The Mentor Julius Caesar 2

The Mentor Julius Caesar 2

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 6. No. 2, SERIAL No. 150

COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

 

 

 

 

[Illustration: THE ROMAN FORUM--IN THE TIME OF CÆSAR]

 

 

 

 

_JULIUS CÆSAR_

 

_Rome and Egypt_

 

THREE

 

 

Early in his career of conquest Alexander the Great subdued Egypt and

founded Alexandria (332 B. C.) This country proved the most valuable

part of his vast realm, and afterward of the Roman Empire. The valley

of the Nile is exceedingly fertile, well watered as it is from the

river, and continually enriched by the alluvial deposits from the

yearly overflow. The people were patient and laborious. For thousands

of years they had toiled like slaves for their Pharaohs, whom they

looked upon as gods, and who owned all the land and most of the wealth

of the kingdom. Naturally Alexander usurped the property rights and

the divine rights of the Pharaohs; and ultimately when Egypt fell as

a kingdom, to his general, Ptolemy, the latter succeeded to all these

advantages. For nearly three centuries Egypt was ruled by the dynasty

thus founded, in which each king bore the name Ptolemy, inherited from

his father. The king was proprietor, not only of all the land but also

of the extensive industrial plants and shipping. As Alexandria was the

greatest manufacturing and commercial center of the world, Ptolemy was

far the wealthiest capitalist. His military and civil officers were

Greeks; his soldiers were Greeks and other foreigners; so that with

his complex military and administrative machine he was able to govern

the Egyptians as a conquered people. In the eyes of the kings they

were mere producers of wealth; the official language was Greek, and

the majority of sovereigns did not take the pains to learn the native

speech.

 

At first remarkably competent, the Ptolemies gradually declined in

ability, and even before the birth of Cæsar had come to be subservient

to Rome. We may imagine with what longing the greedy Roman oligarchs

viewed this kingdom, and how persistent was the agitation for its

conquest.

 

Such an object Cæsar undoubtedly had in view when he sailed against

Alexandria with the pretext of settling a dispute between Ptolemy

and his sister Cleopatra. This fascinating woman convinced the Roman

general of the justice of her cause, and was accordingly placed on the

throne. Their mutual infatuation became the gossip of Rome when she

afterward visited that city. Though not beautiful, the Egyptian queen

was a charming woman. A talented linguist, she could dispense with an

interpreter in dealing with her subjects and with foreign princes. Fond

of music, literature, and art, she made a pleasing hostess, while her

gorgeous entertainments captivated her guests. She was gifted, too,

with an instinct for the various paths to men’s affections; and her

melodious voice and pretty ways won her desires from the strongest of

rulers. This demoniac fascination, coupled with an ambition to found a

great empire, made her one of the most powerful women in all history.

 

After Cæsar’s death Octavianus (Octavius--called Cæsar Augustus)

remained at Rome, while Antony governed the eastern half of the

empire. Soon he fell under the spell of Cleopatra, and gladly married

her that he might become, without conquest, king of Egypt. Political

motives underlay this romance: he wanted to add Egypt with its vast

wealth to his domain, while she, no less ambitious, viewed the chaos

at Rome as an opportunity to secure for herself Antony’s share of

the empire. Octavianus saw the will of Antony bending before his

consort’s superhuman fascination. Appreciating the danger to Rome,

he defeated Antony in a naval battle, 31 B. C., sailed to Egypt, and

with little trouble captured Alexandria. Seeing that all was lost, the

royal lovers committed suicide. Thus fell the last glorious remnant

of the Alexandrian kingdom. Henceforth it was but a part of the Roman

world-state.

 

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 6. No. 2, SERIAL No. 150

COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

 

 

 

 

[Illustration: ON EXHIBITION AT STERN BROS., N. Y. CITY.

