Hail
Caesar,
Part
3 of your book begins with your first actions as Dictator in Rome.
You were first elected as Consul, then you recalled from exile a few
compatriots whom you considered to have been unfairly judged under an
old law of Pompey.
Your
next act as dictator was to abdicate the position.
I
love this. My son told me a story recently about a peculiar piece of
Catholic church history, regarding the forced election of a peasant
to the position of Pope. His first and only act as supreme leader,
was to pass a law making it possible for a Pope to resign from the
position. He then quit.
This
seems the mark of a good dictator, particularly in Rome which has a
history of the office of dictator being granted upon individuals by
the vote of free citizens. Absolute power doesn't seem to be your
goal, at least not yet. When you were granted the dictatorship you
used it to repeal a law you considered unjust, and then you returned
authority to the Senate. Of course, this act must have also freed
you from the obligation to remain in Rome, allowing you to take your
army on the march again. Still, it seems like a good move.
A
little later on, after crossing the sea with your army from
Brundisium to Palaeste, you sent another message to Pompey:
Part
3. 10. “Both of us ought to stop being obstinate, disarm,
and not tempt fortune further. We have both suffered enough damage
to serve as a lesson and a warning, and make us fear the ills that
still remain. You have been driven from Italy, you have lost Sicily,
Sardinia and both the Spanish in provinces, and 130 cohorts of Roman
citizens in Italy and Spain (about 65,00 men). I have suffered the
death of Curio, the loss of the African army and the surrender of
Antonius and his men at Corcyra Nigra. Let us therefore spare both
ourselves and Rome; our own losses have given us enough proof of the
power of fortune in war. This is the best time of all to discuss
peace, while we are both confident and appear equally matched; but if
fortune should favour one, only a little, the one who seems the
better off will have nothing to do with terms of peace, nor will he
be satisfied with an equal share, when he believes he can have
everything. As for the conditions of peace, since we ourselves have
been unable to reach a settlement up till now, we should ask the
Senate and people at Rome to frame terms. Meanwhile, it should
content the State and ourselves if we at once swear publicly to
dismiss our armies within three days. When he have laid down our
arms and the support on which we now rely, then we shall perforce be
content with the decisions of the Senate and people. So that you can
agree to this the more readily, I undertake to dismiss all my forces
on land and in the various cities.”
But,
Caesar, this attempt at negotiations failed as well. It seems that
Pompey preferred the most unjust war, to any kind of just peace.
Part3.
18 “Once the flurry caused by Caesar's sudden arrival had
subsided, Vibullius, as soon as appeared practicable, called in Libo
and Lucceius and Theophanes, Pompey's principal confidential
advisers, and began to discuss Caesar's proposals. He had barely
started when Pompey interrupted and forbade him to say any more.
'What do I want,' he said, 'with life or citizenship which I shall
appear to possess by Caesar's good grace? And that will be the
ineradicable impression, if people think that I have been brought
back to Italy, which I left voluntarily.' Caesar learned of this
after the end of the war from persons who were present at the
conversation. None the less he went on trying by other means to have
conferences to discuss peace.”
Caesar,
it has been said that your truce offerings to Pompey were made with
the full knowledge that Pompey would refuse them, and that you did in
fact make such stipulations as you knew would absolutely lead to war.
Considering this, your magnanimous gestures look like any other
political manoeuvre. Everything in your book, Caesar, is
double-speak, and I must remember this at all times.
There's
nothing civil about civil war.
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