34
C. JULIUS CAESAR.
deplorable, the consequence of an unhappy ambition. These
and similar acts are to be lamented, and are altogether unjus-
tifiable, though they may be accounted for by the views then
entertained in respect to the Gauls; but towards his fellow-
citizens he was never guilty of such conduct. The ruling
party acted towards him not only foolishly, but very unjustly.
They ought not to have opposed his suing for the consulship
from Gaul; and if he had obtained it peaceably, it would not
only have been better than Pompey’s second and third con-
sulships, but would probably have been tranquil and beneficial
to the state. If there was any means of remedying the con-
dition of the republic—which, in my opinion, was almost
impossible—Caesar was the only man capable of devising and
applying it. His mildness towards many, and especially his
generous conduct towards Cicero, who had greatly provoked
him, shew a very different spirit from that of Pompey, whose
vanity was hurt by the merest trifles. Cicero had every where
joined Caesar’s enemies ; but Caesar would nevertheless havebeen
glad to take Cicero with him to Gaul, in order to protect him.
But notwithstanding the benevolence and amiableness
which he shewed on all occasions, Caesar was a demoniac,
who went on in life with a passionate rapidity. His extra-
vagance, for example, in his aedileship, not for himself,
but for the people, was immense; and this made him de-
pendent upon others, especially upon Crassus, who advanced
him enormous sums. If, during his consulship, there had
been a party desirous of making themselves independent of
Pompey’s influence, and of honestly attaching themselves to
Caesar, his consulship would not have been marked with any
stain. It was then customary to give the consulship in rebus
urbanis, and the office was thus to Caesar a loss of time, for his
object was to get a province, which, according to the custom of
the time, he could not enter upon till after the expiration of
his year of office. Inthatyear, Q. Vatinius, who was tribune
of the people, caused, with a violation of the law then not
uncommon, the whole of Illyricum and Cisalpine Gaul to be
given to Caesar as his province for five years; afterwards
Transalpine Gaul, which was not yet a Boman province, was
added to it.3 This was the first instance of a province being
3 Scholia Bobiens. in Vatin, p. 317, ed. OrelIi; Sueton. Caesar, 22; Dion
Cassius, xxxviii 8 : Appian, de Bell. Civil, ii. 13.
caesar’s consulship.
35
assigned to a proconsul for a definite period longer than one
year; for Pompey Iiadhitherto always had his provinces for an
indefinite time.
In his consulship, Caesar carried several popular laws, and
founded a colony at Capua.4 It is difficult to conceive how
Capua, ever since its conquest in the second Punic war, could
have remained in that singular condition, in which the land
and the buildings upon it were the property of the Eoman
republic. The houses may have been let; but the land was
cultivated by hereditary occupants, on condition of their pay-
ing the tithes of its produce. The republic, however, always
retained the right to take the land back, and to make such new
arrangements as were thought useful or necessary. Two at-
tempts had already been made to change this state of things.
The first was a proposal of M. Brutus, in Cinna’s consulship;
the second was made by Servilius Eullus, who in Cicero’s
consulship, had proposed that the ager Campanus should be
divided among the Eoman citizens; but Cicero had opposed
this scheme of establishing a colony. When Caesar brought
forward his bill concerning the colony at Capua, Cicero de-
clined being appointed one of the commissioners who were sent
to superintend the establishment of the colony.5 Caesar took
this as a great personal insult; and the two men thus became,
for a time, alienated from each other. But the enmity would
soon have passed over, had Cicero been willing to accompany
Caesar to Gaul. Cicero’s brother, Quintus, who did go with
Caesar, was always treated by him with especial favour. Caesar
afterwards again endeavoured, on all occasions, to give Cicero
proofs of his attachment and devotion to him. But Cicero was
kept at Eome by his evil star. Caesar’s colleague in the
consulship, M. Calpurnius Bibulus, was an honest man, but
narrow-minded and obstinate ; and Caesar’s relation to him was
exceedingly unpleasant.
The year following was that of the unfortunate consulship
of L. Calpurnius Piso and A. Gabinius, two men whom we
may truly call aλι,τηpιoι, or sinful, and what Cicero says of
them is no declamatory exaggeration. They literally sold
Cicero to Clodius, who promised to secure to Piso the province
of Macedonia; and to Gabinius the rich province of Syria, with
4 Veil. Paterc. ii.44; Sueton. Caesar, 20; Appian, I. c. ; ii. 10; Cicero ad
Atticum, iɪ. 16. s Cicero, ad Atticum, ii. 19.
D 2