ian party had again collected a large army under the command
of Pompey's sons, Cneius and Sextus. Caesar set out for Spain at the end
of B.C. 46. With his usual activity he arrived at Obulco, near Corduba,
in 27 days from the time of his leaving Rome. He found the enemy able to
offer stronger opposition than he had anticipated; but he brought the
war to a close by the battle of Munda, on the 17th of March, B.C. 46, in
which he entirely defeated the enemy. It was, however, a hard-fought
battle: Caesar's troops were at first driven back, and were only rallied
by their general's exposing his own person, like a common soldier, in
the front line of the battle. Cn. Pompeius was killed shortly afterward,
but Sextus made good his escape. The settlement of the affairs in Spain
detained Caesar in the province some months longer, and he consequently
did not reach Rome till September. At the beginning of October he
entered the city in triumph on account of his victories in Spain,
although the victory had been gained over Roman citizens. The Senate
received him with the most servile flattery. They had in his absence
voted a public thanksgiving of fifty days, and they now vied with each
other in paying him every kind of adulation and homage. He was to wear,
on all public occasions, the triumphal robe; he was to receive the title
of "Father of his Country;" statues of him were to be placed in all the
temples; his portrait was to be struck on coins; the month of Quintilis
was to receive the name of Julius in his honor, and he was to be raised
to a rank among the gods. But there were still more important decrees
than these, which were intended to legalize his power, and confer upon
him the whole government of the Roman world. He received the title of
Imperator for life; he was nominated Consul for the next ten years, and
both Dictator and Praefectus Morum for life; his person was declared
sacred; a guard of Senators and Knights was appointed to protect him,
and the whole Senate took an oath to watch over his safety.

If we now look at the way in which Caesar exerted his sovereign power, it
can not be denied that he used it in the main for the good of his
country. He still pursued his former merciful course: no proscriptions
or executions took place; and he began to revolve vast schemes for the
benefit of the Roman world. At the same time he was obliged to reward
his followers, and for that reason he greatly increased the number of
senato