them--a punishment he had
frequently threatened them with in sport when he was their prisoner. He
then repaired to Rhodes, where he studied under Apollonius for a short
time, but soon afterward crossed over into Asia, on the outbreak of the
Mithridatic war in B.C. 74. Here, although he held no public office, he
collected troops on his own authority, and repulsed the commander of the
king, and then returned to Rome in the same year, in consequence of
having been elected Pontiff during his absence. His affable manners,
and, still more, his unbounded liberality, won the hearts of the people.

Caesar obtained the Quaestorship in B.C. 68. In this year he lost his aunt
Julia, the widow of Marius, and his own wife Cornelia. He pronounced
orations over both of them in the forum, in which he took the
opportunity of passing a panegyric upon the former leaders of the
popular party. At the funeral of his aunt he caused the images of Marius
to be carried in the procession: they were welcomed with loud
acclamations by the people, who were delighted to see their former
favorite brought, as it were, into public again.

Caesar warmly supported the Gabinian and Manilian Laws, which bestowed
upon Pompey the command against the pirates and Mithridates. These
measures, as we have already seen, were opposed by the aristocracy, and
widened still farther the breach between them and Pompey. In B.C. 65
Caesar was Curule AEdile along with M. Bibulus, and still farther
increased his popularity by the splendid games which he exhibited. He
now took a step which openly proclaimed him the leader of the Marian
party. He caused the statues of Marius and the Cimbrian trophies, which
had been all destroyed by Sulla, to be privately restored and placed at
night in the Capitol. In the morning the city was in the highest state
of excitement; the veterans of Marius cried with joy at beholding his
countenance once more, and greeted Caesar with shouts of applause. Q.
Catulus brought the conduct of Caesar before the notice of the Senate,
but the popular excitement was so great that they thought it better to
let the matter drop.

In Caesar's AEdileship the first Catilinarian conspiracy occurred, and
from this time his history forms a portion of that of the times. But
before passing on, the early life of another distinguished man, the
greatest of Roman orators, also claims our notice.

M. TULLIUS CICERO was born at Arpinum in B.C. 106, and consequently in
the