war was ended, and the pirates who
had so long troubled the republic of Rome had retired from business.

_CAESAR AND POMPEY._

There were three leaders in Rome, Pompey, whom Sulla had named the
Great, Crassus, the rich, and Caesar, the shrewd and wise. Two of these
had reached their utmost height. For Pompey there was to be no more
greatness, for Crassus no more riches. But Caesar was the coming man of
Rome. After a youth given to profligate pleasures, in which he spent
money as fast as Crassus collected it, and accumulated debt more rapidly
than Pompey accumulated fame, the innate powers of the man began to
declare themselves. He studied oratory and made his mark in the Roman
Forum; he studied the political situation, and step by step made himself
a power among men. He was shrewd enough to cultivate Pompey, then the
Roman favorite, and brought himself into closer relations with him by
marrying his relative. Steadily he grew into public favor and respect,
and laid his hands on the reins of control.

There was a fourth man of prominence, Cicero, the great scholar,
philosopher, and orator. He prosecuted Verres, who, as governor of
Sicily, had committed frightful excesses, and drove him from Rome. He
prosecuted Catiline, who had made a conspiracy to seize the government,
and even to burn Rome. The conspirators were foiled and Catiline killed.
But Cicero, earnest and eloquent as he was, lacked manliness and
courage, and was driven into exile by his enemies.

There remained the three leaders, Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus, and these
three made a secret compact to control the government, forming what
became known as a _triumvirate_, or three man power. Pompey married
Julia, the young and beautiful daughter of Caesar, and the two seemed
very closely united.

Caesar was elected consul, and in this position won public favor by
proposing some highly popular laws. After his year as consul he was made
governor of Gaul, and now began an extraordinary career. The man who had
by turns shown himself a dissolute spendthrift, an orator, and a
political leader, suddenly developed a new power, and proved himself one
of the greatest soldiers the world has ever known.

Gaul, as then known, had two divisions,--Cisalpine Gaul, or the Gaulish
settlements in Northern Italy; and Transalpine Gaul, or Gaul beyond the
Alps, including the present countries of France and Switzerland. In the
latter country Rome possessed only a narrow stri