: I 



LTJQU8TUB, 



1TJQU8TOS. 



414 



was soon followed by the information that he hod been appointed his 

 heir and adopted into the Julian family. He waa only eighteen years 

 of age, and his step-father, in his letter* from Rome, strongly recom- 

 mended him to keep away from public affairs; yet, after a little 

 hesitation, he crossed over to Italy with hit friend Vipsauius Agrippa. 

 and was moat favourably received by the legion* at Hrundiiiuni. On 

 the 18th of Apiil he hod already reached Naple* (Cic. ' ad Alt. 1 xiv. 

 10), and two or three day* after, Cicero saw him at the house of hit 

 step-father. Antony at this period was beginning to Uy aside the 

 hesitation which marked his conduct in the first (urprise of the Ides 

 of March, and but for the arrival of young Octavius, the two parties 

 would probably toon have brought the dispute to some decided issue. 

 But the appearance of Octavius on the scene was the commencement 

 of a series of intrigues which even the historian has found it difficult 

 to unravel. The connection of Octavius with bit murdered bene- 

 factor might naturally have led to an alliance with Antony ; while, on 

 the other hand, the marriage of bis mother with Philippus brought 

 him at once into contact with the chiefs of the opposite party. In 

 this difficult situation a boy of eighteen played bis part with an art 

 which baffled the prudence of the oldest statesmen of Rome. Already 

 at Naples, be persuaded Cicero that he was altogether devoted to his 

 councils, and yet by assuming the dreaded name of Cesar he threw 

 out a bint which wo* well understood by the veterans and the people 

 to whom that name was dear. No sooner had ho arrived at Rome 

 than be appeared before C. Antonius the prsetor, and formally accepted 

 the dangerous inhrritanea of the dictator s name and property, so that 

 henceforward he was called C. Juliue Cesar Octavianui the but 

 epithet being added to mark hi* previous connection with the Octavil 

 By Roman usage an adopted son was in all respects on the some foot- 

 ing as a son born of a man's body, and accordingly Octavius after his 

 adoption was the representative of the Dictator, and in the eyes of 

 the Romans his true son. 



The Dictator hod left by hia will a sum of money to each Roman 

 citizen, and Csesar declared his intention to pay the legacies and cele- 

 brate magnificent games. But Marcus Autouius, who affected to 

 manage everything bis own way, refused to give up the money or 

 denied that he bad it ; he put obstacles in the way of realising the 

 suma neceasary for the payment of the legacies : he opposed the passinc; 

