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to　each　other。　The　city　of　Rome　was　overrun；　as　it　were；　with　a



deluge；　by　the　conflux　of　people　flying　in　from　all　the　neighbouring



places。　Magistrates　could　not　longer　govern；　nor　the　eloquence　of



any　orator　quiet　it；　it　was　all　but　suffering　shipwreck　by　the



violence　of　its　own　tempestuous　agitation。　The　most　vehement



contrary　passions　and　impulses　were　at　work　everywhere。　Nor　did



those　who　rejoiced　at　the　prospect　of　the　change　altogether　conceal



their　feelings；　but　when　they　met；　as　in　so　great　a　city　they



frequently　must；　with　the　alarmed　and　dejected　of　the　other　party；



they　provoked　quarrels　by　their　bold　expressions　of　confidence　in



the　event。　Pompey；　sufficiently　disturbed　of　himself；　was　yet　more



perplexed　by　the　clamours　of　others；　some　telling　him　that　he　justly



suffered　for　having　armed　Caesar　against　himself　and　the　government；



others　blaming　him　for　permitting　Caesar　to　be　insolently　used　by



Lentulus；　when　he　made　such　ample　concessions；　and　offered　such



reasonable　proposals　towards　an　accommodation。　Favonius　bade　him　now



stamp　upon　the　ground；　for　once　talking　big　in　the　senate；　he



desired　them　not　to　trouble　themselves　about　making　any　preparations



for　the　war；　for　that　he　himself；　with　one　stamp　of　his　foot；　would



fill　all　Italy　with　soldiers。　Yet　still　Pompey　at　that　time　had　more



forces　than　Caesar；　but　he　was　not　permitted　to　pursue　his　own



thoughts；　but；　being　continually　disturbed　with　false　reports　and



alarms；　as　if　the　enemy　was　close　upon　him　and　carrying　all　before



him；　he　gave　way　and　let　himself　be　borne　down　by　the　general　cry。



He　put　forth　an　edict　declaring　the　city　to　be　in　a　state　of



anarchy；　and　left　it　with　orders　that　the　senate　should　follow　him；



and　that　no　one　should　stay　behind　who　did　not　prefer　tyranny　to　their



country　and　liberty。



　　The　consuls　at　once　fled；　without　making　even　the　usual



sacrifices；　so　did　most　of　the　senators；　carrying　off　their　own



goods　in　as　much　haste　as　if　they　had　been　robbing　their　neighbours。



Some；　who　had　formerly　much　favoured　Caesar's　cause；　in　the　prevailing



alarm　quitted　their　own　sentiments；　and　without　any　prospect　of　good



to　themselves　were　carried　along　by　the　common　stream。　It　was　a



melancholy　thing　to　see　the　city　tossed　in　these　tumults；　like　a



ship　given　up　by　her　pilots；　and　left　to　run；　as　chance　guides　her；



upon　any　rock　in　her　way。　Yet；　in　spite　of　their　sad　condition



people　still　esteemed　the　place　of　their　exile　to　be　their　country　for



Pompey's　sake；　and　fled　from　Rome；　as　if　it　had　been　Caesar's　camp。



Labienus　even；　who　had　been　one　of　Caesar's　nearest　friends；　and　his



lieutenant；　and　who　had　fought　by　him　zealously　in　the　Gallic　wars；



now　deserted　him；　and　went　over　to　Pompey。　Caesar　sent　all　his　money



and　equipage　after　him；　and　then　sat　down　before　Corfinium；　which



was　garrisoned　with　thirty　cohorts　under　the　command　of　Domitius。



He；　in　despair　of　maintaining　the　defence；　requested　a　physician；　whom



he　had　among　his　attendants；　to　give　him　poison；　and　taking　the



dose；　drank　it；　in　hopes　of　being　despatched　by　it。　But　soon　after；



when　he　was　told　that　Caesar　showed　the　utmost　clemency　towards



those　he　took　prisoners；　he　lamented　his　misfortune；　and　blamed　the



