In this situation, Caesar, though entirely in the power and at the mercy of his lawless captors, assumed such an air of superiority and command in all his intercourse with them as at first awakened their astonishment, then excited their admiration, and ended in almost subjecting them to his will.  He asked them what they demanded for his ransom.  They said twenty talents, which was quite a large amount, a talent itself being a considerable sum of money.  Caesar laughed at this demand, and told them it was plain that they did not know who he was, He would give them fifty talents.  He then sent away his attendants to the shore, with orders to proceed to certain cities where he was known, in order to procure the money, retaining only a physician and two servants for himself.  While his messengers were gone, he remained on board the ship of his captors, assuming in every respect the air and manner of their master.  When he wished to sleep, if they made a noise which disturbed him, he sent them orders to be still.  He joined them in their sports and diversions on the deck, surpassing them in their feats, and taking the direction of every thing as if he were their acknowledged leader.  He wrote orations and verses which he read to them, and if his wild auditors did not appear to appreciate the literary excellence of his compositions, he told them that they were stupid fools without any taste, adding, by way of apology, that nothing better could be expected of such barbarians.

The pirates asked him one day what he should do to them if he should ever, at any future time, take them prisoners.  Caesar said that he would crucify every one of them.

[Sidenote:  Caesar at liberty.] [Sidenote:  He captures the pirates in his turn.]

The ransom money at length arrived.  Caesar paid it to the pirates, and they, faithful to their covenant, sent him in a boat to the land.  He was put ashore on the coast of Asia Minor.  He proceeded immediately to Miletus, the nearest port, equipped a small fleet there, and put to sea.  He sailed at once to the roadstead where the pirates had been lying, and found them still at anchor there, in perfect security.[1] He attacked them, seized their ships, recovered his ransom money, and took the men all prisoners.  He conveyed his captives to the land, and there fulfilled his threat that he would crucify them by cutting their throats and nailing their dead bodies to crosses which his men erected for the purpose along the shore.

[Footnote 1:  See Frontispiece]

[Sidenote:  Caesar at Rhodes.]

During his absence from Rome Caesar went to Rhodes, where his former preceptor resided, and he continued to pursue there for some time his former studies.  He looked forward still to appearing one day in the Roman Forum.  In fact, he began to receive messages from his friends at home that they thought it would be safe for him to return.  Sylla had gradually withdrawn from power, and finally had died.  The aristocratical party were indeed still in the ascendency, but the party of Marius had begun to recover a little from the total overthrow with which Sylla’s return, and his terrible military vengeance, had overwhelmed them.  Caesar himself, therefore, they thought, might, with prudent management, be safe in returning to Rome.