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On the Shores of the Great Sea, 51. The Flight of Pompey

51. The Flight of Pompey

"Oh you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not Pompey?" —SHAKSPERE.

Cæsar now assembled his soldiers on the banks of the river Rubicon, which divided Italy from Gaul. The Romans still thought his heart might fail or his troops desert him. But neither of these things happened. True, it is said, that for a moment, the great conqueror paused.

Suddenly dismayed by the greatness of his undertaking, he asked himself, was he right to bring so much trouble on his countrymen? The destinies of the Roman nation hung on his decision. Then, as if acting on some sudden impulse, he cried, "The die is cast." So saying he urged his charger through the stream. The Rubicon was crossed. He was on his way to Rome. There could be no turning back now.

The news reached Rome. Cæsar's charger had been seen on the Apennine hills. He was coming at last. Pompey did not hesitate. In flight lay his only safety. Up rose consuls and senators, and leaving their wives and children to their fate, they fled for their lives, with Pompey, out of Rome. They played the part of cowards, and in the old Roman days, men would not have deserted their city like this.

"It is all panic and blunder," cried Cicero; "the flight of the Senate, the departure of the magistrates, the closing of the treasury, will not stop Cæsar—I am broken-hearted." Pompey could not raise an army by land, but the sea was his. His was the East with all its treasures, his the fleets of the Mediterranean. Cæsar might win for the moment, but Pompey had the naval power to bring against Italy.

So Cæsar entered Rome in peace. He soon left it again for Spain, where he went to prepare an army and a fleet to fight against Pompey.

"I go," he said to the Romans—"I go to engage an army without a general: I shall return, to attack a general, without an army." The Romans at once made him Dictator, and he set out for his chase after Pompey. Pompey was in Greece preparing for his great invasion of Italy. It was early in January, just a year since he had crossed the Rubicon, that Cæsar sailed from Brindisi for Greece. Pompey's admiral, from the heights of Corfu, saw his ship. He had let Cæsar pass, but he would not let his soldiers and ships pass in the same way. So Cæsar waited on one side of the Adriatic and his ships and troops on the other. The months passed on and Cæsar watched in vain for the sails of his ships.

There is an old story that says he at last made up his mind to row over to Brindisi and see what had happened. He hired a boat of twelve oars, disguised himself as a slave, crept on board in the night-time, and lay down at the bottom of the boat. It was very rough and the waves were dashing very high on the Greek coast, so high, indeed, as to render the crossing very dangerous. The master of the boat ordered the rowers to turn back. Then the disguised slave arose.

"Go forward, my friend," shouted the great Cæsar, above the roar of wave and wind. "Fear nothing, you carry Cæsar and his fortunes." The rivals for Roman power met at last, in Greece, and Pompey was defeated once and for ever by Cæsar. Pompey's fall was complete. He escaped secretly on foot to the coast, and getting on board a merchant vessel, sailed to Mitylene, where his wife and son were waiting. His wife received the news with tears, and sinking into Pompey's arms, she cried, "Ah that I should see you reduced to one poor vessel, who were wont to sail in these seas with a fleet of five hundred ships!" Putting his wife and son on board, Pompey now sailed down the coast of Asia Minor, then across to Cyprus, and on to Egypt. Egypt was under Roman influence, though not exactly a Roman province, and here the fugitive might gain protection.

The country was under a boy king, called Ptolemy, and his sister Cleopatra. Pompey anchored at sea and sent to the young king for permission to land. He was invited to come ashore, and saying good-bye to his wife, he stepped into the boat sent for him. As he stepped ashore, he was treacherously murdered, his head cut off, and his body thrown back into the sea. A devoted slave whom Pompey had set free, watched for the body to be washed on shore; then he wrapped it in his shirt and buried it in the sand, and so the last rites were performed for one, who but a short time since, was second to none in Rome.

Meanwhile Cæsar had been following his fallen foe. Hearing that he had sailed for Egypt, he took ship and landed at Alexandria, to be received by the news of Pompey's death. Hoping to please him, the head of his rival was brought him. From it, he turned in horror and burst into tears, for Pompey had once been his friend.

51. The Flight of Pompey 51. Die Flucht des Pompejus 51. La huida de Pompeyo 51. La fuite de Pompée 51. La fuga di Pompeo 51. Ucieczka Pompejusza 51. Бегство Помпея

"Oh you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not Pompey?" "Oh ihr harten Herzen, ihr grausamen Männer Roms, kanntet ihr nicht Pompejus?" "О вы, жестокие сердца, вы, жестокие люди Рима, Не знали ли вы Помпея?" —SHAKSPERE.

Cæsar now assembled his soldiers on the banks of the river Rubicon, which divided Italy from Gaul. The Romans still thought his heart might fail or his troops desert him. Die Römer dachten immer noch, dass sein Herz versagen oder seine Truppen ihn im Stich lassen könnten. But neither of these things happened. True, it is said, that for a moment, the great conqueror paused.

Suddenly dismayed by the greatness of his undertaking, he asked himself, was he right to bring so much trouble on his countrymen? The destinies of the Roman nation hung on his decision. От его решения зависели судьбы римского народа. Then, as if acting on some sudden impulse, he cried, "The die is cast." Dann rief er wie aus einem plötzlichen Impuls heraus: "Die Würfel sind gefallen". Затем, словно под влиянием какого-то внезапного импульса, он воскликнул: "Жребий брошен". So saying he urged his charger through the stream. Mit diesen Worten trieb er sein Pferd durch den Bach. The Rubicon was crossed. He was on his way to Rome. There could be no turning back now.

