It has been said that the
Triumvirate converted Caesar's sword into daggers, and the expression is
by no means too strong, as the world has never witnessed such another
reign of terror as followed from the union of Octavius, Antonius, and
Lepidus. If that union was formed for the purpose of reconciling men to
despotic rule, it must be allowed the merit that belongs to a perfect
invention. Without it the Roman Empire might never have had an
existence.
Mr. Merivale's work may be considered as forming the text-book of
moderate Caesarism. An Englishman, he cannot be an advocate of despotism;
but he sees that the time had come for a change, and that under Caesar's
direction the change could be better made than under that of Pompeius or
his party. This is something very different from blind advocacy of
Caesarism; and we can follow him through his clear and vigorous narrative
of the events of the Revolution with general acquiescence in his views.
His first and second volumes, which are immediately under consideration,
may be said to form the history of the career of Caesar, and to present
the best account of that career which has been published in our
language. Introductory matter apart, his book opens with the appearance
of the first Emperor on the political stage, and the second volume
closes at the date of his assassination.
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