<TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns:py="http://codespeak.net/lxml/objectify/pytype" py:pytype="TREE"><text xml:lang="eng"><body><div xml:lang="eng" type="translation" n="urn:cts:latinLit:phi1348.abo011.perseus-eng2"><div type="textpart" n="1" subtype="chapter"><p>JULIUS CAESAR, the divine, <note anchored="true"><foreign xml:lang="lat">Julius Caesar Divus</foreign>. Romulus, the founder
						of <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>, had the honour of an
						apotheosis conferred on him by the senate, under the title of Quirinus, to
						obviate the people's suspicion of his having been taken off by a conspiracy
						of the patrician order. Political circumstances again concurred with popular
						superstition to revive this posthumous adulation in favour of Julius Caesar,
						the founder of the empire, who also fell by the hands of conspirators. It is
						remarkable in the history of a nation so jealous of public liberty, that, in
						both instances, they bestowed the highest mark of human homage upon men who
						owed their fate to the introduction of arbitrary power. </note> lost his
					father <note anchored="true">Pliny informs us that Caius Julius, the father of
						Julius Caesar, a man of praetorian rank, died suddenly at <placeName key="perseus,Pisa">Pisa</placeName>. </note> when he was in the
					sixteenth year of his age; <note anchored="true">A. U. C. (in the year from the
						foundation of <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>) 670; A. C.
						(before Christ) about 92. </note> and the year following, being nominated to
					the office of high-priest of Jupiter,
						<note anchored="true"><foreign xml:lang="lat">Flamen Dialis</foreign>. This was an office of great
						dignity, but subjected the holder to many restrictions. He was not allowed
						to ride on horseback, nor to absent himself from the city for a single
						night. His wife was also under particular restraints, and could not be
						divorced. If she died, the flamen resigned his office, because there were
						certain sacred rites which he could not perform without her assistance.
						Besides other marks of distinction, he wore a purple robe called laena, and
						a conical mitre called apex. </note> he repudiated Cossutia, who was very
					wealthy, although her family belonged only to the equestrian order, and to whom
					he had been contracted when he was a mere boy. He then married Cornelia, the
					daughter of Cinna, who was four times consul; and had by her, shortly
					afterwards, a daughter named Julia. Resisting all the efforts of the dictator
					Sylla to induce him to divorce Cornelia, he suffered the penalty of being
					stripped of his sacerdotal office, his wife's dowry, and his own patrimonial
					estates; and, being identified with the adverse faction, <note anchored="true">Two powerful parties were contending at <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName> for the supremacy; Sylla being at the head of the
						faction of the nobles, while Marius espoused the cause of the people. Sylla
						suspected Julius Caesar of belonging to the Marian party, because Marius had
						married his aunt Julia. </note> was compelled to withdraw from <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>. After changing his place of concealment
					nearly every night, <note anchored="true">He wandered about for some time in the
							<placeName key="tgn,7021127">Sabine</placeName> territory. </note>
					although he was suffering from a quartan ague, and having effected his release
					by bribing the officers who had tracked his footsteps, he at length obtained a
					pardon through the intercession of the vestal virgins, and of Mamercus AEmilius
					and Aurelius Cotta, his near relatives. We are assured that when Sylla, having
					withstood for a while the entreaties of his own best friends, persons of
					distinguished rank, at last yielded to their importunity, he exclaimed-either by
					a divine impulse, or from a shrewd conjecture: "Your suit is granted, and you
					may take him among you; but know," he added, " that this man, for whose safety
					you are so extremely anxious, will, some day or other, be the ruin of the party
					of the nobles, in defence of which you are leagued with me; for in this one
					Caesar, you will find many a Marius."</p></div><div type="textpart" n="2" subtype="chapter"><p>His first campaign was served in <placeName key="tgn,1000004">Asia</placeName>,
					on the staff of the praetor, M. Thermus; and being dispatched into <placeName key="tgn,7016608">Bithynia</placeName>, <note anchored="true"><placeName key="tgn,7016608">Bithynia</placeName>, in <placeName key="tgn,7002294">Asia Minor</placeName>, was bounded on the south by <placeName key="tgn,7002613">Phrygia</placeName>; on the west by the Bosphorus and
						Propontis; and on the north by the Euxine sea. Its boundaries towards the
						east are not clearly ascertained, Strabo, Pliny, and Ptolemy differing from
						each other on the subject. </note> to bring thence a fleet, he loitered so
					long at the court of Nicomedes, as to give occasion to reports of lewd
					proceedings between him and that prince; which received additional credit from
					his hasty return to <placeName key="tgn,7016608">Bithynia</placeName>, under the
					pretext of recovering a debt due to a freedman, his client. The rest of his
					service was more favourable to his reputation; and when <placeName key="tgn,7002672">Mitylene</placeName>
					<note anchored="true"><placeName key="tgn,7002672">Mitylene</placeName> was a
						city in the island of <placeName key="tgn,7002672">Lesbos</placeName>,
						famous for the study of philosophy and eloquence. According to Pliny, it
						remained a free city and in power one thousand five hundred years. It
						suffered much in the Peloponnesian war from the Athenians, and in the
						Mithridatic from the Romans, by whom it was taken and destroyed. But it soon
						rose again, having recovered its ancient liberty by the favour of Pompey;
						and was afterwards much embellished by Trajan, who added to it the splendour
						of his own name. This was the country of Pittacus, one of the seven wise men
						of <placeName key="tgn,1000074">Greece</placeName>, as well as of Alcaeus
						and Sappho. The natives showed a particular taste for poetry, and had, as
						Plutarch informs us, stated times for the celebration of poetical contests.
