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Sea； and a Greek on his mother's side； had seen the possibility
of establishing a second Alexandrian Empire。 He began his
campaign for world…domination with the murder of all Roman
citizens who happened to be in Asia Minor； men； women and
children。 Such an act； of course； meant war。 The Senate
equipped an army to march against the King of Pontus and
punish him for his crime。 But who was to be commander…in…
chief？ ‘‘Sulla；'' said the Senate； ‘‘because he is Consul。''
‘‘Marius；'' said the mob； ‘‘because he has been Consul five times
and because he is the champion of our rights。''
Possession is nine points of the law。 Sulla happened to be
in actual command of the army。 He went west to defeat
Mithridates and Marius fled to Africa。 There he waited
until he heard that Sulla had crossed into Asia。 He then
returned to Italy； gathered a motley crew of malcontents；
marched on Rome and entered the city with his professional
highwaymen； spent five days and five nights； slaughtering the
enemies of the Senatorial party； got himself elected Consul and
promptly died from the excitement of the last fortnight。
There followed four years of disorder。 Then Sulla； having
defeated Mithridates； announced that he was ready to return
to Rome and settle a few old scores of his own。 He was as
good as his word。 For weeks his soldiers were busy executing
those of their fellow citizens who were suspected of democratic
sympathies。 One day they got hold of a young fellow who
had been often seen in the company of Marius。 They were
going to hang him when some one interfered。 ‘‘The boy is too
young；'' he said； and they let him go。 His name was Julius
Caesar。 You shall meet him again on the next page。
As for Sulla； he became ‘‘Dictator；'' which meant sole and
supreme ruler of all the Roman possessions。 He ruled Rome
for four years； and he died quietly in his bed； having spent the
last year of his life tenderly raising his cabbages； as was the
custom of so many Romans who had spent a lifetime killing
their fellow…men。
But conditions did not grow better。 On the contrary； they
grew worse。 Another general； Gnaeus Pompeius； or Pompey；
a close friend of Sulla； went east to renew the war against the
ever troublesome Mithridates。 He drove that energetic potentate
into the mountains where Mithridates took poison and
killed himself； well knowing what fate awaited him as a Roman
captive。 Next he re…established the authority of Rome over
Syria； destroyed Jerusalem； roamed through western Asia；
trying to revive the myth of Alexander the Great； and at last
（in the year 62） returned to Rome with a dozen ship…loads of
defeated Kings and Princes and Generals； all of whom were
forced to march in the triumphal procession of this enormously
popular Roman who presented his city with the sum of forty
million dollars in plunder。
It was necessary that the government of Rome be placed
in the hands of a strong man。 Only a few months before； the
town had almost fallen into the hands of a good…for…nothing
young aristocrat by the name of Catiline； who had gambled
away his money and hoped to reimburse himself for his losses by
a little plundering。 Cicero； a public…spirited lawyer； had discovered
the plot； had warned the Senate； and had forced Catiline
to flee。 But there were other young men with similar ambitions
and it was no time for idle talk。
Pompey organised a triumvirate which was to take charge
of affairs。 He became the leader of this Vigilante Committee。
Gaius Julius Caesar； who had made a reputation for himself
as governor of Spain； was the second in command。 The
third was an indifferent sort of person by the name of Crassus。
He had been elected because he was incredibly rich； having been
a successful contractor of war supplies。 He soon went upon
an expedition against the Parthians and was killed。
As for Caesar； who was by far the ablest of the three； he
decided that he needed a little more military glory to become
a popular hero。 He crossed the Alps and conquered that part
of the world which is now called France。 Then he hammered
a solid wooden bridge across the Rhine and invaded the land
of the wild Teutons。 Finally he took ship and visited England。
Heaven knows where he might have ended if he had not been
forced to return to Italy。 Pompey； so he was informed； had
been appointed dictator for life。 This of course meant that
Caesar was to be placed on the list of the ‘‘retired officers；'' and
the idea did not appeal to him。 He remembered that he had
begun life as a follower of Marius。 He decided to teach the
Senators and their ‘‘dictator'' another lesson。 He crossed the
Rubicon River which separated the province of Cis…alpine Gaul
from Italy。 Everywhere he was received as the ‘‘friend of the
people。'' Without difficulty Caesar entered Rome and Pompey
fled to Greece Caesar followed him and defeated his followers
near Pharsalus。 Pompey sailed across the Mediterranean and
escaped to Egypt。 When he landed he was murdered by order
of young king Ptolemy。 A few days later Caesar arrived。
He found himself caught in a trap。 Both the Egyptians and
the Roman garrison which had remained faithful to Pompey；
attacked his camp。
Fortune was with Caesar。 He succeeded in setting fire to
the Egyptian fleet。 Incidentally the sparks of the burning
vessels fell on the roof of the famous library of Alexandria
（which was just off the water front；） and destroyed it。 Next
he attacked the Egyptian army； drove the soldiers into the
Nile； drowned Ptolemy； and established a new government
under Cleopatra； the sister of the late king。 Just then word
reached him that Pharnaces； the son and heir of Mithridates；
had gone on the war…path。 Caesar marched northward； defeated
Pharnaces in a war which lasted five days； sent word of
his victory to Rome in the famous sentence ‘‘veni； vidi； vici；''
which is Latin for ‘‘I came； I saw； I conquered；'' and returned
to Egypt where he fell desperately in love with Cleopatra； who
followed him to Rome when he returned to take charge of the
government； in the year 46。 He marched at the head of not
less than four different victory…parades； having won four
different campaigns。
Then Caesar appeared in the Senate to report upon his
adventures； and the grateful Senate made him ‘‘dictator'' for
ten years。 It was a fatal step。
The new dictator made serious attempts to reform the
Roman state。 He made it possible for freemen to become
members of the Senate。 He conferred the rights of citizenship
upon distant communities as had been done in the early days
of Roman history。 He permitted ‘‘foreigners'' to exercise
influence upon the government。 He reformed the administration
of the distant provinces which certain aristocratic families
had come to regard as their private possessions。 In short he
did many things for the good of the majority of the people but
which made him thoroughly unpopular with the most power