713. a woman of a moft turbulent fpirit; and flighting Year of Lepidus, on account of his indolence, took the Rome reins into her own hands, and would not fuffer either Senate or People to make any decree without her permiffion. At this time Caefar returned vic→ torious from Philippi; and having performed those duties, which ancient cuftom required from fuccefsful warriors, he began to enter upon publick bufinefs, a confiderable part of which was the divifion of the promised lands amongst the veterans. Lucius Anthony and Fulvia, being allied to him, behaved peaceably at firft: but that lady's fiery temper foon brake out, and kindled the flame of a new civil war. Fulvia and her brother complained, that Caefar did not permit them to divide the lands, which belonged to Mark Anthony; and Caefar, that the legions, were not delivered to him, according to the agreement made at Philippi. Their quarrel grew to fuch a heighth, that Caefar, being no longer able to bear the infolence of Fulvia, divorced her daughter; taking an oath, that she still remained a virgin. There was now no longer any fhadow of agreement between them: Lucius, being wholly guided by Fulvia, pretended to do every thing for the fake of his brother; having affumed, on that account, the furname of Pius. But Caefar laid the whole blame on Fulvia and Lucius, not accufing Mark Anthony in the leaft degree: charging them with acting contrary to his inclination, and attempting to affume a particular power of governing to themselves. Each party looked upon the divifion of the lands, as a great ftep to power; and therefore this was the principal fubject of their contention. Caefar was defirous, according to the agreement made after the battle of Philippi, to di Year of vide the lands amongst the foldiers of Anthony, as Rome well as his own: that he might have it in his power, 713. was. ין to lay an obligation upon them all. Fulvia and Lucius were no lefs follicitous to have the fettling of those of Anthony, that they might avail themfelves of their strength: and both of them were of opinion, that the readieft way was to divide the goods of the unarmed proprietors among the fol diers. But when they found, that great tumults were raised by this divifion of the lands, and that Caefar began to incur the hatred of the people; they changed their plan; and endeavoured to gain all the injured to their party. At this time Rome filled with the complaints of great multitudes of people, who being difpoffeffed of their eftates, flocked thither, in hopes either of reftitution, or of being able to give fome more favourable turn tỏ their affairs by railing tumults. It is the general opinion, that Virgil went to Rome amongst the rest of his countrymen, and that being introduced to Caefar, he obtained an order to have his lands reftored. It has been already obferved, that Virgil was probably known to Pollio, a year before this diftrefs happened: we may therefore venture to fuppofe, that the Poet was recommended by him to fome of the favourites (c) of Caefar, as a perfon of extraordinary genius for poetry. This divifion of the lands, and the melancholy condition of thofe, dew fresh (c) The perfon, to whom Virgil was recommended by Pollio, feems to have been Varus: for, in the ninth Eclogue, we find our Poet addrefling himfelf to Varus, and intreating him to interpofe in the prefervation of Mantua; J a who were forced to give up their eftates to the foldiers, is the fubject of the Tityrus. This Eclogue, which is usually placed first, though plainly not the firft in order of time, contains a dialogue between! Tityrus and Meliboeus, two fhepherds; the latter of whom reprefents, in a very pathetical manner, the miferies of thofe, who were obliged to quit their country, and make room for the intruding foldiers. The former expreffes the great happiness he enjoyed in being restored to his estate, by the favour of a young man (d), whom he declares, that he will always esteem as a deity (6). This young man can be no other, than Caefar, who at that time took upon him the distribution of the lands. His adopted father was already received into the number of the Gods, whence young Caefar affumed the title of Divi Julii filius. Tityrus therefore flat-` ters his great benefactor, as if he was already a deity. This extraordinary favour, above