hastiness　of　his　resolution。　His　physician　consoled　him　by　informing



him　that　he　had　taken　a　sleeping　draught；　not　a　poison；　upon　which；



much　rejoiced；　and　rising　from　his　bed；　he　went　presently　to　Caesar



and　gave　him　the　pledge　of　his　hand；　yet　afterwards　again　went　over　to



Pompey。　The　report　of　these　actions　at　Rome　quieted　those　who　were



there；　and　some　who　had　fled　thence　returned。



　　Caesar　took　into　his　army　Domitius's　soldiers；　as　he　did　all　those



whom　he　found　in　any　town　enlisted　for　Pompey's　service。　Being　now



strong　and　formidable　enough；　he　advanced　against　Pompey　himself；



who　did　not　stay　to　receive　him；　but　fled　to　Brundusium；　having　sent



the　consuls　before　with　a　body　of　troops　to　Dyrrhachium。　Soon　after；



upon　Caesar's　approach；　he　set　to　sea；　as　shall　be　more　particularly



related　in　his　Life。　Caesar　would　have　immediately　pursued　him；　but



wanted　shipping；　and　therefore　went　back　to　Rome；　having　made



himself　master　of　all　Italy　without　bloodshed　in　the　space　of　sixty



days。　When　he　came　thither；　he　found　the　city　more　quiet　than　he



expected；　and　many　senators　present；　to　whom　he　addressed　himself　with



courtesy　and　deference；　desiring　them　to　send　to　Pompey　about　any



reasonable　accommodation　towards　a　peace。　But　nobody　complied　with



this　proposal；　whether　out　of　fear　of　Pompey；　whom　they　had



deserted；　or　that　they　thought　Caesar　did　not　mean　what　he　said；　but



thought　it　his　interest　to　talk　plausibly。　Afterwards；　when



Metellus；　the　tribune；　would　have　hindered　him　from　taking　money　out



of　the　public　treasure；　and　adduced　some　laws　against　it；　Caesar



replied　that　arms　and　laws　had　each　their　own　time；　〃If　what　I　do



displeases　you；　leave　the　place；　war　allows　no　free　talking。　When　I



have　laid　down　my　arms；　and　made　peace；　come　back　and　make　what



speeches　you　please。　And　this；〃　he　added；　〃I　tell　you　in　diminution　of



my　own　just　right；　as　indeed　you　and　all　others　who　have　appeared



against　me　and　are　now　in　my　power　may　be　treated　as　I　please。〃　Having



said　this　to　Metellus；　he　went　to　the　doors　of　the　treasury；　and　the



keys　being　not　to　be　found；　sent　for　smiths　to　force　them　open。



Metellus　again　making　resistance　and　some　encouraging　him　in　it；



Caesar；　in　a　louder　tone；　told　him　he　would　put　him　to　death　if　he



gave　him　any　further　disturbance。　〃And　this；〃　said　he；　〃you　know；



young　man；　is　more　disagreeable　for　me　to　say　than　to　do。〃　These　words



made　Metellus　withdraw　for　fear；　and　obtained　speedy　execution



henceforth　for　all　orders　that　Caesar　gave　for　procuring　necessaries



for　the　war。



　　He　was　now　proceeding　to　Spain；　with　the　determination　of　first



crushing　Afranius　and　Varro；　Pompey's　lieutenants；　and　making



himself　master　of　the　armies　and　provinces　under　them；　that　he　might



then　more　securely　advance　against　Pompey；　when　he　had　no　enemy　left



behind　him。　In　this　expedition　his　person　was　often　in　danger　from



ambuscades；　and　his　army　by　want　of　provisions；　yet　he　did　not



desist　from　pursuing　the　enemy；　provoking　them　to　fight；　and　hemming



them　with　his　fortifications；　till　by　main　force　he　made　himself



master　of　their　camps　and　their　forces。　Only　the　generals　got　off；　and



fled　to　Pompey。



