in Africa, with
Cato and Cnaeus Pompeius, the eldest son of the great leader, and Caesar
had to follow them thither. He gave them a great defeat at Thapsus, and
the remnant took refuge in the city of Utica, whither Caesar followed
them. They would have stood a siege, but the townspeople would not
consent, and Cato sent off all his party by sea, and remained alone with
his son and a few of his friends, not to face the conqueror, but to die
by his own sword ere he came, as the Romans had learned from Stoic
philosophy to think the nobler part.

[Illustration: FUNERAL SOLEMNITIES IN THE COLUMBARIUM (lit. _Pigeon-house_)
OF THE HOUSE OF JULIUS CAESAR AT THE PORTA CAPENA IN ROME.

(The rows of niches for the cinerary urns in a Roman sepulchre were
called by this name from their resemblance to a dovecot.)]

Such of the Senate as had not joined Pompeius were ready to fall down
and worship Caesar when he came home. So rejoiced was Rome to fear no
proscription, that temples were dedicated to Caesar's clemency, and his
image was to be carried in procession with those of the gods. He was
named Dictator for ten years, and was received with four triumphs--over
the Gauls, over the Egyptians, over Pharnaces, and over Juba, an African
king who had aided Cato. Foremost of the Gaulish prisoners was the brave
Vercingetorix, and among the Egyptians, Arsinoe, the sister of
Cleopatra. A banquet was given at his cost to the whole Roman people,
and the shows of gladiators and beasts surpassed all that had ever been
seen. The Julii were said to be descended from AEneas and to Venus, as
his ancestress, Caesar dedicated a breastplate of pearls from the river
mussels of Britain. Still, however, he had to go to Spain to reduce the
sons of Pompeius. They were defeated in battle, the elder was killed,
but Cnaeus, the younger, held out in the mountains and hid himself among
the natives.

After this, Caesar returned to Rome to carry out his plans. He was
dictator for ten years and consul for five, and was also imperator or
commander of an army he was not made to disband, so that he nearly was
as powerful as any king; and, as he saw that such an enormous domain as
Rome now possessed could never be governed by two magistrates changing
every year, he prepared matters for there being one ruler. The influence
of the Senate, too, he weakened very much by naming a great many persons
to it of no rank or distinction, till there were nine hundred members,
an