CIESAR, GAICS JCLICS (ic.100-11.c.44). A famous Roman general. statesman, and writer; one of the most remarkable men of all time. He was the son of a Roman of the same name, and was born July 12, B.C. 100. Two cir cumstances conspired to determine his sym pathies in favor of democracy, and against a republican oligarchy. The first was the marriage of his aunt Julia with Gains Marius: the sec ond, the marriage of Caesar himself. in B.C. 83. with Cornelia. daughter of L. Cinna, one of the principal enemies of Sulla. The anger of the dictator at this cost Caesar his rank. property, and almost his life itself. Feeling that he would lie safer abroad for a time, he went to Asia (n.e. 81) : but on learning of the death of Sulla (n.c. 78), he hurried back to Rome, where he found the popular party in a state of great ferment, and anxious to regain what it had lost under the vigorous despotism of the aristocratic dictator. Ciesar, however, took no part in the attempts of Lepidus to overthrow the oligarchy; hut he showed his political lean-. jugs by prosecuting (n.c. 77) Cm Dolabella—a great partisan of Sulla—for extortion in his Province of Macedonia. To improve his elo quence, lie went to Rhodes to study under the rhetor Apollonius Molo. In n.c. 74 he returned to Home, where he had been elected pontifex, and now for the first time threw himself ear nestly into public life. In the year B.C. 7B he attached himself to Pompeius, whose political actions at this time were of a decidedly demo cratic character. In B.C. 68 Cesar obtained a quxstorship in Spain. On his return to Rome (B.o. 67) he married Pompeia, a relative of Pompeius, with whom 'le was daily becoming more intimate. In B.C. 65 he was elected to the eu•ule a•dileship, and lavished vast sums of money on games and public buildings, by which he increased his already great popularity. For the next few years Caesar is found steadily skir mishing on the popular side. In u.c. 63 he was elected Pontifex Maximus, and shortly after praetor. During the same year occurred the fa mous debate on the Catiline conspiracy. in which the aristocratic party vainly endeavored to per suade the consul, Cicero, to include Ci•sar in the list of conspirators. In n.c. 62 Pompeius re turned from the East, and disbanded his army. Next year Cesar obtained, as proprietor, the Province of Hispania Ulterior. His career in Spain was brilliant and decisive. On his return
he was elected consul, along with Al. Calpurnius Bibulus (n.c. 60). CTsar, with rare tact and sagacity, reconciled the two most powerful men in Rome, who were then at variance—Pompeius and Crassus—and formed an alliance with them, known in history as the First Triumvirate ( B.C. 60) . Both of these distinguished men aided Caesar in carrying his Agrarian Law (n.c. 59) ; and to strengthen still further the union which had been formed, Caesar gave Pompeius his daughter, Julia, in marriage, though she had been promised to M. Brutus; while he himself married Calpurnia, daughter of L. Piso, his successor in the consulship. On the expiration of his term of office, he obtained for himself, by the popular vote, the Province of Gallia. Cisal pina and Illyrieum for five years, to which the Senate added—to prevent the popular assembly from doing so—the Province of Gallia Transal pina. Nothing could have been more favorable to Caesar's aims. He had now an opportunity of developing his extraordinary military genius, and of gathering round him an army of veterans, whom perpetual victory should inspire with thorough soldierly fidelity and devotion to his person. This was the very thing he wanted to give him a reputation equal to that of his coad jutors, Pompeius and Crassus, whom, in genius, he far surpassed. Leaving, therefore, the polit ical factions at Rome to exhaust themselves in petty strifes. Ca.sar, in B.C. 5S, after the banish ment of Cicero, repaired to his provinces, and during the next nine years conducted those splendid campaigns in Gaul by which, had lie done nothing else, he would have "built himself an everlasting name." Caesar's first campaign was against the Helvetii, who were migrating, from Switzerland into Gaul, and whom he totally defeated near Bibracte (Mont-Iteuvray, near Au tun). Out of 368.000 men, women, and chil dren, only 110,000 remained. These were com manded by Caesar to return home and cultivate their lands. The eyes of the Gauls were now turned upon the new conqueror, whose aid was solicited against. an invader from beyond the Rhine, the German chief Ariovistus. Caesa• ad vanced against Ariovistus, who was utterly over thrown. And now Ctesar, having in the course of one campaign successfully concluded two im portant wars. led his troops into winter quarters.