　　When　Caesar　came　back　to　Rome；　Piso；　his　father…in…law；　advised



him　to　send　men　to　Pompey　to　treat　of　a　peace；　but　Isauricus；　to



ingratiate　himself　with　Caesar；　spoke　against　it。　After　this；　being



created　dictator　by　the　senate；　he　called　home　the　exiles；　and　gave



back　their　rights　as　citizens　to　the　children　of　those　who　had



suffered　under　Sylla；　he　relieved　the　debtors　by　an　act　remitting　some



part　of　the　interest　on　their　debts；　and　passed　some　other　measures　of



the　same　sort；　but　not　many。　For　within　eleven　days　he　resigned　his



dictatorship；　and　having　declared　himself　consul；　with　Servilius



Isauricus；　hastened　again　to　the　war。　He　marched　so　fast　that　he



left　all　his　army　behind　him；　except　six　hundred　chosen　horse　and　five



legions；　with　which　he　put　to　sea　in　the　very　middle　of　winter；



about　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　January　（which　corresponds



pretty　nearly　with　the　Athenian　month　Posideon）；　and　having　passed　the



Ionian　Sea；　took　Oricum　and　Apollonia；　and　then　sent　back　the　ships　to



Brundusium；　to　bring　over　the　soldiers　who　were　left　behind　in　the



march。　They；　while　yet　on　the　march；　their　bodies　now　no　longer　in　the



full　vigour；　and　they　themselves　weary　with　such　a　multitude　of



wars；　could　not　but　exclaim　against　Caesar；　〃When　at　last；　and



where；　will　this　Caesar　let　us　be　quiet？　He　carries　us　from　place　to



place；　and　uses　us　as　if　we　were　not　to　be　worn　out；　and　had　no



sense　of　labour。　Even　our　iron　itself　is　spent　by　blows；　and　we



ought　to　have　some　pity　on　our　bucklers；　and　breastplates；　which



have　been　used　so　long。　Our　wounds；　if　nothing　else；　should　make　him



see　that　we　are　mortal　men　whom　he　commands；　subject　to　the　same　pains



and　sufferings　as　other　human　beings。　The　very　gods　themselves



cannot　force　the　winter　season；　or　hinder　the　storms　in　their　time；



yet　he　pushes　forward；　as　if　he　were　not　pursuing；　but　flying　from



an　enemy。〃　So　they　talked　as　they　marched　leisurely　towards



Brundusium。　But　when　they　came　thither；　and　found　Caesar　gone　off



before　them；　their　feelings　changed；　and　they　blamed　themselves　as



traitors　to　their　general。　They　now　railed　at　their　officers　for



marching　so　slowly；　and　placing　themselves　on　the　heights



overlooking　the　sea　towards　Epirus；　they　kept　watch　to　see　if　they



could　espy　the　vessels　which　were　to　transport　them　to　Caesar。



　　He　in　the　meantime　was　posted　in　Apollonia；　but　had　not　an　army　with



him　able　to　fight　the　enemy；　the　forces　from　Brundusium　being　so



long　in　coming；　which　put　him　to　great　suspense　and　embarrassment　what



to　do。　At　last　he　resolved　upon　a　most　hazardous　experiment；　and



embarked；　without　any　one's　knowledge；　in　a　boat　of　twelve　oars；　to



cross　over　to　Brundusium；　though　the　sea　was　at　that　time　covered　with



a　vast　fleet　of　the　enemies。　He　got　on　board　in　the　night…time；　in　the



dress　of　a　slave；　and　throwing　himself　down　like　a　person　of　no



consequence　lay　along　at　the　bottom　of　the　vessel。　The　river　Anius　was



to　carry　them　down　to　sea；　and　there　used　to　blow　a　gentle　gale



every　morning　from　the　land；　which　made　it　calm　at　the　mouth　of　the



river；　by　driving　the　waves　forward；　but　this　night　there　had　blown



a　strong　wind　from　the　sea；　which　overpowered　that　from　the　land；　so



that　where　the　river　met　the　infl