When he appeared upon the stage, the Roman empire already included nearly all of the world that was worth possessing.

There were no more conquests to be made.

Caesar did, indeed, enlarge, in some degree, the boundaries of the empire; but the main question in his day was, who should possess the power which preceding conquerors had acquired.
[Sidenote: The ancient Roman empire.] [Sidenote: The provinces.] The Roman empire, as it existed in those days, must not be conceived of by the reader as united together under one compact and consolidated government.

It was, on the other hand, a vast congeries of nations, widely dissimilar in every respect from each other, speaking various languages, and having various customs and laws.

They were all, however, more or less dependent upon, and connected with, the great central power.