 

CÆSAR CROSSING THE RUBICON, BY J. L. GÉRÔME]

 

 

 

 

_JULIUS CÆSAR_

 

_Cæsar as Author and General_

 

FOUR

 

 

Nowhere is the versatility of Julius Cæsar more clearly in evidence

than in his literary accomplishments, the majority of which

unfortunately have been lost. His scientific spirit is manifest in an

astronomical work, “Concerning the Stars,” which we do not have, but

which was doubtless connected with his reform of the calendar. As an

orator Cæsar was famed for his precise use of language, good taste,

and vivacious, forcible style of delivery, qualities as necessary to

his political career as to success in authorship. The “Dialogue on

Orators,” however, though highly praised by Cicero, has disappeared,

likewise his treatise on Grammar. The world no longer has his

collection of despatches and letters, many of them in cipher, or his

political pamphlets against Cato, who had been eulogized as “the martyr

of the Republic,” or his “Collective Sayings,” a veritable store-house

of satirical witticisms, or his many poems, with the exception of a

well-known criticism of Terence, the playwright.

 

We can only judge his varied literary talents by his “Commentaries

On the Gallic War” in seven books, and “On the Civil War” in three,

known to all schoolboys and college students. The former dictated

amidst anxiety and distraction were intended to show his ability and

courage as a general, to justify the moderation of his Gallic policy,

and to forestall attacks by political opponents. Written in the third

person, their modesty dispels the suspicion of egoism, yet the author

knew how, without violating the truth and without boasting, to display

his merits to the greatest possible advantage. The language is simple

and restrained yet vigorous and clear. There are thrilling moments,

for example, in the description of the ever-threatening danger of

Sabinus, or the exciting escape of Cicero, when the fort of Aduatuca

was endangered by a swoop of German marauders. Throughout the story

the natives, with their inferior civilization, their perfidies and

duplicities, are mere pigmies in the clutches of a giant. Like an

irresistible force of nature, the great Roman tramples down everything

in his path.

 

The same impassive restraint is shown in the “Civil War.” The work

contains fewer thrilling events; but dramatic movements like the

crossing of the Rubicon, grievances at the hands of his enemies, and

his frequent overtures for peace seldom fail to awaken the reader’s

sympathy. The word “commentaries,” applied to these books, signifies

merely “notes,” as the author himself regarded them; but in the

judgment of after ages they are model historical narratives.

 

From the “Commentaries,” too, we may form an estimate of Cæsar the

general. In knowledge of the technical departments of warfare he has

had few superiors. He knew how to enroll and organize vast numbers

of raw recruits, and to transform them rapidly into trained military

units. The ease with which he overcame the dangers and difficulties

constantly confronting him testify to his consummate tactics and

strategy. He was without a peer in practical psychology--a prime

factor in successful generalship. This quality enabled him to read and

understand the feelings of adversaries as well as of his own men. He

possessed coolness, too, and self-control to an extraordinary degree,

which served to win the confidence and affection of his troops, and to

discourage panic and disaster. He was, moreover, a just critic, eager

to praise, slow to blame. His inherent generosity willingly recognized

and rewarded merit in officers and men. Cæsar was especially fond of

his centurions--the flower of those who had risen from the ranks. Often

without political or family ties, they fought and died for him alone.

Though of slight physique and generally in poor health, through simple

living and sheer force of will Cæsar bore many arduous campaigns,

often marching on foot with his men. It was this unfailing vigor and

resolution, manifesting itself in acts of heroic daring, which gave

courage and moral determination to his forces.

 

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 6. No. 2, SERIAL No. 150

COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

 

 

 

 

[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPHED FROM A PRINT

 

THE DEATH OF CÆSAR, BY J L. GÉRÔME.]

 

 

 

 

_JULIUS CÆSAR_

 

_Cæsar’s Associates and Opponents_

 

FIVE

 

 

The most distinguished of Cæsar’s contemporaries was Cicero. With an

exceptional education, he entered politics, where, in spite of scant

means and ignoble ancestry, he finally attained to the consulship,

63 B. C. Throughout his career, an ardent supporter of the Republic,

he opposed the arbitrary rule of Cæsar; and in the Civil War he

favored the Senatorial party. In the troubles following Cæsar’s

murder Cicero heroically defended the Republic in many a brilliant oration; and in this cause he sacrificed his life. Though possessed of many noble qualities, his vacillation, artistic temperament, and supersensitiveness unfitted him for statesmanship.