54
CAESAR CROSSES THE RUBICON.
completely exhausted by their long and difficult service.
All these things and many more were firmly believed,
because people wished them to be true. Caesar, indeed, had
not more than 5000 foot and 300 horse with him5, partly be-
cause he wished not to frighten the people of the province, and
partly because he did not like to evacuate Gaul; but now, when
he heard of the last decree of the senate, and when the arrival
of the tribunes enabled him to make up his mind, he gave
orders that all his troops should break up and join him. It is
almost inconceivable that the Gauls, who had revolted at the
time when there were eight or ten legions in their country, now
remained so perfectly quiet; but their intention probably was
to allow the Romans to destroy their own strength, and then to
rise against them. Caesar had, before this time, given up to the
senate, two legions, which were to be sent to Syria. He had
offered, even at the end of the year, to disband his army, with
the exception of two legions, or even one ; to resign his pro-
vince of Transalpine and CisaIpine Gaul; and to retain only
Illyricum and Gallia Cispadana, if Pompey would lay down
his imperium in like manner; but all proposals were rejected,
Pompey’s case was not to be touched upon at all ; and hypocrisy
insisted on the letter of the decree being obeyed.
When the tribunes arrived at Ravenna, and Caesar received
the command of the senate to return to Rome and give up his
army to his successor, L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, he feared lest
on his arrival at Rome he should be brought to trial ; his pas-
sion gained the upper hand and he resolved to break up. He
marched towards Rimini. On arriving at the banks of the
river Rubicon (the bridge was probably in the neighbourhood
of Cesena, beyond Rimini)6, he hesitated for a while, doubt-
ful whether he should sacrifice himself or venture upon the
unconstitutional act; he was probably actuated more by the
desire to save himself than to rule; at length, however, he
crossed the river, and Rimini opened its gates to him. This
was an unexpected event, for his enemies had made no prepa-
rations in those districts, and confidently believed that the
soldiers would desert Caesar and join Pompey, whose popula-
5 Caesar, De Bell. Civil, ɪ. 7. 12; Plutarch, Caes. 82, Pomp. 60; Appian,
De Bell. Civil, ii. 32.
° There are several small rivers in that district, and the inhabitants dispute as
to which is the Rubicon.—N.
caesar’s advance to eome.
55
rity was thought to be still as great as it had been before. But
things had assumed a completely different aspect ; and Pompey
had lost his position in public estimation. The soldiers of
Caesaι,, on the other hand, shared the ambition of their com-
mander, for they knew well that they had fought in greater-
wars and battles than those of Pompey. We can scarcely ima-
gine a more remarkable contrast than that between the state of
of Italy thirty years before, and the condition which it presented
at the outbreak of the civil war. The Italian allies had dis-
appeared in the wars of the time of Sulla, which had been
carried on for nearly three years between the two great
parties which divided Italy; on the advance of Caesar’s small
army, no one moved a finger. IIis cohorts, which were
few in number, quickly overran all Italy; for the inhabitants
of the municipia and other places were as unwarlike then
as they are at the present day. One of the causes of Caesar’s
success may also have been the circumstance, that Sulla’s
legions in the military colonies were more inclined to side
with the great general than with Pompey; but the main cause
was the total absence of all feeling. No one had any interest in
the success of either party ; for the people had gradually become
convinced that it was useless to fight for justice, and their
condition was so sad that no one had anything to protect or to
lose. Persons of a military disposition had some reason for
supporting Caesar; but for Pompey no one could feel any
enthusiasm. Nobody had suspected that things would come
to this. Pompcy had hoped to make an impression by vaunting
phrases: he had declared that he need only stamp the ground
with his foot to raise up an army ; but when the tidings arrived
that Caesar was advancing on the Flaminian road, Pompcy
and all the senators could think of nothing but flight. They
had no other army than the small one of L. Domitius, who
was to have gone to Gaul and to have received the army
of Caesar, which was now advancing irresistibly towards
the city.
Cicero who had sometime before returned from Cilicia, now
endeavoured to act as mediator; but no one listened to his
counsels, though they were the best and most wholesome that
could be given; and in fact, if peace had been possible, it
could have been established only on Cicero’s plan. The partv
of Pompcy fancied that they could not and ought not to defend