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caesar-第1章

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                                      75 AD



                                     CAESAR



                                  100…44 B。C。



                                  by Plutarch



                           translated by John Dryden









CAESAR







  AFTER Sylla became master of Rome; he wished to make Caesar put away



his wife Cornelia; daughter of Cinna; the late sole ruler of the



commonwealth; but was unable to effect it either by promises or



intimidation; and so contented himself with confiscating her dowry。



The ground of Sylla's hostility to Caesar was the relationship between



him and Marius; for Marius; the elder; married Julia; the sister of



Caesar's father; and had by her the younger Marius; who consequently



was Caesar's first cousin。 And though at the beginning; while so



many were to be put to death; and there was so much to do; Caesar



was overlooked by Sylla; yet he would not keep quiet; but presented



himself to the people as a candidate for the priesthood; though he was



yet a mere boy。 Sylla; without any open opposition; took measures to



have him rejected; and in consultation whether he should be put to



death; when it was urged by some that it was not worth his while to



contrive the death of a boy; he answered; that they knew little who



did not see more than one Marius in that boy。 Caesar; on being



informed of this saying; concealed himself; and for a considerable



time kept out of the way in the country of the Sabines; often changing



his quarters; till one night; as he was removing from one house to



another on account of his health; he fell into the hands of Sylla's



soldiers; who were searching those parts in order to apprehend any who



had absconded。 Caesar; by a bribe of two talents; prevailed with



Cornelius; their captain; to let him go; and was no sooner dismissed



but he put to sea and made for Bithynia。 After a short stay there with



Nicomedes; the king; in his passage back he was taken near the



island of Pharmacusa by some of the pirates; who; at that time; with



large fleets of ships and innumerable smaller vessels; infested the



seas everywhere。



  When these men at first demanded of him twenty talents for his



ransom; he laughed at them for not understanding the value of their



prisoner; and voluntarily engaged to give them fifty。 He presently



despatched those about him to several places to raise the money;



till at last he was left among a set of the most bloodthirsty people



in the world; the Cilicians; only with one friend and two



attendants。 Yet he made so little of them; that when he had a mind



to sleep; he would send to them; and order them to make no noise。



For thirty…eight days; with all the freedom in the world; he amused



himself with joining in their exercises and games; as if they had



not been his keepers; but his guards。 He wrote verses and speeches;



and made them his auditors; and those who did not admire them; he



called to their faces illiterate and barbarous; and would often; in



raillery; threaten to hang them。 They were greatly taken with this;



and attributed his free talking to a kind of simplicity and boyish



playfulness。 As soon as his ransom was come from Miletus; he paid



it; and was discharged; and proceeded at once to man some ships at the



port of Miletus; and went in pursuit of the pirates; whom he surprised



with their ships still stationed at the island; and took most of them。



Their money he made his prize; and the men he secured in prison at



Pergamus; and he made application to Junius; who was then governor



of Asia; to whose office it belonged; as praetor; to determine their



punishment。 Junius; having his eye upon the money; for the sum was



considerable; said he would think at his leisure what to do with the



prisoners; upon which Caesar took his leave of him; and went off to



Pergamus; where he ordered the pirates to be brought forth and



crucified; the punishment he had often threatened them with whilst



he was in their hands; and they little dreamt he was in earnest。



  In the meantime Sylla's power being now on the decline; Caesar's



friends advised him to return to Rome; but he went to Rhodes; and



entered himself in the school of Apollonius; Molon's son; a famous



rhetorician; one who had the reputation of a worthy man; and had



Cicero for one of his scholars。 Caesar is said to have been



admirably fitted by nature to make a great statesman and orator; and



to have taken such pains to improve his genius this way that without



dispute he might challenge the second place。 More he did not aim at;



as choosing to be first rather amongst men of arms and power; and;



therefore; never rose to that height of eloquence to which nature



would have carried him; his attention being diverted to those



expeditions and designs which at length gained him the empire。 And



he himself; in his answer to Cicero's panegyric on Cato; desires his



reader not to compare the plain discourse of a soldier with the



harangues of an orator who had not only fine parts; but had employed



his life in this study。



  When he was returned to Rome; he accused Dolabella of



mal…administration; and many cities of Greece came in to attest it。



Dolabella was acquitted; and Caesar; in return for the support he



had received from the Greeks; assisted them in their prosecution of



Publius Antonius for corrupt practices; before Marcus Lucullus;



praetor of Macedonia。 In this course he so far succeeded; that



Antonius was forced to appeal to the tribunes at Rome; alleging that



in Greece he could not have fair play against Grecians。 In his



pleadings at Rome; his eloquence soon obtained him great credit and



favour; and he won no less upon the affections of the people by



affability of his manners and address; in which he showed a tact and



consideration beyond what could have been expected at his age; and the



open house he kept; the entertainments he gave; and the general



splendour of his manner of life contributed little by little to create



and increase his political influence。 His enemies slighted the



growth of it at first; presuming it would soon fail when his money was



gone; whilst in the meantime it was growing up and flourishing among



the common people。 When his power at last was established and not to



be overthrown; and now openly tended to the altering of the whole



constitution; they were aware too late that there is no beginning so



mean; which continued application will not make considerable; and that



despising a danger at first will make it at last irresistible。



Cicero was the first who had any suspicions of his designs upon the



government; and as a good pilot is apprehensive of a storm when the



sea is most smiling; saw the designing temper of the man through



this disguise of good humour and affability; and said that; in



general; in al
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