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On the Shores of the Great Sea, 50. Julius Caesar

50. Julius Caesar

"Veni, vidi, vici"—"I came, I saw, I conquered." —CÆSAR.

Let us take a look at this Cæsar, whose name and deeds are talked of still, though nearly two thousand years have rolled away, since he lived and died in far-off Rome. He was now growing up, in his father's house, a tall handsome youth, with dark piercing eyes, a sallow face, somewhat thick lips, and a high forehead. As quite a young boy, he must have seen and heard much, about his country. He must have known well, his uncle Marius, who was a great soldier and did much for Rome, till he was exiled in disgrace, by those he had tried to serve. Sulla, the rival of Marius, he knew well too, for had not this powerful Dictator uttered the ominous words—"I charge you to look after this youth with the loose girdle, for in this young Cæsar, there is many a Marius"? Having incurred Sulla's wrath, Cæsar joined the Roman army and left Italy. He distinguished himself in the field, both in Asia and in Spain, and returned to Rome to find the work of his life.

He was now a marked man; he had spoken in the Senate; he had been consul; he had pleaded in favour of the appointment of Pompey to his high commands, and Pompey had married his daughter Julia. It was to him the Romans now looked, to rid them of a great danger, which threatened them in the north. Gaul and Germany were once more in a state of great unrest, and might at any time let loose their wild armies, in the plains of North Italy. Cæsar was forty-two, when he left Rome to take up his military command in Gaul.

As a younger man, reading the life of Alexander the Great, he had burst into tears, and on being asked the reason he had answered, "Do you not think I have just cause to weep, when I consider that Alexander at my age, had conquered so many nations, and I have all this time done nothing that is memorable?" He was yet to make himself a name as great, if not greater, than his hero. To subdue these restless tribes beyond the Alps—the country we now know as Switzerland, France, and Germany—was Cæsar's object in life, and to establish the power of Rome over them. New countries, undreamt of by Rome, were now discovered, by the ever-advancing army under Cæsar. Across the great German Rhine, and over the French Seine, he passed, conquering and subduing the fierce tribes, which fell back before the trained Roman legions, under their great commander. Arrived at the north of France, Cæsar looked across the Channel from Calais and saw the white cliffs on the English coast.

No one could tell him anything of that country, so, one calm evening, he sailed from the coast of France, and morning found him off the coast of Dover. The white cliffs were lined with painted warriors, waving lances, and ready to hurl large stones into Cæsar's ship, if he attempted to land. Calling his officers round him, while his fleet collected, he ordered them to move along the coast with the tide. The Britons followed by the cliffs, scrambling along with their cars and horses. It was evident they meant to oppose any landing.

Cæsar anchored near the shore, but the water was up to the shoulders of the Roman soldiers. Then an officer sprang into the sea, waving the standard of the Roman eagle, and cried to his men to follow. With a great cheer the men sprang overboard. The Britons rode their horses into the waves and for a time stopped their progress, but the Romans managed to land and the Britons galloped away. Some sharp fighting took place on land, but the wild tribes were no match for the Romans.

It was now nine years since Cæsar had left Rome. Now he had made a name indeed for himself. He was returning to lay at his country's feet, a province larger than Spain, new lands of which the Romans had never heard, warriors devoted to himself, and a detailed history of all his doings. His countrymen had watched his career steadily. The Senate had listened to every story of his marches and battles, his perils and victories, as they were recited one by one.

"Cæsar has not only repulsed the Gauls, he has conquered them," cried Cicero, one of the greatest of Romans. "The Alps were once the barrier between Italy and the barbarians; the gods placed them there, for that very purpose—to shelter Rome in the weakness of her infancy. Now let them sink and welcome; from the Alps to the ocean she has no enemy to fear." But there was one man in Rome who watched Cæsar's growing power with dismay. It was Pompey, now consul of Rome. He dreaded the return and triumph of this great conqueror, whose name was on every lip, of whose genius none could speak too highly. The return of Cæsar would mean the fall of Pompey, for Cæsar had been promised the consulship. The state of Rome was very corrupt at this time. Men were afraid of offending Pompey; they were yet more afraid of Cæsar, with his legions in the north. Day by day matters grew worse; was it to be peace or war?

The answer was not long in coming. It was war.

50. Julius Caesar 50. Julius Cäsar 50. Julio César 50.ジュリアス・シーザー

"Veni, vidi, vici"—"I came, I saw, I conquered." "Veni, vidi, vici" - "Ich kam, ich sah, ich siegte". —CÆSAR.

