The armies of the enemies of the Senate were destroyed, and Crassus and Pompey, left alone, joined issues to control affairs.  They had themselves elected consuls and Pompey received the conduct of two wars.  He went to Asia with a devoted army and was for several years the master of Rome; but as he was more the possessor of offices than of power, he changed nothing in the government.  It was during this time that Caesar, a young noble, made himself popular.  Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar united to divide the power between themselves.  Crassus received the command of the army sent to Asia against the Parthians and was killed (53).  Pompey remained at Rome.  Caesar went to Gaul where he stayed eight years subjecting the country and making an army for himself.

Pompey and Caesar were now the only persons on the stage.  Each wished to be master.  Pompey had the advantage of being at Rome and of dominating the Senate; Caesar had on his side his army, disciplined by eight years of expeditions.  Pompey secured a decree of the Senate that Caesar should abandon his army and return to Rome.  Caesar decided then to cross the boundary of his province (the river Rubicon), and to march on Rome.  Pompey had no army in Italy to defend himself, and so with the majority of the senators took flight to the other side of the Adriatic.  He had several armies in Spain, in Greece, and in Africa.  Caesar defeated them, one after another—­that of Spain first (49), then that of Greece at Pharsalus (48), at last, that of Africa (46).  Pompey, vanquished at Pharsalus, fled to Egypt where the king had him assassinated.

On his return to Rome Caesar was appointed dictator for ten years and exercised absolute power.  The Senate paid him divine honors, and it is possible that Caesar desired the title of king.  He was assassinated by certain of his favorites who aimed to reestablish the sovereignty of the Senate (44).

=End of the Republic.=—­The people of Rome, who loved Caesar, compelled Brutus and Cassius, the chiefs of the assassins, to flee.  They withdrew to the East where they raised a large army.  The West remained in the hand of Antony, who with the support of the army of Caesar, governed Rome despotically.

Caesar in his will had adopted a young man of eighteen years, his sister’s son,[143] Octavian, who according to Roman usage assumed the name of his adoptive father and called himself from that time Julius Caesar Octavianus.  Octavian rallied to his side the soldiers of Caesar and was charged by the Senate with the war against Antony.  But after conquering him he preferred to unite with him for a division of power; they associated Lepidus with them, and all three returned to Rome where they secured absolute power for five years under the title of triumvirs for organizing public affairs.  They began by proscribing their adversaries and their personal enemies.  Antony secured the death of Cicero (43).  Then they left for the East to destroy