Being thus left in the peaceful possession of all Italy, Cxsar advanced to Rome, where he conducted himself with that moderation and humanity which bethought most likely to gain his object. Quartering his troops in the neighbouring municipia, he took up his own residence in the suburbs, where, through his friends Nark Antony and Cassius, he requested the senate to `receive a justification of his conduct. At the conclu sion of the speech which he made on this occasion, he proposed to offer terms of accommodation to Pompey; and he even requested some of the conscript fathers to carry pacific terms to the consuls. Having thus ingratiated himself even with those who were not of his party, he applied for money from the public treasury. On the authority of a law, Metellus, one of the tri bunes, opposed this demand; but Cxsar, disregarding his opposition, went to the temple of Saturn, where the public money was kept, broke open the doors, and took from it the enormous sum of 300,000 pounds weight of gold.
With such a liberal supply, Cxsar raised troops over all Italy, and sent governors into the different pr6vinces: to Mark Antony he gave the command of the armies in Italy; to his brother C. Antonius, the government of Illyricum; and to Licinius Crassus, that of Cisalpine Gaul. He gave the charge of the capital to £milius Lepidus, and he set over his fleets P. Cornelius Dolabella, and the younger Hortensius. As Pompey had placed governors over the same pro vinces, the flames of a civil war raged in almost every part of the world.
After settling his affairs at Rome, Cxsar hastened to Spain; but when he arrived in Transalpine Gaul, he found that Lucius Domitius Ahcnobarbus had ar rived at Marseilles with a squadron of seven galleys, and had taken possession of the city in the name of Pompey. He therefore built twelve galleys at Arles, and invested Marseilles with those legions which he left under the care of C. Trebonius. He likewise sent forward Q. Fabius with three legions, to take posses sion of the Pyrenees, and immediately followed him with the rest of his army. Having learned on his ar rival that Africanus and Petreius had posted, on a hill near Lerida, their combined forces, consisting of 5 legions, 20 native cohorts, and 5000 horse, Cxsar en camped in a plain between the Segro and Cinca, and attempted to seize a small eminence between the ene my's camp and Lerida, from which they derived their provisions. After a severe conflict, which continued five hours, Africanus maintained his position. The
failure of Cxsar in the first action, was followed by calamities of the most distressing kind. From the swelling of the rivers and continued rains, the two rivers, between which Caesar had encamped, swelled to such a degree that they broke down all his bridges, and inundated the neighbouring country. By this accident he could no longer receive supplies from the cities that had declared fur him; and though he at tempted to rebuild his bridges, yet the force of the current would not permit it, and his army was on the eve of perishing with want.
The adherents of Pompey in Rome began to show their opinions when the intelligence of Cxsar's dis tresses reached the capitol. Even Cicero, whom Cm sat- himself had requested to remain neutral, set off for Dyrrachium, where Pompey received him in the most friendly manner.
The distress of Cesar, however, was only tempo rary. The resources of his great mind increased with his calamities, and when he found it in vain to erect his bridges, he built a number of boats with singular expedition; and while Africanus was attempting to intercept the succours sent him from Gaul, he con veyed his boats during the night on carriages to a dis tance of twenty-two miles, when a large detachment passed the Scgro, and pitching their camp on the op posite hank, erected a bridge in two days, and, saving the supplies from Gaul, relieved the necessities of the army. Thus preserved from the horrors of famine, Cxsar pursued the armies of Africanus and Petreius, and without coming to a general engagement, he forced them to lay down their arms, and thus possessed him self of all southern Spain. Varro, who commanded in farther Spain, followed the example of Africanus, and left Cesar in the quiet possession of the whole king dom.
Leaving Cassius with the legions as governor of Spain, returned to Rome by the way of Mar seilles, which he found on the eve of surrendering to Trebonius. Upon his arrival in Rome, M. iEmilius Lepidus, one of the praetors, in opposition to the wishes of the Senate, nominated Caesar dictator, an office which he immediately accepted. During the eleven days which he held that office, he acquired by his moderation the affection of all classes. He re called those who were banished, and conferred the rights of Roman citizens on all the Gauls beyond the Po. As dictator he presided at the election of the consuls, and resigning that office, he and Servilius Isauricus, one of his best friends, were elected consuls for the next year.