The news reached Rome. Cæsar's charger had been seen on the Apennine hills. На Апеннинских холмах видели колесницу Цезаря. He was coming at last. Endlich war er da. Pompey did not hesitate. In flight lay his only safety. Up rose consuls and senators, and leaving their wives and children to their fate, they fled for their lives, with Pompey, out of Rome. They played the part of cowards, and in the old Roman days, men would not have deserted their city like this. Sie spielten die Rolle von Feiglingen, und in der alten römischen Zeit hätten die Männer ihre Stadt nicht auf diese Weise im Stich gelassen.

"It is all panic and blunder," cried Cicero; "the flight of the Senate, the departure of the magistrates, the closing of the treasury, will not stop Cæsar—I am broken-hearted." "Es ist alles Panik und Dummheit", rief Cicero; "die Flucht des Senats, die Abreise der Magistrate, die Schließung der Schatzkammern werden Cæsar nicht aufhalten - ich bin untröstlich." Pompey could not raise an army by land, but the sea was his. Pompejus konnte keine Armee auf dem Landweg aufstellen, aber das Meer gehörte ihm. His was the East with all its treasures, his the fleets of the Mediterranean. Ihm gehörte der Osten mit all seinen Schätzen, ihm gehörten die Flotten des Mittelmeers. Cæsar might win for the moment, but Pompey had the naval power to bring against Italy.

So Cæsar entered Rome in peace. He soon left it again for Spain, where he went to prepare an army and a fleet to fight against Pompey.

"I go," he said to the Romans—"I go to engage an army without a general: I shall return, to attack a general, without an army." "Ich gehe", sagte er zu den Römern, "ich gehe, um eine Armee ohne General anzugreifen: Ich werde zurückkehren, um einen General anzugreifen, ohne eine Armee. The Romans at once made him Dictator, and he set out for his chase after Pompey. Die Römer ernannten ihn sofort zum Diktator, und er machte sich auf die Jagd nach Pompejus. Pompey was in Greece preparing for his great invasion of Italy. It was early in January, just a year since he had crossed the Rubicon, that Cæsar sailed from Brindisi for Greece. Pompey's admiral, from the heights of Corfu, saw his ship. Pompejus' Admiral sah von den Höhen von Korfu aus sein Schiff. He had let Cæsar pass, but he would not let his soldiers and ships pass in the same way. So Cæsar waited on one side of the Adriatic and his ships and troops on the other. The months passed on and Cæsar watched in vain for the sails of his ships.

There is an old story that says he at last made up his mind to row over to Brindisi and see what had happened. He hired a boat of twelve oars, disguised himself as a slave, crept on board in the night-time, and lay down at the bottom of the boat. It was very rough and the waves were dashing very high on the Greek coast, so high, indeed, as to render the crossing very dangerous. Es war sehr rau und die Wellen schlugen an der griechischen Küste sehr hoch, so hoch, dass die Überfahrt sehr gefährlich war. The master of the boat ordered the rowers to turn back. Then the disguised slave arose.

"Go forward, my friend," shouted the great Cæsar, above the roar of wave and wind. "Geh vorwärts, mein Freund", rief der große Cæsar über das Tosen von Wellen und Wind hinweg. "Fear nothing, you carry Cæsar and his fortunes." "Fürchte dich nicht, du trägst Cæsar und sein Vermögen." The rivals for Roman power met at last, in Greece, and Pompey was defeated once and for ever by Cæsar. Pompey's fall was complete. He escaped secretly on foot to the coast, and getting on board a merchant vessel, sailed to Mitylene, where his wife and son were waiting. His wife received the news with tears, and sinking into Pompey's arms, she cried, "Ah that I should see you reduced to one poor vessel, who were wont to sail in these seas with a fleet of five hundred ships!" Seine Frau nahm die Nachricht mit Tränen auf, sank in Pompejus' Arme und rief: "Ach, dass ich dich auf ein einziges armes Schiff reduziert sehe, wo du doch sonst mit einer Flotte von fünfhundert Schiffen durch diese Meere fährst!" Putting his wife and son on board, Pompey now sailed down the coast of Asia Minor, then across to Cyprus, and on to Egypt. Egypt was under Roman influence, though not exactly a Roman province, and here the fugitive might gain protection.

The country was under a boy king, called Ptolemy, and his sister Cleopatra. Pompey anchored at sea and sent to the young king for permission to land. He was invited to come ashore, and saying good-bye to his wife, he stepped into the boat sent for him. As he stepped ashore, he was treacherously murdered, his head cut off, and his body thrown back into the sea. A devoted slave whom Pompey had set free, watched for the body to be washed on shore; then he wrapped it in his shirt and buried it in the sand, and so the last rites were performed for one, who but a short time since, was second to none in Rome. Ein ergebener Sklave, den Pompejus freigelassen hatte, sorgte dafür, dass der Leichnam ans Ufer gespült wurde; dann wickelte er ihn in sein Hemd und vergrub ihn im Sand, und so wurden die letzten Riten für einen vollzogen, der noch vor kurzem in Rom unübertroffen war.

Meanwhile Cæsar had been following his fallen foe. In der Zwischenzeit hatte Cæsar seinen gefallenen Feind verfolgt. Hearing that he had sailed for Egypt, he took ship and landed at Alexandria, to be received by the news of Pompey's death. Hoping to please him, the head of his rival was brought him. From it, he turned in horror and burst into tears, for Pompey had once been his friend.