 <>f a I-ex Curiata, the object of which was to give to the adoption of 

 Caesar whatever legal sanction it might require; and be also prevented 

 CSMOT from being elected a tribune. Cesar celebrated, at hi< own 

 expense, the game* in honour of the completion of the temple of 

 Venus, the ancestress of the Julian Gens; and dedicated a bronze 

 statue of hia ancle in the temple of Venus. Th respect paid to the 

 memory of the Dictator by his adopted son, and his cautiout policy, 

 gave him the advantage over hi* rival Antoniua, with whom all parties 

 were disgusted. Antonius and Cesar were now using all their efforts 

 to gain the advantage over each other; and the caution and prudence 

 of the youth prevailed over bis older rival. Many of the soldiers 

 whom Autonius waa about to lead into Cisalpine Oaul, went over to 

 the side of Cerar, including the whole of the fourth and the Martial 

 scion. Cesar bad gone into Campania, where he got together a con- 

 inferable force of veteran* who bad served under the Dictator. On 

 bis return to Rome, where he arrived before Antonius, bo addressed 

 the people, reeapitukted the great deeds of the Dictator, spoke in 

 modeH terms of himself and attacked Antoniu*. He next sot out 

 truria to raise more troop*. Thus a youth at the age of nine- 

 teen, witliout any authority, and at bis own expanse, raised an army, 

 with which he ventured to enter the city. Tho conduct of Antouiu* 

 daring this straggle for popularity was vacillating, and betrayed the 

 want of a well cpncrrted plan. At last the defection of the fourth 

 legion decided him, and he hastened from Rome to his province of 

 Cira1|>ine Oaul, fearing lett be mi K ht fail to find support thero also, if 

 he stayed away any longer, Decimus Brutu*, who was the actual 

 governor of Cisalpine Oaul, to which be had been appointed by the 

 Dictator, refuted to giro up the province to Antoniu*. Cesar bated 

 Deoimui Brutu* and Aiitoniut equally, but the time wo* not yet come 

 for vengtng hi* uncle'* death, and be accordingly made proposals to 

 aid Decimus if he would keep the province against Antonius. The 

 senate named a vote of thanks to Decimus Brutus and to Cesar, and 

 Um oldier* who bod ile.erted Antoniua. Cicero, who had been 

 wavering, now came forward as the supporter of the " boy Octavinn,* 

 and spoke strongly in bis favour before the senate. On the 2n.l of 

 January, B.C. 43, Cwser wo* invested with the rank of Proprietor, and 

 commissioned to command the troop* which be bad raited : be re- 

 ceived the rank of Pretor, and with it the privilege .f voting in the 

 wool* ; the law olio which limited the age for attaining the consul- 

 ship was so far repealed a* to allow him to enjoy the office ten year* 

 before the lego] age. Before the close of the year ac. 44, Antoniu* 

 woe becieging Decimal Brutus in Mutina. The senate, on the 6th of 

 January, nc. 48. sent proposal* of peace to Antonius, which were sup- 

 ported by the advance of the consul Hirtiu* and hit lemons. Ceu- 

 h hi. troop* joined Hhtius ; the other consul, Pansa, arrived after- 

 I with his ironpa. In tho conflict* that ensued about Mutina, 

 J "" ** fin"7 defeated, but both the consul* lost their live*. 

 ring relieved, and Antoniu* driven across the Aljw, the senate 

 m TSfir U " ir tone * owmrf Cesar. Decimn* Brulnn, who bad 

 nothing, received public thank*, and the commission to follow 



up the war against Antonius at the head of the consular army. The 

 name of Cmar was not mentioned. CSMW dissembled hi* vexation 

 at D. Brutus being appointed to tho command; he asked for a triumph, 

 and the senata refused it. Qatar now mode overtures to Antoniu* ; 

 but he alto aspired to the consulship, and he wrote to Cicero, urging 

 him to be his colleague. Cicero waa pleased with the proposal, and 

 he laid it before the senate ; but the senate would not lUten to it. 

