Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . CHAPTER XVIII. Caesars use of absolute H E reader has by this time madea close acquaintance with thepersonality of the man towhom the destinies of theworld were for a short spacecommitted. In following hisown account of the Gallicand Civil wars, this personal-ity has been continually beforeus. Its leading features canhardly be misinterpreted by anyone who is willingto abide by what is believed to be historic truth,and to set aside the doubtful accumulations of gos-sip and scandal. And now that we have reachedthe p
Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . CHAPTER XVIII. Caesars use of absolute H E reader has by this time madea close acquaintance with thepersonality of the man towhom the destinies of theworld were for a short spacecommitted. In following hisown account of the Gallicand Civil wars, this personal-ity has been continually beforeus. Its leading features canhardly be misinterpreted by anyone who is willingto abide by what is believed to be historic truth,and to set aside the doubtful accumulations of gos-sip and scandal. And now that we have reachedthe point where Caesar found himself at last un-disputed master of the Empire, we may safelyleave the man and turn to his work—or rather tothat nobler part of his work which was no longerthe direct result of personal struggle, self-regarding 326. 49 ] CcBsar s Use of Absolute Power. 327 aims, or even of an unrivalled talent for the conductof war. Caesars work marks the consummation of a seriesof revolutionary tendencies which had been gainingstrength for generations, and even for tendencies are from time to time perceived andinterpreted by statesmen like Gains Gracchus, whosereason and sympathy combine to qualify them asrevolutionary leaders and spokesmen ; but humannature is in spite of itself so intensely conservative,that it would seem to need every favourable circum-stance,—the right man to lead, an overwhelmingmaterial force, a universal cry of discontent,—nay,even an almost universal lowering of the moral stand-ard, before the world can shake itself free of oldtrammels, and begin again in freedom and Ithas been one object of this book so far to show thatin the world of Caesars time almost every ingredientwas present that could lead to a revolutionary explo-sion : a low moral standard ; a pre
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