wax figure

of Caesar's mangled body-The populace are roused to fury, the murderers

fly, the tribune Helvius Cinna is murdered through mistake, and his head

is carried on a spear-Caesar's body is burut in the Forum-The people

watch all night by the burning pile-The Jews crowd round the spot

where the body of their benefactor is burnt-The civil war after Caesar's

death-Caesar Octavianus again unites the Roman empire, and an imperial

dynasty is founded,

PAGE

419

CHAPTER XXXV.

CAESAR.

-

Summary of the principal facts which show what Caesar was- Caesar's
family and first marriage- Caesar's features and form-His style of

.

speaking, voice, and gesture-Skilful in athletic exercises and abstemious

-Subject to epileptic fits-Very careful about his appearance, and when

a young man a kind of fop-The saying of the Dictator Sulla about

Caesar-His dress-As he advances in age he becomes bald-Love of neat-

ness in his household-Fond of works of art-Calumnies against Caesar's

character-His licentious habits with women-Caesar and his last wife,

Calpurnia-Caesar seeks the honours of Rome by intrigues and bribery—

Caesar obtains the office of Pontifex Maximus, or chief of religion at Rome,

and holds it to his death-Caesar has no religion-Begins his military

career as a general in Spain-His administration as consul in B.C. 59-His

campaigns in Gallia as proconsul-He acquires wealth in Gallia-Cruel to

foreign enemies-His generous behaviour in the Civil War-His great

abilities as a general-Caesar never knew fear-Caesar a man of letters,

an excellent orator, and versed in the writings of the Greeks-His varied

capacity-His great diligence and love of men of letters-His Commen-

taries the best manual for a general-Montaigne's opinion of them—

Caesar spoke Latin well-Cicero's opinion of the style of Caesar's Com-

mentaries The Commentaries have escaped the bad luck of being converted

into a history-Montaigne's opinion of histories-The kind of history of

his own consulship which Cicero wishes Lucceius to write-Thomas

Hobbes' notion of historical writing-Caesar writes only the narrative of

his campaigns, but he has some episodes—He omits many things which he

does not choose to tell-His ways of raising money by selling prisoners

and by plunder-The remarks of Asinius Pollio on Caesar's Commentaries,

and the answer to Pollio-Caesar describes places so clearly that you know

them as soon as you see them-Caesar's diligence and veracity proved by

his own work-Caesar both a soldier and an orator-The titles and

fragments of his orations-Letters of Caesar to Cicero and others-Caesar's

brief, rapid, and forcible style-Works of Caesar which are not extant

PAGE

466

THE DECLINE

OF

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC.

CHAPTER I.

THE INVASION OF ITALY.

B.C. 49.

THE history of this civil war is written by Caesar in three books, which comprehend the period from the invasion of Italy to the beginning of the Alexandrine war. These books were published after the death of Pompeius; and we must assume that notes were kept by Caesar of the events as they happened. The history is a military history like the Commentaries of the Gallic war; but it is also Caesar's apology, and must be read with some distrust. We have no other contemporary evidence except Cicero's letters, and a few letters of Caesar, Pompeius and others which have been preserved by Cicero. Cicero's statements can never be accepted without careful examination, but he has written so much that it is not difficult to ascertain his opinions, and to discover how far Caesar's story of the events which immediately followed his invasion of Italy agrees with the facts which Cicero reports. The compilers Dion Cassius and Appian, and the biographer Plutarch are still less trustworthy. It would be impossible to construct a history of the civil war from them. Where they agree with Caesar, we gain nothing by their confirmatory evidence; and where they add anything, it cannot be accepted without caution.

VOL. V.

B

These three books of the Civil war, like Caesar's history of the Gallic war, appear to have been written with great rapidity, for as he was quick in action, so he was also quick with his pen, and he has certainly made some mistakes. The military narrative is clear, though it is sometimes defective, as it seems to a modern reader. The text of the original is very corrupt, and many of the errors are past cure; and consequently the interpretation is sometimes very difficult even after all the labour of many skilful critics.

It was the 1st of January of the year 49 B.C. when Caesar's letter was delivered to the new consuls in the Senate (vol. iv. p. 415). The consuls were C. Claudius Marcellus and L. Cornelius Lentulus Crus. The tribunes or some of them with great' difficulty prevailed on the consuls to allow the letter to be read; but the consuls refused to permit any deliberation. upon it, and they brought forward for consideration the state of the commonwealth. Lentulus declared that he would do his duty to the Senate and the State, if the senators would boldly declare their opinions; but if they looked towards Caesar and his favour, as they had done on former occasions, he would take his own course and would not regard the opinion of the Senate: he added that he too had the means of securing Caesar's favour and friendship. Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio, the father-in-law of Pompeius, said that Pompeius would do his duty to the State, if the Senate would imitate him; if they should hesitate and show indecision, they would in vain pray for his aid when they wanted it. The words of Scipio were considered as a direct message from Pompeius, who was outside of Rome, for the meeting of the Senate was held in the city. M. Marcellus advised that the general condition of the Commonwealth should not be discussed until the levies of troops through Italy were completed, and the armies were enrolled, and then the Senate could safely act as they chose. M. Calidius recommended that Pompeius should go to his Spanish provinces and so remove all cause of war; for as two legions had been taken from him (vol. iv. p. 410), Caesar

1 Dion, xli. 1; Caesar, B. C. i. 1.

2 Kraner omits "Caesaris” in Caesar's text, and gives another meaning to the words.