Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . CHAPTER XV. CIVIL WAR IN ITALY AND ^SAR had made no prepara^tions for such a contingencyas a declaration of war. Hir^tius, who knew him well andwas an honest soldier whoseword can be relied on, saysthat Caesar fully believed thatas soon as the Senate couldregain its freedom of action,it would approve his cause.^He refused to listen to unpleasant reports aboutLabienus, whom he had set over the Cisalpineprovince during his last visit to Further Gaul; andfor some time this strategical key to Italy wasactually in the han
Julius Caesar and the foundation of the Roman imperial system . CHAPTER XV. CIVIL WAR IN ITALY AND ^SAR had made no prepara^tions for such a contingencyas a declaration of war. Hir^tius, who knew him well andwas an honest soldier whoseword can be relied on, saysthat Caesar fully believed thatas soon as the Senate couldregain its freedom of action,it would approve his cause.^He refused to listen to unpleasant reports aboutLabienus, whom he had set over the Cisalpineprovince during his last visit to Further Gaul; andfor some time this strategical key to Italy wasactually in the hands of a man who was secretlyplotting against his chief, and was soon to be hisbitterest enemy. And when at last Caesar arrived. * Hirtius, B. G., viii., 52. 258 49 ] Civil War iit Italy and Spain. 259 and superseded him, he brought only a single legionwith him, though the year was drawing to a close,the consuls elect were hostile to him, and Pompeiushad actually been entrusted with the task of raisinglevies throughout Italy. Those who think that every-thing Caesar did was the result of deep calculationmust find it hard to explain these facts. But anyone who can fairly divest his mind of thenotion of Caesars craft, and can read without preju-dice the books on the Civil War, will not be likelyto find himself forced to retreat on his old books, with the whole story of the rest ofCaesars life, seem to tell another tale. An extra-ordinary confidence in his own good fortune, leadingto serious rashness and risk, an almost blind beliefin the faithfulness of all his friends and helpers, anda persistent desire to avoid shedding the blood ofRoman citizens,—these are the characteristics whichastonish us
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