ABSTRACT
Plutarch's Lives of Noble Grecians alld Romanes 79 like as aforetime they had bene both taken and destroyed together, even so were they both set a foote againe, and replenished with people, at one selfe time. And as for great personages, he wanne them also, promising some of them, to make them Prretors and Consulls in time to come, and unto others, honors and preferrements, but to all men generally good hope, seeking all the wayes he coulde to make everie man contented with his raigne .... Furthermore, Cresar being borne to attempt all great enterprises, and having an ambitious desire besides to covet great honors: the prosperous good successe he had of his former conquestes bred no desire in him quietly to enjoy the frutes of his labours, but rather gave him hope of thinges to come, still kindling more and more in him, thoughts of greater enterprises, and desire of new glory, as if that which he had present, were stale and nothing worth.l This humor of his was no other but an emulation with him selfe as with an other man, and a certaine contencion to overcome the thinges he prepared to attempt. For he was determined, and made preparacion also, to make wane with the Persians. Then when he had overcome them, to passe through Hyrcania (compassing in the sea Caspium, and mount Caucasus) into the realme of Pontus, and so to invade Scythia: and overrunning all the con tries, and people adjoyning unto high Germany, and Germany it selfe, at length to returne by Gaule into Italie, and so to enlarge the Romane Empire round, that it might be every way compassed in with the great sea Oceanum. But whilest he was preparing for this voiage, he attempted to cut the barre of the straight of Peloponnesus, in the place where the city of Corinthe standeth. Then he was minded to bring the rivers of Anienes and Tiber, straight from Rome, unto the citie of Circees, with a deepe channell and high banckes cast up on either side, and so to fall into the sea at Terracina, for the better safety and commodity of the marchants that came to Rome to trafficke there. Furthermore, he determined to draine and seawe all the water ofthe marisses betwext the cities of Nomentum and Setium, to make it firme land, for the benefit of many thowsandes of people: and on the sea coast next unto Rome, to cast great high bankes, and to dense all the haven about Ostia, of rockes and stones hidden under the water, and to take away all other impedimentes that made the harborough daungerous for shippes, and to make new havens and arsenalls meete to harbor such shippes, as did continually trafficke thither. All these thinges were purposed to be done, but tooke no effecte. But, the ordinaunce of the kalender, and reformation of the yeare, to take away all confusion of time, being exactly calculated
1 cr. Flavius on his ambition, 1.1.75-8.
