History of Julius Caesar Vol. 2 of 2

641

Cicero, Orat. pro Muræna, 18.

642

Orat. de Provinciis Consularibus, 15.

643

“Evidently all opposition to these great men, especially since the brilliant successes of Cæsar, was contrary to the general feeling, and unanimously rejected.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 9.)

644

“Cæsar, strengthened by his successes, and by the recompenses, honours, and testimonials with which the Senate had loaded him, had just lent to this illustrious order his glory and his influence.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 9.)

645

“Why should I wait to be reconciled with Cæsar? Has this reconcilement not been effected already by the Senate? the Senate, the supreme council of the Republic, my rule and my guide in all my opinions. I walk in your steps, senators, I obey your counsels, I yield to your authority… So long as the political measures of Cæsar have not had your approbation, you did not see me allied with him. When his exploits had changed your feelings and dispositions, you have seen me not only agree in your decisions, but loudly applaud them.” (Cicero, Orat. de Provinciis Consularibus, 10.)

646

Epist. Familiar., I. 9.

647

Epist. ad Atticum, IV. 5.

648

Cicero, Orat. de Prov. Consularibus, 9. (August, A.U.C. 698.)

649

Cicero, Orat. de Prov. Consularibus, 13. (August, A.U.C. 698.)

650

Cicero, Orat. pro Balbo, 27.

651

Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 7.

652

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 27.

653

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 29.

654

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 30. – Plutarch, Pompey, 53; Crassus, 18.

655

Précis des Guerres de César, III. 5.

656

Plutarch, Cæsar, 18.

657

Suetonius, Cæsar, 57.

658

“What does Cæsar think of my poem, I pray? He has written to me that he had read the first book, and that he had seen nothing, even in Greek, which ever pleased him more. The rest, up to a certain passage, is less finished: that is his expression. Tell me what it is that displeases him, the matter or the form, and fear not to speak candidly”. (Cicero, Ep. ad Quint., II. 16.)

659

Plutarch, Crassus, 16. – Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 31.

660

Plutarch, Cato, 48; Pompey, 54.

661

Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 9.

662

Plutarch, Pompey, 55.

663

Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, II. 9.

664

The country of the Vaccæi comprised part of old Castile, of the kingdom of Leon, and of the Basque provinces. Clunia, a town of the Celtiberii, was situated near Coruña del Conde.

665

Plutarch, Crassus, 19.

666

Plutarch, Crassus, 19.

667

Plutarch, Cæsar, 24.

668

Plutarch, Cato, 49. – Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 34.

669

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 35.

670

Plutarch, Cato, 49. – Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 33, 35. – Dio Cassius pretends erroneously that the imperium in the province of Gaul was only continued to Cæsar by a sort of favour, and but for three years, when his partisans murmured at seeing that Crassus and Pompey thought only for themselves. He does not mention the conference of Lucca, which is attested by Suetonius, Plutarch, and Appian. He forgets that Trebonius, Cæsar’s creature, was one of his most devoted lieutenants in the Civil War. We think that the testimony of the other historians is to be preferred.

671

“In my opinion, that which it would have been best for his adversaries to do, would have been to cease a struggle which they are not strong enough to sustain… At the present day the only ambition one can have is to be quiet, and those who governed would be disposed to allow it us, if they found certain people less rigid against their domination.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 8, letter to Lentulus.)

672

Plutarch, Crassus, 19.

673

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 37.

674

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 38.

675

Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VII. 1.

676

According to the letter from Cicero to Atticus (IV. 13), Crassus had left Rome a little before the 17th of the Calends of December, 699, which answers, according to the concordance established by M. Le Verrier, to the 28th of October, 699.

677

Justin, XLI. 6.

678

Justin, XLII. 4.

679

De Bello Gallico, IV. 38.

680

“Cæsar was very proud of his expedition into Britain, and everybody at Rome cried it up with enthusiasm. People congratulated each other on becoming acquainted with a country of the existence of which they were previously ignorant, and of having penetrated into countries of which they had never heard before; everybody took his hopes for reality, and all that people flattered themselves with obtaining some day caused as great an outburst of joy as if they had already possessed it.” (Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 53.) – “After having landed in Britain, Cæsar believed he had discovered a new world. He wrote (it is unknown to whom) that Britain was not an island, but a country surrounding the ocean.” (Eumenius, Panegyrici, IV. 2.)

681

Lucan, Pharsalia, II., line 571.

