Ronald Syme, the author of the assigned passage, is one of the leading ancient historians of the present. He was an Oxford professor, and wrote the Roman Revolution in the late 1930's. To Syme, one-person rule was not appealing to him. He lived in a time of WWII, and leaders like Hitler. By the time Syme began to write, there was much more research on the dismal side of Caesar's monarchy than earlier authors, such as Theodor Mommsen had. Syme argues that in the "Roman Revolution", Caesar could not control the new social group he acquired. Caesar surpassed his peers because of his intelligence and luck. His dictatorship, says Syme, led to his assassination.
             History sometimes hinted that Caesar had monarchy on his mind from the beginning. He felt he could cure the world's problems through armed forces. However, Caesar did not like war. He repeatedly tried to negotiate with enemies like Pompeius before battling. Pompeius was afraid that Caesar would take over the government and reform the state, which is why he was chosen to save the oligarchy. Caesar knew Pompeius had a small army. Caesar had the majority in the senate, and knew they would back him in any military decision.
             Caesar was probably not even supposed to stand for the consulate, but his followers clouded legal matters so he could do so. Caesar was the kind of person that never wanted anyone to know if his rank, prestige, or honor was in jeopardy. To cast a shadow on these times, exceptions had always taken place legally for Caesar. Caesar publicly took interest in defending the tribunes and the liberties of the Roman People, but what he valued most was his dignitas, or personal honor.
             Caesar's enemies had a choice between civil war and trying to evict him politically. They said his authority was illegitimate and the proconsul
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