Julius Caesar enters Rome as a hero beloved by the populace. First he triumphed over the Gauls, then he conquered the army of the Roman general Pompey. When the senators see how the citizens react to him—and his refusal to be crowned king—they consider Caesar a threat to Rome. Senator Cassius in particular has serious misgivings about Caesar's ambitions. Disaster threatens the Republic, but the cure may be worse than the disease. The last great generation of the Roman Republic was full of legendary people. What lessons can we learn from them?