682

“Without paying any attention to the opinion of Cato, the people during fifteen days performed sacrifices to celebrate this victory, and exhibited the greatest marks of joy.” (Plutarch, Nicias and Crassus, 4.)

683

Plutarch, Cato of Utica, 58.

684

See page 456.

685

Cicero, Epist. Familiar., I. 7.

686

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 56, 57, 58. —Schol. Bob. Pro Plancio, 271.

687

Plutarch, Antony, 2.

688

Dio Cassius speaks of it as follows: “The influence of powerful men and of riches was so great, even against the decrees of the people and of the Senate, that Pompey wrote to Gabinius, governor of Syria, to charge him with the restoring of Ptolemy in Egypt, and that he, who had already taken the field, performed this task, in spite of the public will, and in contempt of the oracles of the Sibyl. Pompey only sought to do what would be agreeable to Ptolemy; but Gabinius had yielded to corruption. Afterwards, when brought under accusation for this fact, he was not condemned, thanks to Pompey and to his gold. There reigned then in Rome such a degree of moral disorder, that the magistrates and judges, who had received from Gabinius but a small part of the sums which had served to corrupt him, set their duties at nought in order to enrich themselves, and taught others to do evil, by showing them that they could easily escape punishment with money. It was this which caused Gabinius to be acquitted; in the sequel, brought to trial for having carried off from his province more than 100,000,000 drachmas, he was condemned.” (Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 55.)

689

Dio Cassius, XXXIX. 43.

690

Cicero, Epist. ad Quint., II. 8.

691

See the Index Legum of Baiter, 181.

692

Josephus, XIV. 48.

693

Josephus, XIV. 11.

694

Cicero, Ep. ad Atticum, IV. 18.

695

Cicero, Ep. ad Quintum, IV. 15.

696

Schol. Bob. Pro Sextio, 297. – Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, IV. 16; Epist. Familiar., XIII. 19.

697

“Cæsar has written to me from Britain a letter dated on the Calends of September (28th of August), which I received on the 4th of the Calends of October (23rd of September). His mourning had prevented my replying and congratulating him.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 1.)

698

“In Cæsar’s affliction, I dare not write to him, but I write to Balbus.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VII. 9.) – “How kind and affecting is Cæsar’s letter! There is in what he writes a charm which increases my sympathy for the misfortune which afflicts him.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 1.)

699

Plutarch, Pompey, 4.

700

Suetonius, Cæsar, 27.

701

Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, IV. 17. – Suetonius, Cæsar, 36.

702

Pliny, Hist. Nat., XXXVI. 15.

703

Appian, De Bel. Civil., II. 102.

704

“Have you any other protégé to send me? I take charge of him.” (Letter of Cæsar cited by Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VII. 5.) – “I say not a word, I take not a step in Cæsar’s interest, but he immediately testifies in high terms that he attaches to it a value which assures me of his affection.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VII. 5.)

705

“I dispose, as though they were my own, of his credit, which is preponderant, and of his resources, which, you know, are immense.” (Epist. Familiar., I. 9.) – A few years later, when Cicero foresaw the civil war, he wrote to Atticus: “There is, however, an affair of which I shall not cease speaking as long as I write to you at Rome: it is Cæsar’s credit. Free me, before leaving, I implore you.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, V. 6.)

706

Epist. ad Quintum, II. 15; III. 1.

707

Epist. Familiar., I. 9.

708

“I have undertaken his defense (that of Crassus) in the Senate, as high recommendations and my own engagement made it imperative for me.” (Epist. Familiar., I. 9.)

709

Cicero, Pro Rabirio Postumo, 15, 16.

710

Cicero, Pro Cn. Plancio, 39. (A.U.C. 700.)

711

Cicero, Orat. in L. Calpurnium Pisonem, 33. (A.U.C. 700.)

712

Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 1.

713

Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, IV. 15; Epist. Familiar., VII. 5; Epist. ad Quintum, II. 15.

714

“Pompey is all for Gutta, and he is confident of obtaining from Cæsar an active intervention.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 8.)

715

Dio Cassius, XL. 45.

716

Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 4.

717

Cicero, Epist. ad Quintum, III. 8.

718

Plutarch, Cæsar, 31.

719

Plutarch, Pompey, 57.

720

Plutarch, Cæsar, 31.

721

“Ut via illa nostra, quæ per Macedoniam est usque ad Hellespontum militaris.” (Cicero, Orat. de Provinciis Consularibus, 2. – Strabo, VII. vii. 268.)

722

Plutarch, Crassus, 17.

