In Egypt, he engaged in a very idle and dangerous war, as is thought, chiefly at the instigation of Cleopatra, in whose society he forgot, for a considerable time, the stake for which he was contending, and the armies which were forming in Africa, to dispute with him that empire at which he aimed. After this foolish interlude he march. ed against Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, who had hoped to regain his father's possessions, amidst the com motions which distracted the state. made great ostentation of the facility with which he conquered this enemy ; and to detract from the glory of Sylla and Pom pey, who had triumphed over this prince's father, he said, how cheap is fame, when obtained by fighting against such an enemy !" The trophies gaMed in this victory were distinguished in his triumph by labels bearing this inscription, Veni, Vidi, Vici. Caesar now hastened to Italy, where Antony had been ruling in his absence, with the haughtiness and state of a despot. He gave orders for the veteran legions to embark for Africa, un der the command of Sallust the historian, who had all along been devoted to his party. The troops, however, •refused to obey ; several of their officers were killed in a tumult, and Sallust escaped with difficulty : they marched straight to Rome, and Cmsar, contrary to the advice of his friends, presented himself to the mutinous soldiers. They demanded immediate dismission, and the of their past services. With his usual address, lie confessed that their demand was highly reasonable, and should be instantly complied with. He addressed them by the appellation of Quiritcs, and said he was sensible that they had already done too much, and were unfit to contend with new dangers. We do not exactly know what mystery there is in this word ; but it appears not to have been familiar to the ears of soldiers : for they immediately cried out, that they were no Quirites, but -.oldiers, willing to serve ; and from the height of mu tiny and disobedience, they proceeded, as is not unusual in such cases, to the extremes of submission. After a campaign in Africa, the forces of the re public were at last completely defeated ; and Cato, the head and hope of the party, perceiving that all was lost, killed himself in despair. " I must envy this man," said Caesar, " the splendour of his death, as he has re fused me tie honour of preserving his life." He was now absolute master of the empire ; and ex cept in quelling a rising in Spain under the son of Pom pey, was engaged in no other military enterprise. The senate and people at Rome now vied with each other in acts of servility, and in decreeing the most extravagant honours to the subvcrter of their liberties. Caesar show ed himself pleased with these demonstrations of sub mission ; and, to make the yoke sit as easy as possible upon them, his administration was distinguished by the utmost liberality and magnificence. Instead of gladia tors, he exhibited engagements between considerable parties of cavalry and infantry ; he showed the manlier of fighting with elephants, having forty of these ani mals trained for tne purpose. In these combats, the parties being captives or malefactors condemned to die, exhibited all the efforts which could be made in real fight. He spread an awning of silk, a rare article at that time, over the public theatres, that under this deli cate covering the spectators might enjoy the sights of bloodshed and horror, undisturbed by the rays of the sun : and, to complete this expensive magnificence, he entertained the people at a public feast, at which twenty thousand couches were placed for the guests.
This affectation of regal pomp, gave great disgust to the noble families at Rome ; and Caesar had shown him self to be fond not only of the state, but of the title of a king, which had been odious to the Roman people ever since the expulsion of the Tarquins. One of his emis saries, to suggest the propriety of bestowing this title, bound the head of one of his statues with a royal fillet. The tribunes affecting great zeal for the honour of Cae sar, sent the author of this act to prison. He was much displeased with this officious interposition of the tribunes, and hearing them called Brumes, as restorers of the public liberty, lie said, they were Brutes indeed, but took no farther notice of the matter.
A short time after this, some one in the assembly of the people saluted him with the title of king ; but instead of acclamations, there was a general murmur of dis like : and he thought proper to discountenance this un seasonable flattery, by saying, that his name was Cesar, and not King. Nobody doubted, however, that he now aspired to this title ; and this opinion was still farther confirmed, when, on the 16th of February, at the Antony, his chief confident, publicly offered him a crown. It was the custom in this festival for the first officers of the state, along with the principal nobility, to run naked through the streets, striking with thongs of undressed leather, all who happened to be within their reach. Even women presented themselves in this inde cent ceremony, regarding a stroke of the thong as a so vereign cure for barrenness. Antony bore his part in this ceremony ; and when he came opposite to Caesar, who was seated on a gilded chair, and in his triumphal robes, he presented him with a royal crown, sat lug, " This crown the Roman people confer on Caesar by my hands." Cmsar perceiving a general silence, pushed away the crown with his hand, upon which there was an universal shout of applause, a sufficient explanation of the popular feeling.
These obvious advances towards royalty gave great ; whilst the facility of cutting off the tyrant en couraged a combination against his life. Caesar had foolisoly imagined that he would be able to uphold, by the voluntary submission of the people, that power which he had obtained by violence and blood. With this view he dismissed his guards, saying that he would rather die at once than live always afraid of death. Ile endea voured, indeed, to reconcile the people to his govern ment, by mildness, clemency, and munificence : but it was impossible to obliterate from their minds the re membrance of their former constitution, and of the way in which he had obtained his power. A conspiracy, there fore, was formed against his life, not by those who had suffered amidst the devastations occasioned by his ambi tion, but by some of his own particular friends, who were fired with the enthusiasm of liberty, and animated with the vain hopes of restoring the glories of the repub lic. At the head of this conspiracy were Caius Cassius, Marcus and Decimus Brutus, and Trebonius, with about sixty others. A meeting of the senate had been fixed to take place on the ides of March, and this was the time which the conspirators had chosen for the ac complishment of their design. Caesar, however, being indisposed, had resolved not to attend the senate that day ; but was induced to change his mind on the persua sion of Decinius Brutus. As he passed through the streets, a paper was put into his hands, which he was requested to read immediately, as it contained secrets of the utmost importance. He attempted to read it, but was prevented by the multitudes, who crowded round him with applications ; and he still held it in his hand when he entered the senate.
Brutus and most of the conspirators had taken their places before the arrival of Caesar. Cimbcr, one of the number, entered along with him, urging a petition in favour of his brother. received a denial, he took hold of his robe, as if to press the intreaty. " Nay, said Caesar, this is violence." Upon oils, Chnber flung back the gown from his shoulders, this being the signal agreed upon, and called aloud to strike. Casca aimed the first blow, and immediately the swords of all the conspirators gleamed around him, who, in their eagerness to reach his body, wounded one another. It is said that he made a stout resistance, till he saw Brutus strike, when muf fling up his face in his mantle, he fell at the foot of Pompey's statue, pierced with three-and-twenty wounds. Cassius exclaimed, " There lies the worst of men :" Brutus, holding up his sword, still reeking with blood. called upon the senate, and upon Cicero by name, to judge of the transaction which had passed before them. But all who were not in the secret, being thunderstruck, and not knowing where the violence was to end, the se nate broke up in horror and consternation : and the peo ple expecting a general massacre, barred their doors, and prepared to defend every one Lis own habitation.