followed by Iiis troops. The periodical winds, which last till
the dog-days, and blow full sixty days in the Mediterranean,
are north-west winds, and prevent ships sailing from Alex-
andria. Caesar’s despatches could not therefore reach Rhodes.
The people of Alexandria consisted at that time of the most
licentious and audacious populace that one can imagine ; they
combined all the vices of the East with those of the West.
The Graeco-Macedonian population had been extirpated for
the most part under Ptolomy Physcon, and there only
remained the disgusting Alcxandro-Egyptian race. The
eunuch Pothinus, who was then regent of the kingdom, con-
ceived the plan of overwhelming Caesar, who had only a few
troops, and whose situation at Alexandria was similar to that
of Cortez in Mexico. Caesar was in possession of the king’s
palace, and here he fortified himself until assistance came.
The insurrection at last became general. The palace was
set on fire, and the library, which had been founded under
Ptolemy Philadelphus, was burnt to ashes. The struggle in
the streets was fearful : the danger in which Caesar was thus
placed, the boldness with which he destroyed the entrance to
the port of Alexandria, his narrow escape, his taking of the
island of Pharos, and his maintaining himself there until rein-
forcements arrived, all this is pleasantly and vividly related by
A. Hirtius, in his book on the Alexandrine war. Caesar at
last succeeded in making himself master of Alexandria, which
he compelled to surrender; and he placed Cleopatra, who had
ensnared him by her coquetry, and her younger brother on
the throne. Her elder brother, Ptolemy, whom he had been
obliged to dismiss from the palace, and whom the Egyptians
had proclaimed their king, perished in the Nile, fortunately
for Caesar. Cleopatra afterwards received still greater favours
from Antony.

While he was still in Alexandria, Caesar heard that Phar-
naces had invaded Pontus from the Bosporus, and defeated
Domitius Calvinus, the general of Caesar. Caesar hastened
through Syria into Pontus, where he met the enemy. On
the very day of his arrival, and without allowing himself any
rest, he attacked the enemy, and the Asiatics were routed in a
moment. It is of this victory that he sent to Rome the famous
account, veni, vidi, vici.⁶

⁶ Appian, De Bell. Civil, ii. 91 ; Sueton. Caes. 37.

He now returned to Kome for the first time since his depar-
ture from Brundusium, made various arrangements, did many
things to please his friends, and appointed a provisional govern-
ment; which was, indeed, highly necessary, for the leaders of
his own party differed very widely in their views and plans,
and formed rather a motley assemblage. During his absence,
they had undertaken the most contradictory things; but I shall
not here dwell upon the insurrections of Milo, Caelius Kufus
and Dolabella, which had occurred in his absence, but had
been quickly put down : I shall mention them afterwards.

LECTURE XCVIII.

Caesar did not remain at Dome very long. The servility of
the senate and people conferred upon him the most senseless
and extravagant distinctions; the whole republic was placed
in his hands. In their excuse, however, we must say that the
people could not help becoming attached to him, on account
of his great and unexpected mildness: they also knew, on the
other hand, that if Pompey had been the conqueror, he would
have caused a general massacre, like that of Sulla. Caesar,
on the contrary, so far as he was able, protected those who had
fought against him : and as many were yet living in exile, he
empowered each of his friends to restore one of the hostile
party to his former position and honours in the republic.
Those who were thus restored had, indeed, lost much of their
property, but it had not been in Caesar’s power to prevent
this. A great many still remained in exile, whom he allowed
to return one after another. The senate conferred honours
upon Caesar at three different times; but of this I shall
speak when we come to his last stay at Rome, after his return
from Spain.

While he was at Rome, he had to quell a dangerous insur-
rection among his troops, who were too impatient to wait for
the triumph and the advantages they hoped to derive from it.
The tenth legion, his favourite one, which he had brought
over to Italy in order to take it with him to Africa, re-
volted, and the veterans, who*e period of military service

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