Julius Caesar

Cæsar began his career as a politician, but ended it as a statesman. His courage, clemency, and personal charm won countless friends. While costly entertainments were a political necessity, his moderation in private life earned the respect of Roman society. A blue-blooded patrician, he steadfastly championed the popular cause. This policy alienated his own class, and finally resulted in his death. His political understanding developed hand in hand with his patriotism. Better than his contemporaries, he saw the economic and social decay of the Republic, and felt that inefficiency and corruption could be eradicated in no other way than by a strong monarchy. His own supremacy he brought about with the minimum of bloodshed. When once in power he vigorously swept away the weaknesses and oppression of aristocratic rule, and laid a solid foundation for the future peace and prosperity of the empire... Cæsar is the only one of the great captains who trained himself to arms. Alexander, Hannibal, Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick, owed their early military training to their fathers, though, indeed, Frederick’s was but the pipe-clay of war. Napoleon got his in the best school in France. Every Roman citizen was, to be sure, trained as a soldier, and Cæsar had had a slight experience in some minor campaigns. But the drilling of the soldier cannot produce the captain. And Cæsar began his military career at an age when that of the others had ceased.