Let us take a look at this Cæsar, whose name and deeds are talked of still, though nearly two thousand years have rolled away, since he lived and died in far-off Rome. Werfen wir einen Blick auf diesen Cæsar, von dessen Namen und Taten man noch immer spricht, obwohl fast zweitausend Jahre vergangen sind, seit er im fernen Rom lebte und starb. He was now growing up, in his father's house, a tall handsome youth, with dark piercing eyes, a sallow face, somewhat thick lips, and a high forehead. Er wuchs nun im Haus seines Vaters auf, ein großer, hübscher Junge mit dunklen, stechenden Augen, einem blassen Gesicht, etwas dicken Lippen und einer hohen Stirn. As quite a young boy, he must have seen and heard much, about his country. Schon als kleiner Junge muss er viel über sein Land gesehen und gehört haben. He must have known well, his uncle Marius, who was a great soldier and did much for Rome, till he was exiled in disgrace, by those he had tried to serve. Er muss seinen Onkel Marius gut gekannt haben, der ein großer Soldat war und viel für Rom getan hat, bis er von denen, denen er zu dienen versucht hatte, in Ungnade verbannt wurde. Sulla, the rival of Marius, he knew well too, for had not this powerful Dictator uttered the ominous words—"I charge you to look after this youth with the loose girdle, for in this young Cæsar, there is many a Marius"? Auch Sulla, den Rivalen des Marius, kannte er gut, denn hatte dieser mächtige Diktator nicht die unheilvollen Worte gesprochen: "Ich befehle dir, dich um diesen Jüngling mit dem losen Gürtel zu kümmern, denn in diesem jungen Cæsar steckt so mancher Marius"? Having incurred Sulla's wrath, Cæsar joined the Roman army and left Italy. Nachdem er Sullas Zorn auf sich gezogen hatte, schloss sich Cæsar der römischen Armee an und verließ Italien. He distinguished himself in the field, both in Asia and in Spain, and returned to Rome to find the work of his life. Er zeichnete sich sowohl in Asien als auch in Spanien aus und kehrte nach Rom zurück, um das Werk seines Lebens zu finden.

He was now a marked man; he had spoken in the Senate; he had been consul; he had pleaded in favour of the appointment of Pompey to his high commands, and Pompey had married his daughter Julia. Er war nun ein angesehener Mann; er hatte im Senat gesprochen; er war Konsul gewesen; er hatte sich für die Ernennung von Pompejus zu seinem Oberbefehlshaber eingesetzt, und Pompejus hatte seine Tochter Julia geheiratet. It was to him the Romans now looked, to rid them of a great danger, which threatened them in the north. Er war es, auf den die Römer nun blickten, um eine große Gefahr zu bannen, die ihnen im Norden drohte. Gaul and Germany were once more in a state of great unrest, and might at any time let loose their wild armies, in the plains of North Italy. Gallien und Deutschland befanden sich erneut in großer Unruhe und konnten jederzeit ihre wilden Armeen in den Ebenen Norditaliens loslassen. Cæsar was forty-two, when he left Rome to take up his military command in Gaul. Cæsar war zweiundvierzig Jahre alt, als er Rom verließ, um sein militärisches Kommando in Gallien anzutreten.

As a younger man, reading the life of Alexander the Great, he had burst into tears, and on being asked the reason he had answered, "Do you not think I have just cause to weep, when I consider that Alexander at my age, had conquered so many nations, and I have all this time done nothing that is memorable?" Als junger Mann war er bei der Lektüre des Lebens von Alexander dem Großen in Tränen ausgebrochen, und auf die Frage nach dem Grund dafür hatte er geantwortet: "Meinst du nicht, dass ich Grund zum Weinen habe, wenn ich bedenke, dass Alexander in meinem Alter so viele Völker erobert hat und ich die ganze Zeit nichts Bemerkenswertes getan habe?" He was yet to make himself a name as great, if not greater, than his hero. Er war dabei, sich einen ebenso großen, wenn nicht größeren Namen zu machen als sein Held. To subdue these restless tribes beyond the Alps—the country we now know as Switzerland, France, and Germany—was Cæsar's object in life, and to establish the power of Rome over them. Die Unterwerfung dieser unruhigen Stämme jenseits der Alpen - das Land, das wir heute als Schweiz, Frankreich und Deutschland kennen - war Cæsars Lebensziel, um die Macht Roms über sie zu etablieren. New countries, undreamt of by Rome, were now discovered, by the ever-advancing army under Cæsar. Neue Länder, von denen Rom nicht einmal zu träumen gewagt hatte, wurden nun von der immer weiter vorrückenden Armee unter Cæsar entdeckt. Across the great German Rhine, and over the French Seine, he passed, conquering and subduing the fierce tribes, which fell back before the trained Roman legions, under their great commander. Er überquerte den großen deutschen Rhein und die französische Seine, eroberte und unterwarf die wilden Stämme, die vor den ausgebildeten römischen Legionen unter ihrem großen Feldherrn zurückwichen. Arrived at the north of France, Cæsar looked across the Channel from Calais and saw the white cliffs on the English coast. Im Norden Frankreichs angekommen, blickte Cæsar von Calais aus über den Kanal und sah die weißen Klippen der englischen Küste.