the reft of his neighbours, was without doubt owing to his fkill in Poetry for we are told exprefly, in the Moeris, that he was faid to have preferved his lands by his verfes (f). It feems moft probable, that it was the Daphnis, which he had written the year before, on the deification of Julius Caefar, that recommended him to the favour of his adopted fon. But we are told, that our Poet's joy was but fhort: for when he returned to take poffeffion of his farm, he was violently affaulted by the intruder, and would (d) Hic illum vidi juvenem, Meliboee, quotannis Bis fenos cui noftra dies altaria fumant Hic mihi refponfum primus dedit ille petenti; Pafcite ut ante boves, pueri, fubmittite tauros. (e) Namque erit ille mihi femper Deus : illius aram Saepe tener noftris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. (f) Omnia carminibus veftrum fervaffe Menalcan. d 2 1 have Year of Rome 7.43. Rome 713. Year of have been killed by him, if he had not made his escape, by fwimming over the Menzo. The Poet, upon this disappointment, returned to Rome, where, he feems to have compofed his Moeris, wherein he artfully introduces feveral copies of verses, as fragments of his poems. In thefe fragments, he fhews himself capable of excelling the finest compofitions, of Theocritus: a method very likely to obtain the favour of Caefar, who had a good tafte for poetry himself, and was furrounded by perfons as eminent for their learning as their valour. One of the fragments, in this Eclogue, is a direct address to Varus, wherein he promises to exalt his name to the skies, if he will but preferve Mantua, which fuffered by it's neighbourhood to unhappy Cremona (g). Another fragment is in honour of the ftar, which appeared after the death of Julius Caefar, and was looked upon as a fign, that his foul was received into heaven. Here he plainly names him, which he was afraid to do before the decifive battle at Philippi: and he could not eafily have written any thing, that was more likely to please young Caefar. (g) This part of Virgil's hifory receives a confiderable light from a paffage in the fifth Book of Appian de Bell Givilibus. The Hiftorian informs us, that the foldiers frequently tranfgreffed the bounds affigned them, and invaded the neighbouring lands, and that it was not in the power of Caefar to reftrain them: O de Kairag. ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐξελογεῖτο τὴν ἀνάγκην, καὶ ἐδόκουν οὐδ' ως αρκέσειν, οὐδ ̓ ἤρκουν, ἀλλ' ὁ στρατὸς καὶ τοῖς γείτοσιν ἐπέβαινε σον ὕβρει, πλέονά τε τῶν δεδο νου πολλά ἄλλα του Καίσαρος, upon thofe about Mantua, But But whether Virgil did immediately obtain a quiet Year of poffeffion of his eftate or not, may be queftioned; Rome because Fulvia and Lucius began about this time to 713. grow ftrong in that part of the country. Perhaps he staid at Rome, till things were better fettled and from this time was under the protection of Caefar and his friends. He would hardly care to run the hazard of his life again: for we find, that at this time there were fkirmishes between the foldiers, and the people, every where (b). ; By the management of Fulvia and Lucius Anthony, Caefar incurred the hatred both of foldiers and people the foldiers were diffatisfied with the portion that was given them; and the people were enraged at their lands being taken from them. To add to thefe misfortunes of Caefar, his legions, which were in Spain, were hindered from paffing the Alps, by Calenus and Ventidius, who governed the Tranfalpine Gaul, as Anthony's lieutenants. Caefar therefore propofed terms of accommodation: but his offers were rejected with contempt by Fulvia, who girded on a fword, and prepared for war. Caefar then procured fome of the veteran foldiers to interpofe; who, according to his expectation, being refused by Fulvia and Lucius, were highly offended. He then fent fome fenators to them, who argued upon the agreement made between Caefar and Anthony; but with no better fuccefs. He applied to the veterans again, who flocked to Rome in great numbers, and going into the Capitol, refolved to take the cognizance of the affair into their own hands. They ordered the agreement to be read before them, and then appointed a day for all (b) Ἐν πάσαις γὰρ δὴ ταῖς τύχοιεν αλλήλοις ἐμάχοντο. πόλεσιν ὁμοίως, ὅπη ποτὲ συν- Dio, lib. 48. d 3 the |