2. Iūdaeam: the Jews alone refused to obey his orders, and sustained a siege of three months at Jerusalem. Although Rome had no business to interfere with the affairs in this part of the East, yet the government she gave to the provinces, formed from the conquered territory, was stable and just in the main, and was welcome after the state of anarchy that had prevailed.
Ch. 15.
7. L. Sergius Catilīna: Catiline was a member of a patrician family. By his dissolute habits and his luxury he had squandered all his property and had run into debt. The only relief was to secure the consulship, that at the expiration of his term of office he might be sent to govern some province, from the plunder of which he might acquire another fortune to be spent in riotous living. Failing to secure the consulship, he determined to overthrow the state. He formed a band of dissolute nobles, collected arms in various places, stationed an armed force at Faesulae in Etruria, and made all preparations for an outbreak as soon as the time was ripe. Meanwhile Cicero had ascertained all Catiline’s plans by the aid of the mistress of one of the conspirators. Desiring to drive Catiline to some overt act, he assailed him in the senate on the 8th of November. The oration he delivered has been preserved. Catiline hastened from the city to the armed force at Faesulae. The conspirators who were left in the city were soon caught in a treasonable act, and were arrested and strangled in prison by order of the senate. Afterwards Cicero was accused of having put Roman citizens to death without a trial, and was condemned to exile for a time. Creighton, p. 73.
12. Catilīna ipse: it was not until March of the next year (62 B.C.) that Catiline was surrounded, while attempting to escape into Gaul, and slain.
Ch. 16.
16. nūlla … fuit: in this triumph was displayed a list of 800 vessels, 1000 fortresses, and 300 cities captured, 39 cities repeopled, and 20,000 talents of gold brought to the treasury. “The great conqueror had now celebrated his third triumph. His first had been for victories in Africa, his second for the overthrow of Sertorius in Europe; he had now completed the illustrious cycle by inscribing on the list the name of Asia. Each section of the globe had succumbed to his prowess.”
Ch. 17.
23. C. Iūlius Caesar: Gaius Julius Caesar was born July 12, 100 B.C. He was of a patrician family, but from the first sided with the popular party. Many stories of his early youth are told. He became pontifex maximus, military tribune, and quaestor in succession. At this period he was noted chiefly as a dissolute debtor and a demagogue. In 62 B.C. he was elected praetor, and the next year went as propraetor to govern the province of Further Spain. In 60 B.C. he returned to Rome and formed a political coalition with Pompey and Crassus, known as the ‘First Triumvirate.’ In 59 B.C. he was elected consul, and, after the expiration of his year of office, entered on the governorship of Gaul and Illyricum for the period of five years. This was afterwards extended for another period of the same length. While governor of the province he conquered the Helvetians and a wandering band of the Germans who had come over into Gaul, crushed a revolt of the Nervii, defeated the Veneti and the Aquitani, and twice invaded Germany and Britain. It was Caesar’s intention to stand for the consulship a second time as soon as his term of office as governor of Gaul should expire. Pompey, meanwhile, had become jealous of Caesar’s power and had gone over to the senatorial party. A measure was passed by the senate declaring Caesar to be an outlaw unless he should disband his army and come to Rome a private citizen before a certain date. On Caesar’s refusal to do this, he was declared a public enemy, and preparations for war were made. Caesar advanced to Rome. Pompey fled to Greece, where he was defeated the following year at Pharsalus, and afterwards was murdered in Egypt. At the battle of Thapsus in Africa, 46 B.C., Caesar defeated the remaining leaders of the party, Cato and Scipio. This was the end of the war. He returned to Rome and was made imperator and perpetual dictator. He inaugurated several important reforms, among them a reform in the calendar. He formed many other plans which his death prevented him from executing. Finally, when it was thought that he was aiming at the kingly power, a conspiracy was formed, and he was assassinated on the fifteenth day of March, 44 B.C.
“While other illustrious men have been reputed great for their excellence in some one department of intellect, the concurrent voice of antiquity has declared that Caesar was great in all. ‘He had genius,’ says Cicero, ‘understanding, memory, taste, reflection, industry, and exactness.’” The Story of the Romans, p. 176; Creighton, p. 74; The Roman Triumvirates, Ch. 5.
imperāvit: ‘was emperor’; a late meaning.