JULIUS CAESAR : SO LDIER , STAT ESMAN, EMPERO R B% HI LAR% HARD INGE I D % : T . E . C J A C L O N O N C. L NG A RE w o AND U G 6 7 O C , . , ED I NB R H NEW % O R% DO DG E P UBL S HI NG : I CO . CO NT ENTS MORE THAN A MARI US H T I IN O F A . HE TRA N G S TATES M AN II I THE D O TI O LI I O . EM CRA C C A T N — GALLI C WARS CO NQUEST THE LLI W S—S L V . GA C AR ETT EMENT VI OS SI THE UBI O . CR NG R C N THE S UPREME RULE THE CROWN O F GREATNESS BIBLI OGRAP H% I NDE% JU LI US C AE SA R CHAPTER I MORE THAN A MARIUS WITH little imagination a stu dent o f to -day can see many striking points o f likeness between the British Empire and the Rome into whi ch Gaius J ulius Caesar was born on the 1 2th day o f Qui nctili s (since his death called J uly) 1 02 There was the same highl y organised but small nucleus stretching o u t long tentacles nr n into z ones o f u est east and west, the same stra ge — anomali es in the central administration a government i l i nom nally by the people , but actual y by the ar sto i t o f i crat c body, the same ex remes poverty and r ches , and the same menace from younger nations which were beginning to covet spheres o f Roman influence for the i i s i i expans on the r number and mportance cla med . i i wi i Rome was a c ty state , a republ c th a vast emp re ‘ embracing Spain and parts o f southern France in the i i o f A i i in E West , a cons derable port on s a M nor the ast , i i i n w th Macedon a, Greece , and Illyr a , and most of know A i i i fr ca . Yet the ramparts of th s huge emp re were ’ in i the weak ; and the very year of Caesar s b rth , i to iv general , Mar us , was called upon repel an aggress e e i its G rmany wh ch had forced way through France , hi and , the year after, a horde w ch had penetrated i ’ f Italy and was w thin a few days march o Rome . A nation or an empire cannot thus be brought nigh to di it i i death bo ly, unless has prev ously been mor bund in i m nd and heart . Success had led to luxury, and the in its o wn senate , the actual ruler of Rome , ruled 8 JULIUS CAESAR i i n interest . M srule at home , extort on and tyran y i i i o f i i abroad, w th the tw n ev ls cap tal sm and abject o ne o f i l i poverty, had led to those soc al upheava s wh ch t mi i i i o f sea have the rhy h c per od c ty of waves the . It was inevi table in such circumstances that the nephew i i r o f r o f Mar us , the sav ou Rome , a boy of pu est Roman il in ur blood , whose fam y had even recently served hono able positions in the state (his father and grandfather had both exercised the magistracy as praetors) shoul d i i i i i regard the t mes nto wh ch he was born pol t cally . That he was to do more than merely regard the forces i at work , Rome soon knew by unm stakable tokens . is i i in i o f hi s lif It s gn ficant , v ew later e , that Caesar shoul d have had for his tutor a free-born native of ul A ni Gni h o Ga , Marcus nto us p , a scholarly and i i ’ am able man , who , after leav ng Caesar s home , opened in hi s ri bo a school p vate house . Perhaps the y drank in hi s i in ul his i als O nterest Ga from tutor, and poss bly hi s e o ne ease about money matt rs , from who never hi s e to t haggled about wages , cont nt trust the mat er ns r inl to the generosity of hi s patro . Caesar ce ta y o ne ul s i hi s grew up what wo d call a dandy, con c ous of di i i hi s i st ngu shed looks , very careful about ha r , black - i in in eyed , spare , but tall and well bu lt , expert love i u i i tr g es , graceful and grac ous , w th an ever open and o f in a empty pocket . He was a youth the world , f ct ; o f o f hi s i in and the world t me . Yet was there a certa f r i el i i . d ference He was not thrown , but th ew h ms f , nto i i i ns of i s e the d ss pat o Roman l fe was not en lav d by , i s . but u ed them So that , however thoroughly a certa n pri mi tive vitali ty in hi m urged him to pour hi mself o ut o n i i if i i r tr v al not absolutely v c ous cou ses , there was i i hi m i f that w th n wh ch su fered not, but was ready when E ne dis the moment called . ven when o has counted the 1 i hi hi s scandalous goss p w ch grew up about name , there 3 O f th e more scandalous charges it is only necessary to say that s uch things w ere not uncomm on at that tim e in Roman society “ C er e ere ree r e but , as ic o says , such vil accusations w f ly u g d against all whos e youthful b earing was engaging enough to give ” e e r r th m som so t of colou . - H 1 2 0 O . 9 0 7 B . ] MORE T AN A MARIUS is sufficient left to satisfy any who are anxi ous to con demn ; but to her death he ever loved and reverenced his his wif li u in him mother , and e Corne a fo nd a more resolute ly loyal husband than the wife o f Po m peius 1 in i i l face of the threats of the v ctor ous Su la (p . Caesar grew to manhood in a Rome of turmoil and if o f i i i was str e , soc al ferment and c v l war . He but twelve i ri i i when the soc al c s s came . Theoret cally, the senate , hi ui i ni w ch was recr ted from the offic al gover ng class , was ul i to a cons tat ve body, subject the people actually, it in o ri e . was supreme the stat Below the senat al class , a kni ghtly order had been raised from the publicans i (the tax farmers) , and the negot ators (the com m ercial s i e i class) . When the e had been nvest d w th i e i i i o f mag st r al r ghts , they used them aga nst members the official class in the provinces who di d not allow them i i r free scope for the r operat ons . It was natu al that a bitter rivalry sprang up between them and the senate . ” Below both classes were the populares , the common i iz i i i c t ens of Rome , a class wh ch ncluded art sans and r nk is e t adesmen , peasants and ba rupt farmers , d charg d i e sold ers and fr ed slaves . The populares had succeeded ’ in in ae r i o f i plac g C sa s uncle , Mar us , who was plebe an i i six i in s lshi i i . or g n , t mes the con u p, the ch ef mag stracy i e mi But Mar us was no stat sman, and though he ad tted all i i classes to the leg on , and thus democrat sed the i i i fo r army, l ttle else was ach eved by th s democrat a i l li democrac y . There were thus t ng ble evi s cal ng for o f i o f remedy. The centre grav ty the state had been i di s to changed, w th re con equences the people . The i o vi kn ght class was a prey up n the pro nces , and the i in hi poor cr ed aloud the streets . But t s was not all . to win e The peoples of Italy, who had helped her pres nt i i e i i dom n on for Rome , were debarr d from Roman c t zen 1 I th e L r be e fo r Po m eiu s e think atin fo m must us d p , but whil I have been consistent in this I have used th e English fo r Antony .