No one could tell him anything of that country, so, one calm evening, he sailed from the coast of France, and morning found him off the coast of Dover. Niemand konnte ihm etwas über dieses Land sagen, und so segelte er eines ruhigen Abends von der französischen Küste ab und fand sich am Morgen vor der Küste von Dover wieder. The white cliffs were lined with painted warriors, waving lances, and ready to hurl large stones into Cæsar's ship, if he attempted to land. Die weißen Klippen waren von bemalten Kriegern gesäumt, die Lanzen schwenkten und bereit waren, große Steine in Cæsars Schiff zu schleudern, wenn er versuchte, an Land zu gehen. Calling his officers round him, while his fleet collected, he ordered them to move along the coast with the tide. Er rief seine Offiziere zu sich, während sich seine Flotte sammelte, und befahl ihnen, mit der Flut an der Küste entlang zu fahren. The Britons followed by the cliffs, scrambling along with their cars and horses. Die Briten folgten an den Klippen entlang und kletterten mit ihren Autos und Pferden hinterher. It was evident they meant to oppose any landing. Es war klar, dass sie sich jeder Landung widersetzen wollten.

Cæsar anchored near the shore, but the water was up to the shoulders of the Roman soldiers. Cæsar ankerte in Ufernähe, aber das Wasser stand den römischen Soldaten bis zu den Schultern. Then an officer sprang into the sea, waving the standard of the Roman eagle, and cried to his men to follow. With a great cheer the men sprang overboard. The Britons rode their horses into the waves and for a time stopped their progress, but the Romans managed to land and the Britons galloped away. Die Briten ritten mit ihren Pferden in die Wellen und hielten ihr Vorankommen eine Zeit lang auf, aber die Römer konnten an Land gehen und die Briten galoppierten davon. Some sharp fighting took place on land, but the wild tribes were no match for the Romans.

It was now nine years since Cæsar had left Rome. Now he had made a name indeed for himself. Nun hatte er sich tatsächlich einen Namen gemacht. He was returning to lay at his country's feet, a province larger than Spain, new lands of which the Romans had never heard, warriors devoted to himself, and a detailed history of all his doings. Er kehrte zurück, um seinem Land eine Provinz zu Füßen zu legen, die größer war als Spanien, neue Länder, von denen die Römer noch nie gehört hatten, Krieger, die ihm ergeben waren, und eine detaillierte Geschichte all seiner Taten. His countrymen had watched his career steadily. The Senate had listened to every story of his marches and battles, his perils and victories, as they were recited one by one.

"Cæsar has not only repulsed the Gauls, he has conquered them," cried Cicero, one of the greatest of Romans. "The Alps were once the barrier between Italy and the barbarians; the gods placed them there, for that very purpose—to shelter Rome in the weakness of her infancy. "Die Alpen waren einst die Barriere zwischen Italien und den Barbaren; die Götter haben sie genau zu diesem Zweck errichtet, um Rom in der Schwäche seiner Kindheit zu schützen. Now let them sink and welcome; from the Alps to the ocean she has no enemy to fear." But there was one man in Rome who watched Cæsar's growing power with dismay. It was Pompey, now consul of Rome. He dreaded the return and triumph of this great conqueror, whose name was on every lip, of whose genius none could speak too highly. Er fürchtete die Rückkehr und den Triumph dieses großen Eroberers, dessen Name in aller Munde war und dessen Genialität niemand zu hoch einschätzen konnte. The return of Cæsar would mean the fall of Pompey, for Cæsar had been promised the consulship. Die Rückkehr von Cæsar würde den Sturz von Pompejus bedeuten, denn Cæsar war das Konsulat versprochen worden. The state of Rome was very corrupt at this time. Men were afraid of offending Pompey; they were yet more afraid of Cæsar, with his legions in the north. Die Menschen fürchteten sich davor, Pompejus zu beleidigen; noch mehr fürchteten sie sich vor Cæsar mit seinen Legionen im Norden. Day by day matters grew worse; was it to be peace or war? Von Tag zu Tag verschlimmerte sich die Lage; sollte es Frieden oder Krieg geben?

The answer was not long in coming. It was war.