pushed on to Ancona, before
Pompey could stop him. The towns that were on his march threw open
their gates, their garrisons joined his army, and their officers fled.
Steadily he advanced, with constantly increasing forces, until when he
reached Corfinium his army had swelled to thirty thousand troops.

This place had been occupied by Domitius with a party of aristocrats
and a few thousand men. Caesar surrounded the town, and when Domitius
endeavored to steal away, his own troops took him and delivered him over
to Caesar. The capture of Corfinium and the desertion of its garrison
filled Pompey and his followers with dismay. They hurried to Brundisium,
where ships were in readiness for them to depart.

Hoping to intercept Pompey, Caesar hastened to this port. On his arrival
outside of the town, the Consuls, with half the army, had already
gone. Pompey, however, was still within the place, with twelve thousand
troops, waiting for transports to carry them away. He refused to see
Caesar; and, though the latter endeavored to blockade the port, he was
unsuccessful, owing to want of ships.

Thus Pompey escaped. With him were the Consuls, more than half the
Senate, and the aristocracy. Caesar would have followed them, but a
fleet must first be obtained, and matters nearer home demanded his
attention.

In sixty days Caesar had made himself master of Italy. On his way
to Rome he met Cicero, and invited him to attend the Senate, but
he preferred to stay away. Caesar entered the city unattended, and
assembled the Senate through the Tribunes, Mark Antony and Cassius
Longinus. The attendance was small, as most of the members were with
Pompey. In his address to the Senate Caesar spoke of his own forbearance
and concessions, of their unjust demands, and their violent suppression
of the authority of the Tribunes. He was still willing to send envoys to
treat with Pompey, but no one was found willing to go. After three days
spent in useless discussion, Caesar decided to act for himself. By
his own edict, he restored the children of the victims of Sulla's
proscription to their rights and property. The money in the treasury
was voted him by the Assembly of the people. He took as much of it as
he needed, and started at once for Gaul to join his troops on his way to
Spain.

He had much to accomplish. Spain was in the hands of Pompey's
lieutenants, Afranius, Petreius, and Varro, who had six legions and
allied troops. From Sicily and Sardi