The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19

secured more eaSily than Pompey's. Fer
zero recalls that lit not unoommonly hap
pens 10 successful CYCLISTS that. weared by
the abundance Of easy satisfactions and
greedy. for wholly new sources Of gratihca-
ton, they conceive a jealous and obstinate
passion for some entirely unattainable OBJ
ject.", Crassus had enjoyed both wealth
and power, but the popularity OF Lucullus
or Pompey or Cesar had been denied him,
and he had spent a long public life in differ
ent efforts to acquire il. At this moment
OF universal elation his old passion famed
up once more. Why should Crassus remain
content with being the victor over Spar
taous. when he might match the exploits
OF Alexander? His ambition to be the
%conqueror Of Parthia was alone sufficient
to win his approval Of Cesar's plan.
Pompey, on the other hand, who was the
only one of the Triumvirs possessing the
least knowledge OF Parthia. and who had
refused the chance Of attacking 1t in b. &.
6S. was not reluctant to resign it 20 his
! colleague. Our author surmises that he
may even have felt inclined to oppose the
whole Csesarian policy Of expansion Inc
corruption. "It cannot, indeed, have been
az VI lhldNdDlt u III tdbulSI " hN "O"
already beginning to be disguised and also
q little frightened by the shape which the
policy OF his party was assuming. Like
many wealthy men who have everything
that they need. he was strongly in favor Of
IA simple life and an austere and unassum-
ing morality for other people" 1t was
impossible for him, however, to break
away from Caesar and Crassus; he was fond
- IL IL C--..f. I..-l.n- ItItas+ hn fnlf
that his reputation was endangered, and
he had numerous enemies in the Senate.
Tn only way 10 consolidate his tottering
influence was TO become Consul. and then
after successfully accomplishing his special
mission TO secure some new and extraor-
binary command. As for this he needed
allies he could not refuse assent 70 his
colleagues proposals.
vi.
No other historian has brought out 30
distinctly the almost ruinous consequences
Of the mistake committed by Cesar in
remaining for months after the battle OF
Pharsalia at Alexandria with Cleopatra
instead OF pursuing forthwith the rom
nants Of the Pompeian party He thereby
missed an opportunity Of transforming
I0e fbOHu0 oIuIt WHICH, III lie cbi
was not to recur. Never had Cesar been
so happily placed as he was Immediately
after his defeat OF Pompey. Fortune
had put the whole game in his hands, He
had only to make use Of the unanimous
enthusiasm OF Italy, all the more over
whelming because It was inevitably short
lived, to return to Rome and attack the great
problems Of the age-to adjust the old
Nnn
society, to conciliate liberty with imperial
ism. Latin traditions with the new demands
OF Eastern luxury and culture. Why did
not Cesar appreciate his position? Be-
cause, our author answers, 'he was a man
OF genius, but not a demigod; he could not
discern all that is 80 clear to us in the per-
spective Of twenty centuries. AT this
critical moment in his career he allowed
himself to be diverted like any ordinary
man by passing incidents and the immediate
necessities Of the situation He needed
money. Egypt was a rich country, and
ptolemy had not paid him the whole sum
agreed upon in return for his restoration
TO the throne. Cesar decided therefore
TO go to Alexandria, and thus 1t came to
pass that he met Cleopatra, who had been
busted by her brother from her share OF
the royal authority. .
1t is we'll known that the young Queen
slipped secretly into the town and the
palace and penetrated suddenly one evening
into Cesar's apartments. When her brother
and his Ministers learned the next morning
that Cleopatra had spent the night in Cesar's
company they knew that their cause wal
lost. She was also nearly fatal to Caesar.
Ferrero's description of her is interesting.
and doubtless accurate. Herself utterly
cold and %callous. insensitive by nature to
the fame of true devotion. Cleopatra was
one of those women gifted with an unerring
instinct for all the various roads to mems
affections. She could be the shrinking,
modest girl. too shy to reveal her half
unconscious emotions of jealousy and self
abandonment; or a woman carried away by
the sweep Of a fiery and uncomfortable
passion" Under the circumstances it was
easy for Cleopatra TO take Cesar captive.
VII.
When, in spite of the grave ~nsequences
Of his i'll timed %sojourn in Egypt. Cesar
triumphed over all his enemies and returned
to Rome in 40 B. c., he recognized that he
could no longer carry out the political and
economic transformation Of the repub-
lie. which would have been practicable two
years before. The weakness OF his position
is thus explained in the book before us:
4The conquest Of Gaul had not provided him
with prestige adequate to the extraordinary
responsibility which he had assumed. while
as for the successive victories achieved
by him since he had left his province. they
had been gained in a civil war and had
better be forgotten than vaunted. cesar
saw very clearly that if he was to be truly
master Of the State he must win some
greater and purer title to glory by his ser
vices TO Italy; that all the pains that ha had
taken hitherto was only a prelude To the
great work which he was now to undertake.
He was, in other words, in a position not
to enjoy but TO win a real supremacy in
the republic through the performance Of
49, .z-.z a .aLsn,ar,.-N No. .Lnt A..