The Shasta courier., 1862-11-01
SHASTA. CAL sATUR1<Y NOVEMBER
A sketch--Julius Cesar.

A Sketch--JutiuS Cesar
Julius Caesar, in personal appearance,
was slender, tall and delicate, and was re-
puted to be the handsomest man in Rome.
Descending from one of the first families,
and being endowed with powers of mind of
the highest order, his success in all his un.
dertakings seemed certain.
Aspiring to be the first man in the Repub-
lie, and having two rivals for the same dis
tinction, Pompey and Crassus, Caesar sought
to accomplish his purpose by uniting these
rivals. This union was consammated, and
he enjoyed the asor ct both: by whiuh
means partition of power was agreed to by
Pompey and Crassus with their mutual
friend, thus forming the first Triumvirate,
SO B. C.
Caesar had the government of Transalpine
Gaul and Illyria, and nobly sustained the
military glory of his country. In Gaul, Ger
many and Britain he spread the terror of his
arms. He invaded and subjugated con-
siderable portion of Britain, b. c. 55 years
but the urgency Of affairs at home delayed
the further progress of his arms. lie soon,
however, returned, and in the course of nine
years this ambitious general not only con-
quered Britain, but all that country that
extends from the Mediterranean to the Ger
man sea- 1t is said he took 500 cities sub
dued 300 different states; overcame !, ,0o0, ,00O
of men, l,000, 900 of whom fell on the field
of battle, and the remainder were made pris-
oners of war.
By the death of Crassus, which occurred
SO years B. c., an end was put to the Tri-
umvrate.
After this event, both Caesar and Pomp Y
began to entertain the idea of supreme, undi-
vided dominion. Both were extremely pow
erful; but Caesar possessed superior talents,
and had an invincible army devoted to his
interests. The main body of the people were
also devoted to Caesar, who had won them
by his liberality.
The contest for superiority soon resulted
in civil war, disastrous in the extreme to
Pompey and the Republic. AT Pharsalia,
Caesar and Pompey met in battle, and Pom
pey was defeated, losing $4,000 men killed,
and "a 900 taken prisoners. Pompey fled to
Egypt, and was there murdered. Pompey's s
army consisted of As 900 footmen and 1000
horse. while Cmsar's numbered only 25, 900
footmen and 900 horse, but they were bet
ter disciplined.
War was Casar's element. In a contest
between Ptolemy and his sister Cleopatra,
Caesar interposed in favor of the latter, and
at length brought Egypt under the Roman
yoke. In two years after, he subdued Phar-
nacles, King of Pontus.
Leaving the conquest of the East, Caesar
FASTENED to Rome to quell disturbances ere.
ated by Anthony, his deputy. His presence
.enn -neta-ea .r.ns,.,ili -
At this TIME, two sons Of ?ompey, with
Cato d Scipio, were in arms in Africa, as
sisted by Jubs. King of Mauritania thither
Caesar fastened, and at Thcpsus overthrow
them in battle, with little loss to himself
This event finished the war in Africa, and
he returned in triumph to Rome.
The state # affairs in Spain called Cesar
into that country where, after severe fight.
ing, he succeeded in conquering the rem
nant of his enemies in that quarter, and re
turned to Rome to receive the almost slavlsh
homage of its citizens.
Finding himself at peace, he turned his
attention to improving the empire. He
adorned the city with magnificent buildings,
undertook to level several mountains in It.
ally, to drain the Pontine marshes, and i'm
prove the navigation of the Tiber, reformed
the Calendar, and meditated distant con-
quests.
His brilliant course was soon destined to
end He was suspected of aiming at royalty,
which the people detested, and GO Senators
leagued together with the view of depriving
him of life This they accomplished by
stabbing him in the Senate House on the
10th of March; A years B. C. At the time
of his trrgical death he was in the 56th year of
his age.
Caesar enslaved his country, and waded to
dominion through rivers of blood. His ee-
vation cost the lives of |, 200, 900 human be-
ings.