723

On the left bank of the Tigris, opposite Seleucia.

724

Plutarch, Crassus, 24.

725

The ancient authors name him Augar, Abgaros, or Ariamnes.

726

Zeugma, according to Dio Cassius. This town is on the right bank of the Euphrates, opposite Biradjik.

727

According to Drumann, the course of the river could not always be followed, as Plutarch says, because there existed a canal which joined the Euphrates with the Tigris. (Pliny, VI. 30. – Ammianus Marcellinus, XXIV. 2.)

728

“There are among them few infantry. These are only chosen among the weakest men. From the tenderest age the Parthians are accustomed to handle the bow and the horse. Their country, which forms almost entirely one plain, is very favourable for breeding horses, and for courses of cavalry.” (Dio Cassius, XL. 15.) – “Equis omni tempore vectantur; illis bella, illis convivia, illis publica ac privata officia obeunt.” (Justin, XLI. 8.)

729

“Munimentum ipsis equisque loricæ plumatæ sunt, quæ utrumque toto corpore tegunt.” (Justin, XLI. 2.)

730

“Signum in prælio non tuba, sed tympano datur.” (Justin, XLI. 2.)

731

“Fidentemque fuga Parthum versisque sagittis.” (Virgil, Georg., III., line 31.

732

“The Osroenes, placed behind the Romans, who had their backs turned to them, struck them where their unprotected limbs were exposed, and rendered more easy their destruction by the Parthians.” (Dio Cassius, XL. 22.)

733

The army was composed of seven legions, but some troops had been left at Carrhæ. The square was composed of forty-eight cohorts, or nearly five legions; the rest was probably in reserve in the square. The 4,000 cavalry and 4,000 light infantry were probably divided half to the right and half to the left of the great square, the sides of which must have been about 1,000 mètres long.

734

Plutarch, Crassus, 28.

735

Q. Cæcilius Metellus Scipio was the son of P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica, and of Licinia, daughter of Crassus. He had been adopted by Q. Cæcilius Metellus Pius.

736

Plutarch, Cato, 55.

737

All that follows is taken almost entirely from Asconius, the most ancient commentator on Cicero, and is derived, it is believed, from the Acta Diurna. (See the Argument of the Oration of Cicero for Milo, edit. Orelli, p. 31.)

738

Nine years after the sacrilege committed on the day of the festival of the Bona Dea, Clodius was slain by Milo before the gate of the temple of the Bona Dea, near Bovillæ. (Cicero, Orat. pro Milone, 31.)

739

Romphæa. (Asconius, Argument of the Orat. of Cicero pro Milone, p. 32, edit. Orelli.)

740

Cicero, Orat. pro Milone 10. – Dio Cassius, XL. 48. – Appian, Civil Wars, II. 21. – (Asconius, Argument of the Oration of Cicero pro Milone, p. 31, et seq.)

741

Lectus libitinæ. (Asconius, p. 34.) – The sense of this word is given by Acro, a scholiast on Horace (see Scholia Horatiana, edit. Pauly, tom. I., p. 360). It corresponds with our word corbillard, a hearse. We know the custom of the Romans of carrying at interments the images of the ancestors of the dead with the ensigns of their dignities. The fasces must have been numerous in the Clodian family.

742

Dio Cassius, XL. 50.

743

Dio Cassius, XL. 49.

744

Dio Cassius, XL. 49.

745

Appian, Civil Wars, II. 22.

746

Dio Cassius, XL. 50.

747

“The Senate and Bibulus, who was first to state his opinion, forestalled the thoughtless resolutions of the multitude by conferring the consulship on Pompey, in order that he might not be proclaimed dictator; and in conferring it upon him alone, in order that he might not have Cæsar for his colleague.” (Dio Cassius, XL. 2.)

748

Plutarch, Cato, 47.

749

Plutarch, Pompey, 57.

750

Dio Cassius, XL. 50.

751

Dio Cassius, XL. 52. – Cicero, Brutus, 94; Epist. ad Atticum, XIII 49. – Tacitus, Dialog. de Oratoribus, 38.

752

This was the historian. He had been the paramour of Milo’s wife. Surprised by him in the very act, he had been cruelly beaten, and compelled to pay, without pity.

753

Velleius Paterculus, II. 47.

754

All this account is taken from the argument by Asconius Servius, serving as an introduction to his Commentary on the Oration for Milo. (See the edit. of Orelli, pp. 41, 42. – Dio Cassius, XL. 53.)

