[Transpost] Caesar and His Fortune (1)

"Well, well, sir, we have got you now!"

"No doubt," said the young Roman, whom the pirates had just brought as prisoner to their island; "but of course you will let me go if my friends pay a ransom?"

"Certainly."

"How much do you ask?"

"Twenty talents." ($20000)

"Is that all?" laughed Julius Caesar. "I will promise you fifty." He sent a number of friends to the nearest city to procure the money.

In the meantime, he made himself at home among the fierce Cilician priates. For 38 days he dwelt on the island, and treated the sea-robbers as if he were their lord, not a mere captive. "When I am free again, " he said to them, "I shall return here and kill you."

They smiled at his frank talk.

The ransom arrived. Julius departed, assembled a fleet of vessels, sailed back to the priates' hold, and , true to his dreadful word, put them all to death. Young as he was, he already had a stem and iron will. And if you think he was cruel toward the pirates, you must bear in mind that men in those days (as is too often in the case now) thought it right to crush enemies without mercy.

In Rome young Caesar was famous for his ready tongue. Persons who needed defense against any accusation were glad to have Caesar speak on their behalf.

Hefound his way into the hearts of the people. They admired Pompey (a Roman general), but they loved Caesar. And one day he was to rise over all others, and stand as master of the Roman world, by sea and land.

Marius, the general who ate dry bread, of whom has already been spoken, had long ago died, but Caesar the nephew to Marius' wife, did not wish his great uncle to be forgotten.

Marius had taken the side of the people against the proud patricians. Caesar felt sure the Roman world was now too vast for these patricians to govern. Caesar must win the support of the masses, and thus retain power over the country to reinstate peace in Rome, as well as all other lands of the republic.

One morning, a number of people entered the temple in the Capitol.

"See! " cried one, "there are new statues!"

"And all of gold!" exclaimed another. "Whose figures are they?"

"Oh, I know this face! It is the face of the brave Marius. And here is writing below the statue. It says that the figures represent Marius over-coming the Cimbri of the North."

Before long immense crowds had swarmed up the hill to view the golden statues. The patricians frowned; the plebs were joyful. It was soon known that Julius Cesar had placed the figure of Marius in the Capitol.

Caesar stepped from office to office -- magistrate and chief priest, among other titles, wearing the cloak with purple trimming. For a while he had a command in Spain. On his way to Spain he crossed the Alps. He and his troops marched by a little town.

"I wonder, " said a friend, pointing to the group of houses on the hillside, "if the people there strive for highest places, as men do in Rome?"

"Why not?" replied Caesar. "I should do so if I dwelt in that town. I had rather be the first man here than the second man in Rome."