caesar-第1部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　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　all　he　did　and　undertook；　he　detected　the　ambition　for



absolute　power；　〃but　when　I　see　his　hair　so　carefully　arranged；　and



observe　him　adjusting　it　with　one　finger；　I　cannot　imagine　it　should



enter　into　such　a　man's　thoughts　to　subvert　the　Roman　state。〃　But　of



this　more　hereafter。



　　The　first　proof　he　had　of　the　people's　good…will　to　him　was　when



he　received　by　their　suffrages　a　tribuneship　in　the　army；　and　came　out



on　the　list　with　a　higher　place　than　Caius　Popilius。　A　second　and



clearer　instance　of　their　favour　appeared　upon　his　making　a



magnificent　oration　in　praise　of　his　aunt　Julia；　wife　to　Marius；



publicly　in　the　forum；　at　whose　funeral　he　was　so　bold　as　to　bring



forth　the　images　of　Marius；　which　nobody　had　dared　to　produce　since



the　government　came　into　Sylla's　hands；　Marius's　party　having　from



that　time　been　declared　enemies　of　the　state。　When　some　who　were



present　had　begun　to　raise　a　cry　against　Caesar；　the　people　answered



with　loud　shouts　and　clapping　in　his　favour；　expressing　their　joyful



surprise　and　satisfaction　at　his　having；　as　it　were；　brought　up



again　from　the　grave　those　honours　of　Marius；　which　for　so　long　a　time



had　been　lost　to　the　city。　It　had　always　been　the　custom　at　Rome　to



make　funeral　orations　in　praise　of　elderly　matrons；　but　there　was　no



precedent　of　any　upon　young　women　till　Caesar　first　made　one　upon



the　death　of　his　own　wife。　This　also　procured　him　favour；　and　by



this　show　of　affection　he　won　upon　the　feelings　of　the　people；　who



looked　upon　him　as　a　man　of　great　tenderness　and　kindness　of　heart。



After　he　had　buried　his　wife；　he　went　as　quaestor　into　Spain　under　one



of　the　praetors；　named　Vetus；　whom　he　honoured　ever　after；　and　made



his　son　his　own　quaestor；　when　he　himself　came　to　be　praetor。　After



this　employment　was　ended；　he　married　Pompeia；　his　third　wife；



having　then　a　daughter　by　Cornelia；　his　first　wife；　whom　he　afterwards



married　to　Pompey　the　Great。　He　was　so　profuse　in　his　expenses　that；



before　he　had　any　public　employment；　he　was　in　debt　thirteen　hundred



talents；　and　many　thought　that　by　incurring　such　expense　to　be　popular



he　changed　a　solid　good　for　what　would　prove　but　a　short　and　uncertain



return；　but　in　truth　he　was　purchasing　what　was　of　the　greatest



value　at　an　inconsiderable　rate。　When　he　was　made　surveyor　of　the



Appian　Way；　he　disbursed；　besides　the　public　money；　a　great　sum　out　of



his　private　purse；　and　when　he　was　aedile；　he　provided　such　a　number



of　gladiators；　that　he　entertained　the　people　with　three　hundred　and



twenty　single　combats；　and　by　his　great　liberality　and　magnificence　in



theatrical　shows；　in　processions；　and　public　feastings；　he　threw



into　the　shade　all　the　attempts　that　had　been　made　before　him；　and



gained　so　much　upon　the　people；　that　every　one　was　eager　to　find　out



new　offices　and　new　honours　for　him　in　return　for　his　munificence。



　　Ther