755

Dio Cassius, XL. 54.

756

Velleius Paterculus, II. 68.

757

Plutarch, Pompey, 58.

758

Dio Cassius, XL. 53.

759

Appian, Civil Wars, II. 24.

760

Dio Cassius, XL. 52.

761

Plutarch, Pompey, 59.

762

Dio Cassius, XL. 56; comp. 30.

763

Tacitus, Annales, III. 28.

764

“Shall I pronounce against Cæsar? But what then becomes of that faith sworn, when, for this same privilege which he demands, I myself, at his prayer at Ravenna, went to solicit Cœlius, the tribune of the people? What do I say, at this prayer! at the prayer of Pompey himself, then invested with his third consulship, of eternal memory.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, VII. 1.

765

“It is he, Pompey, who has absolutely willed that the ten tribunes should propose the decree which permitted Cæsar to ask for the consulship without coming to Rome.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, VIII. 3. – Dio Cassius, XL. 56. – Suetonius, Cæsar, 28.)

766

Appian, Civil Wars, II. 25.

767

Plutarch, Pompey, 55. – Valerius Maximus, IX. 5. – Appian, Civil Wars, II. 23, 24.

768

Dio Cassius, XL. 57.

769

“ … He (Vercingetorix) reckoned on persuading all Gaul to take arms while they were preparing at Rome a revolt against Cæsar. If the chief of the Gauls had deferred his enterprise until Cæsar had the civil war to contend with, he would have struck all Italy with no less terror than was caused in former days by the Cimbri and the Teutones.” (Plutarch, Cæsar, 28.)

770

“In all Gaul there are only two classes of men who count and are considered (the Druids and the knights), for the people have hardly any other rank than that of slaves.” (De Bello Gallico, VI. 13.)

771

Dio Cassius, XL. 50.

772

De Bello Gallico, VI. 12.

773

De Bello Gallico, VI. 15.

774

De Bello Gallico, VI. 4.

775

De Bello Gallico, VI. 12.

776

De Bello Gallico, VI. 4.

777

De Bello Gallico, VII. 76.

778

De Bello Gallico, V. 27.

779

De Bello Gallico, V. 25, 54.

780

De Bello Gallico, IV. 21.

781

De Bello Gallico, V. 4.

782

De Bello Gallico, VII. 33.

783

“In the beginning of spring he convoked, according to custom, the assembly of Gaul.” (De Bello Gallico, VI. 3.)

784

Cicero appears to fear for his wife and daughter in thinking that Cæsar’s army was filled with barbarians. (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, VII. 13, A.U.C. 705.) He wrote to Atticus that, according to Matius, the Gauls offered Cæsar 10,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry, which they would entertain at their own expense for ten years. (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, IX, xii. 2.)

785

“All this,” Cœlius writes to Cicero, “is not said in public, but in secret, in the little circle which you know well, sed inter paucos quos tu nosti palam secreto narrantur.” (Cœlius to Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VIII. 1.)

786

Dio Cassius, XL. 59.

787

Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VIII. 10.

788

Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, V. 18.

789

Cicero to Cœlius, Epist. Familiar., II. 8.

790

“I station myself for some days near Issus, on the very site of the camp of Alexander, who was a rather better general than you and I.” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, V. 20.) – “How ill this mission agrees with my habits, and how just is the saying, Every one to his trade!” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, V. x. 18.)

791

Cicero had two legions, but very incomplete.

792

Asconius, In Pisonem, 3. – Apian, Civil Wars, II. 26.

793

Strabo, V. 177.

794

Suetonius, Cæsar, 28.

795

Appian, Civil Wars, II. 26.

796

Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, VI. 1.

797

In speaking of Pompey’s party, Cicero exclaims: “Men who all, with the exception of a very small number, breathed nothing but pillage, and discourses such as made one tremble, the more as victory might convert them into reality: not a person of rank who was not crippled with debts: there was absolutely nothing beautiful except the cause which they served.” (Cicero, Epist. Familiar., VII. 8.) – “They all agree, and Crassipes with them, that yonder there are nothing but imprecations, but threats of hatred to the rich, of war against the municipia (admire their prudence!), but proscriptions in mass; they are nothing but Syllas; and you must see the tone of Lucceius, and all that train of Greeks, and that Theophanes! Yet this is the hope of the Republic! A Scipio, a Faustus, a Libo, with their troops of creditors at their heels, of what enormities are not such people capable? What excesses against their fellow-citizens will such conquerors refuse?” (Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, IX. 11.)