Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . sed at last, let it be known through his father-in-law, Scipio, that if the Senate wished for help fromhim. they must act now or never. All attempts atdelay were roughly put aside ; the majority that hadvoted some months before for a general disarma-ment, frightened by these threats and by the presenceof Pompeius soldiery in the city, now passed adecree ordering Caesar to give up his provinces andarmy by a fixed date (possibly by July ist, the lastday on which he could become a candidate for theconsulship), on pain of being procla
Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . sed at last, let it be known through his father-in-law, Scipio, that if the Senate wished for help fromhim. they must act now or never. All attempts atdelay were roughly put aside ; the majority that hadvoted some months before for a general disarma-ment, frightened by these threats and by the presenceof Pompeius soldiery in the city, now passed adecree ordering Caesar to give up his provinces andarmy by a fixed date (possibly by July ist, the lastday on which he could become a candidate for theconsulship), on pain of being proclaimed a publicenemy. Antonius and Curio put their tribunicianveto on this decree. Several days were spent in dis-cussing the legality of this veto, during which everyattempt to communicate with Caesar was length, on January 7th, the decisive step wastaken. The consuls were authorised, by that onceterrible decree under which Cicero had put to deaththe conspirators fourteen years before, to see thatthe Republic took no hurt. A state of war was then. MARCUS ANTONIUS. FROM THE BUST IN THE UFFIZI GALLERY IN FLORENCE {VtSContt). ( Ba 71 fttetster.) 49 ] Outbreak of Civil War, 257 declared, and Caesars tribunes were no longer secureof their lives. They fled to their master at Ravenna,and the Senate immediately proceeded to appointsuccessors to the Gallic provinces, to order freshlevies and supplies, to place the whole resources ofthe state in the hands of Pompeius. On that daythe Senate sealed its own fate ; and though the greatCouncil had yet in the future much valuable workto do, it never met again, save for a few short weeksin the winter that followed C^Esars death, as theindependent ruler of the civilised world17
Size: 1212px × 2061px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectcaesarjulius, booksubjectgenerals
