Caesar
13. L.
Julius Caesar, L. F. L. N., son of No. 11, with whom he is sometimes confounded by modern writers, though he is usually distinguished from his father by the addition to his name of
filius or
ad olescens. On the breaking out of the civil war in B. C. 49, the younger L. Caesar joined the Pompeian party, although his father was Caesar's legate.
It was probably for this reason, and on account of his family connexion with Caesar, that Pompey sent him with the praetor Roscius to Caesar, who was then at Ariminum, with some proposals for peace. Although these did not amount to much, Caesar availed himself of the opportunity to send back by L. Caesar the terms on which he would withdraw from Italy. Cicero saw L. Caesar at Minturnae on his way back to Pompey, and whether he was jealous at not having been employed himself, or for some other reason, he speaks with the utmost contempt of Lucius, and calls him a bundle of loose broom-sticks (
scopae solutae). Pompey sent him back again to the enemy with fresh proposals, but the negotiation, as is well known, came to nothing. (
Caes. Civ. 1.8,
9,
10;
Cic. Att. 7.13,
14,
16;
D. C. 41.5.)
In the course of the same year (B. C. 49), L. Caesar repaired to Africa, and had the command of Clupea entrusted to him, which he deserted, however, on the approach of Curio from Sicily, who came with a large force to oppose the Pompeian party. (
Caes. Civ. 2.23;
D. C. 41.41.) Three years afterwards (B. C. 46), we find L. Caesar serving as proquaestor to Cato in Utica.
After the death of Cato, who committed his son to his care, he persuaded the inhabitants of Utica to surrender the town to the dictator, and to throw themselves upon his mercy. Lucius himself was pardoned by the dictator, according to the express statement of Hirtius, though other writers say that he was put to death by his order.
It is certain that he was murdered shortly afterwards; but it was probably not the dictator's doing, as such an act would have been quite opposed to Caesar's usual clemency, and not called for by any circumstance.
He probably fell a victim to the fury of the dictator's soldiers, who may have been exasperated against him by the circumstance mentioned by Suetonius. (Hirt.
B. Afr. 88, 89;
Plut. Cat. Mi. 66.;
Cic. Fam. 9.7;
D. C. 43.12;
Suet. Jul. 75.)