 Antonhu and Lepidus, after a short negotiation, hid I) -eouie recon- 

 ciled, and they united their forces, on the 28th of May, ii.r 43, and 

 crossed the Alps into CUalpiue UauL The alarm of the senate on 

 receiving thin intelligence was great; they rnn<le preparations to oppose 

 Antonius, and in order to pacify Cawar they named him to the joint 

 command with D. Brutus, simply for fear that he might join Ante- 

 nna. But Cesar was not to be pacified : he induced Lit soldier* to 

 a*k the consulship for him, which the senate refused -on the ground of 

 his youth. Tho army of Cesar was in a state of frenzy, and called 

 upon him to lead them to Rome. With hit force* be crossed the 

 Rubicon, the little stream which then separated the province of 

 Cisalpine Oaul from Italy, and dividing his troops into two parts, left 

 one part to follow him, while with tho other he marched rapidly upon 

 Rome. Thus, six years after Cesar crossed the Rubicon to enforce bis 

 claims against the senate and his rival Pompeius, his adopted son, 

 who bore the aame name, crossed the same sacred boundary of the 

 province to maintain a similar claim against the senate. The coin- 

 cidence is striking, and it is not passed unnoticed by Appian. Homo 

 was all in alarm : the senate, as when the first Caw crossed the 

 Rubicon, were unprepared ; M. Brutus and Casting, the great support 

 of their party, were now in the East ; and Cicero, who had been loud 

 and active, disappeared, oa he did when the first Cesar was advancing 

 on the city. The senate now yielded all that had been asked ; but 

 the sudden arrival of two legions, which they had sent for from Africa, 

 again roused their drooping courage; Cicero again showed himself, 

 and it was resolved to oppose Ctcsar by force, and to seize his mother 

 and sister as hostages, but they contrived to conceal themselves. The 

 treachery of the senate only irritated the army of Ctcaar, who in a 

 short time occupied, without any resistance, a position in front of the 

 city, in the neighbourhood of the Quiriual Hill ; on the next day he 

 entered Rome with a small guard, and was greeted by his mother and 

 sister with the Vestal virgins in the temple of Ve.-U. There was no 

 further attempt at opposition. 



Omar knew his power, and he only laughed at his enemies. He 

 brought his forces into the Campus Martius, and he showed nil through 

 these trying circumstances the most perfect self-possession n 1 pru- 

 dence. Those who bad taken the most active part p.iin-t him were 

 allowed to be unmolested : they were spared for the present 1 1 

 tributed a Urge sum of money among his soldiers, and he soon paid 

 the legacies which the dictator hod left to the people. Ctcsar and 

 Quintns Pedius, his kinsman, were appointed consuls for the rest of 

 the year. The election took place m the month of August, B.C. 43, 

 when Caesar was in his twentieth year. Being now invested with 

 constitutional authority, he caused hi* adoption to be regularly con- 

 firmed by a Lex Curiata. Ho also caused a measure to b<< passed for 

 the relief of Dolabella, who had been declared an enemy; and in 

 pursuance of a Lex which was proposed by his colleague Pediug, a 

 regular prosecution was instituted agaiust the assassins of Caesar and 

 their accomplices. The prosecution wu conducted in due legal form, 

 and as none of the accused appeared, they were convicted pursuant 

 to law. Thus the conspirators were in effect declared enemies of the 

 Roman state, and there remained nothing but to enforce the sentence 

 by arms. But to accomplish this, Caisar wanted the aid of Antonius. 

 Accordingly ho left tho city and advanced towards Cisalpine Oaul, 

 while bis colleague Pediua stayed at Rome to further hit view*. The. 

 senate were induced by their fears to come to terms with Antonius and 

 Lepidus; they repealed their own decrees by which Antonius and 

 Lepidus had been declared enemiea. and they sent a friendly message 

 to Autouius and Lepidus. Caesar also wrote to Antonius, and offered 

 his aonUtance against Decimus Brutus. Antonius replied that he would 

 deal with Brutus himself, and then would join Ctcsar. The soldiers 

 of Urutus deterted to Antonius and Cesar; Brutus himself fell into 

 the hands of a robber chief, who cent his head to Antonius. [ButTUs, 

 DICIMPS.] 



Caesar, Antonius, and Lepidu* had an interview in an Uland on a 

 small stream near Bononia (Bologna). They agreed that VentMius 

 should take the place of Caesar as consul for the rest of the year, 

 n.c. 43 ; that the three should administer the state for five years with 

 equal powers with the consul* ; and that they should name the annual 

 magistrates for five years to come. It was also agreed to distribute 

 the provinces among them : Antonius was to have all Gaul, except a 

 part adjacent to the Pyrenees, which Lcpidu* was to havo, together 

 with Spain : Ctesar was to have Africa, Sardinia, and Sicily and the 

 small adjacent islands. Ctcsar and Antonius were to conduct the war 

 against M. I'.rutu* and Cimius, and Lepidus wu to be consul, and 

 conduct the administration in Rome with three of his legions. The 

 remaining seven were to be distributed between Caesar and Antonius, 

 so on to mako up their numbers to twenty legions each. It was further 

 agreed to encourage their soldiers by promises of donations and of the 

 distribution of the lauds of eighteen cities in Italy, which were named. 

 Finally, it was agreed that all their enemies at Rome should be 