					</note> was taken by storm, he was presented by Thermus with the civic crown.
						<note anchored="true">The civic crown was made of oak-leaves, and given to
						him who had saved the life of a citizen. The person thus decorated wore it
						at public spectacles, and sat next the senators. When he entered, the
						audience rose up, as a mark of respect. </note></p></div><div type="textpart" n="3" subtype="chapter"><p>He served also in <placeName key="tgn,7002470">Cilicia</placeName>, <note anchored="true">A very extensive country of Hither Asia; lying between
							<placeName key="tgn,7002611">Pamphylia</placeName> to the west, Mount
						Taurus and Amanus to the north, <placeName key="tgn,1000140">Syria</placeName> to the east, and the Mediterranean to the south. It
						was anciently famous for saffron; and hair-cloth, called by the Romans
							<foreign xml:lang="lat">cilicium</foreign>, was the manufacture of this
						country. </note> under Servilius Isauricus, but only for a short time; as
					upon receiving intelligence of Sylla's death, he returned with all speed to
						<placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>, in expectation of what might
					follow from a fresh agitation set on foot by Marcus Lepidus. Distrusting,
					however, the abilities of this leader, and finding the times less favourable for
					the execution of this project than he had at first imagined, he abandoned all
					thoughts of joining Lepidus, although he received the most tempting offers.</p></div><div type="textpart" n="4" subtype="chapter"><p>Soon after this civil discord was composed, he preferred a charge of extortion
					against Cornelius Dolabella, a man of consular dignity, who had obtained the
					honour of a triumph. On the acquittal of the accused, he resolved to retire to
						<placeName key="tgn,7011266">Rhodes</placeName>, <note anchored="true">A
						city and an island, near the coast of <placeName key="tgn,7002358">Caria</placeName>, famous for the huge statue of the Sun, called the
						Colossus. The Rhodians were celebrated not only for skill in naval affairs,
						but for learning, philosophy, and eloquence. During the latter periods of
						the Roman republic, and under some of the emperors, numbers resorted there
						to prosecute their studies; and it also became a place of retreat to
						discontented Romans. </note> with the view not only of avoiding the public
					odium which he had incurred, but of prosecuting his studies with leisure and
					tranquillity, under Apollonius, the son of Molon, at that time the most
					celebrated master of rhetoric. While on his voyage thither, in the winter
					season, he was taken by pirates near the island of Pharmacusa, <note anchored="true">Pharmacusa, an island lying off the coast of <placeName key="tgn,1000004">Asia</placeName>, near <placeName key="perseus,Miletus">Miletus</placeName>. It is now called Parmosa.
					</note> and detained by them, burning with indignation, for nearly forty days;
					his only attendants being a physician and two chamberlains. For he had instantly
					dispatched his other servants and the friends who accompanied him, to raise
					money for his ransom. <note anchored="true">The ransom, too large for Caesar's
						private means, was raised by the voluntary contributions of the cities in
						the Asiatic province, who were equally liberal from their public funds in
						the case of other Romans who fell into the hands of pirates at that period.
					</note> Fifty talents having been paid down, he was landed on the coast, when,
					having collected some ships, <note anchored="true">From <placeName key="perseus,Miletus">Miletus</placeName>, as we are informed by
						Plutarch. </note> he lost no time in putting to sea in pursuit of the
					pirates, and having captured them, inflicted upon them the punishment with which
					he had often threatened them in jest. At that time Mithridates was ravaging the
					neighbouring districts, and on Caesar's arrival at <placeName key="tgn,7011266">Rhodes</placeName>, that he might not appear to lie idle while danger
					threatened the allies of <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>, he
					passed over into <placeName key="tgn,1000004">Asia</placeName>, and having
					collected some auxiliary forces, and driven the king's governor out of the
					province, retained in their allegiance the cities which were wavering and ready
					to revolt.</p></div><div type="textpart" n="5" subtype="chapter"><p>Having been elected military tribune, the first honour he received from the
					suffrages of the people after his return to <placeName key="perseus,Rome">Rome</placeName>, he zealously assisted those who took measures for
					restoring the tribunitian authority, which had been greatly diminished during
					the usurpation of Sylla. He likewise, by an act, which Plotius at his suggestion
					propounded to the people, obtained the recall of Lucius Cinna, his wife's
					brother, and others with him, who having been the adherents of Lepidus in the
					civil disturbances, had after that consul's death fled to Sertorius; <note anchored="true">Who commanded in <placeName key="tgn,1000095">Spain</placeName>. </note> which law he supported by a speech.</p></div></div></body></text></TEI>