In the absence of Pompey, Cxsar rose rapidly in fa vour with the people. In the year of Catiline's con spiracy, he was chosen Pontifex 'Maximus. TTo was next advanced to the prxtorship, and, when this office expired, he was appointed by lot to the government of Lusitania. Having:subdued several nations in Spain that had not before been subject to Rome, Cxsar publicly claimed a triumph. Ambitious, however, of the consulship, he waved his pretensions to the tri umph, and entered Rome.
Here he found Pompey and Crassus struggling for popularity and power. Under the mask of friendship for both, he proposed to them to forget their differ ences, to unite their interests, and to form a triumvi rate, in which the whole power of the senate and the people should be centred in Pompey, Crassus, and Cxsar. This secret league was soon formed and rati fied by mutual oaths. Through the influence of his colleagues, Caesar was raised to the consulship, and, in order to root himself more deeply in the affections of the people, he passed the Agrarian law, by which a provision was to be made for 20,000 of the poorer citizens. To secure the influence of the knights, he abated a third part of the rents which they annually paid into the treasury, and he was thus able during the rest of his consulship to govern Rome with the most despotic sway. The influence of Pompey, how ever, stood in the way of Cxsar's ambition. A strong military force was necessary to the accomplishment of his schemes, and, through the influence of his friends, he was appointed proconsul of Cisalpine and Transal pine Gaul for a period of five years, and with an army of four legions. During this period he carried on eight campaigns in Gaul, and made two descents on Britain, a full acCOUnt of which he has left behind him in his Commentaries; and he thus gained the two great objects of his ambition, the highest mili tary renown, and a victorious army devoted t.^ his cause.
Pompey and Crassus having been raised to the con sulship, waited on Cxsar at Lucca, where they ar ranged their new schemes of mutual ambition. It was stipulated between them, that Crassus was to have the government of Syria and the eastern provinces; that Pompey was to govern Spain and Africa; while Caesar was contented with the continuance of his command in Gaul for other five years.
Crassus having undertaken an expedition against the Parthians, he was met in an extensive plain by the Parthian army under Surena, by whom he was de feated with a loss of 20,000 killed, and 10,000 prison ers. Crassus and the rest of his army escaped by the
darkness of the night; but the mutiny of his soldiers, and the treachery of his guides, compelled him to sur render himself to the Parthian general, who cut off his head, and sent it to the king Orodes. In conse quence of this event Cxsar and Pompey were left the sole arbiters of the fate of Rome.
When Cxsar had succeeded in subjugating Gaul, it was resolved by the senate that both he and Pompey should disband their armies; but the designs of Cxsar having become more obvious to his countrymen, a de cree of the senate was passed, ordering the consuls, the proconsul Pompey, the prmtors, and all who had been consuls, to provide by every means in their power for the public safety. When this decree for a civil war was passed, the consuls Marcellus and Len tulus presented Pompey with a sword, requiring him to defend the republic, and to command their ar mies. Lucius Domitius was appointed to succeed Cxsar, and the most active preparations were made by the. senate for defending their country. Cxsar, however, determined to commence hostilities. With one of his legions he surprised and made himself master of Arirninium; and he sent immediate orders to the powerful army which he had left in Gaul to join him without delay.
Alarmed at the unexpected activity of Caesar, Pom pey retired to Capua. In the mean time Cxsar was busy raising fresh troops; and his own army, and that which he placed under Mark Antony, took posses sion of several towns in Italy. Corsinium having been reduced, Pompey retreated from Capua to Brundu sium, which was immediately invested by Caesar; but before he had completed his contrivance for shutting up the harbour, the fleet had carried the two consuls and thirty cohorts to Dyrrachium. Pompey having thus the means of escape in his power, masked his de signs, by walling up the gates, digging ditches in the streets, and making every preparation for withstand ing a siege. He placed his light infantry on the walls, and commanding the citizens to keep within doors, he embarked all his troops in the space of three days, and giving a signal for the light troops to follow, they repaired in haste to the ships. No sooner did Cxsar observe that the walls were unguarded, than he ordered them to be scaled; but before his troops could reach the harbour he found Pompey's fleet in full sail, with the exception of two ships which had run aground in the hurry of quitting the harbour.