ed more boldly still to the
south. The cities taken were treated as friends; there was no pillage,
no violence. Everywhere Caesar won golden opinions by his humanity.

Meanwhile Pompey's armed men came not; his rival was rapidly
approaching; he and his party of the senate fled from Rome. They reached
Brundusium, where Caesar with six legions quickly appeared. The town was
strong, and Pompey took his time to embark his men and sail from Italy.
Disappointed of his prey, Caesar turned back, and entered Rome on April
1, now full lord and master of Italy and its capital city. In the
treasury of that city was a sacred hoard of money, which had been set
aside since the invasion of the Gauls, centuries before. The people
voted this money for his use. There was no more danger from the Gauls,
it was said, for they had all become subjects of Rome. Yet the keeper of
the treasury refused to produce the keys, and when Caesar ordered the
doors to be broken open, tried to bar his passage into the sacred
chamber.

"Stand aside, young man," said Caesar, with stern dignity; "it is easier
for me to do than to say."

Caesar was not the man to rest while an enemy was at large. Pompey had
gone to the East. There was no fleet with which to follow him; and in
Spain Pompey had an army of veterans, who might enter Italy as soon as
he left it. These must first be dealt with.

This did not delay him long. Before the year closed all Spain was his.
Most of the soldiers of Pompey joined his army. Those who did not were
dismissed unharmed. Everywhere he showed the greatest leniency, and
everywhere won friends. On his return to Rome he gained new friends by
passing laws relieving debtors and restoring their civil rights to the
children of Sulla's victims.

He remained in Rome only eleven days, and then sailed for Greece, where
Pompey had gathered a large army. It was January 4, 48 B.C., when he
sailed. On June 6 of the same year was fought, at Pharsalia, in
Thessaly, a great battle which decided the fate of the Roman world.

Pompey's army consisted of about forty-four thousand men. Caesar had but
half as many. But his men were all veterans; many of those of Pompey
were new levies, collected in Asia and Macedonia. The battle was fierce
and desperate. During its course the cavalry of Pompey attacked Caesar's
weak troops and drove them back. The infantry advanced to their support,
and struck straight at the faces of the foe. Plutarch tells us that th