A Friend of Cæsar: A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C.

by William Stearns Davis

  Chapter XIV

  The New Consuls

  I

  It had come--the great crisis that by crooked ways or straight was toset right all the follies and crimes of many a generation. On theCalends of January Lentulus Crus and Caius Clodius Marcellus wereinaugurated consuls. In solemn procession with Senate, priesthoods,and people, they had gone up to the Capitol and sacrificed chosenwhite steers to Jupiter, "Best and Greatest,"[135] and invoked hisblessing upon the Roman State. And so began the last consulship of theFree Republic.

  [135] _Optimus maximus_.

  Rome was in a ferment. All knew the intention of the consuls to movethe recall of Caesar from his government. All knew that Curio hadbrought a letter from Ravenna, the contents whereof he carefullyguarded. That same afternoon the consuls convened the Senate in theTemple of Capitoline Jove, and every man knew to what purpose. AllRome swept in the direction of the Capitol. Drusus accompanied hisfriend, the tribune Antonius, as the latter's viator, for there wasneed of a trusty guard.

  The excitement in the streets ran even higher than when Catilina'sgreat plot was exposed. The streets were jammed with crowds,--not ofthe idle and base born, but of equites and noble ladies, and youngpatricians not old enough to step into their fathers' places. Theywere howling and cheering for Pompeius and Lentulus, and cursing theabsent proconsul. As Drusus passed along at the side of Antonius, hecould not fail to hear the execrations and vile epithets flung fromevery side at him and his friend. He had always supposed the masseswere on Caesar's side, but now every man's hand seemed turned againstthe conqueror of the Gauls. Was there to be but a repetition of thesame old tragedy of the Gracchi and of Marcus Drusus? A brave manstanding out for the people, and the people deserting him in his hourof need?

  They reached the Temple. The Senate was already nearly ready forbusiness; every toothless consular who had been in public service forperquisites only, and who for years had been wasting his life enjoyingthe pickings of an unfortunate province--all such were in their seatson the front row of benches. Behind them were the _praetorii_ and the_aedilicii,_[136] a full session of that great body which had matchedits tireless wisdom and tenacity against Pyrrhus, Hannibal, andAntiochus the Great, and been victorious. Drusus ran his eye over theseats. There they sat, even in the midst of the general excitement, abody of calm, dignified elders, severe and immaculate in their longwhite togas and purple-edged tunics. The multitudes without werehowling and jeering; within the temple, reigned silence--the silencethat gathered about the most august and powerful assembly the worldhas ever seen.

  [136] Ex-praetors and ex-aediles.

  The Temple was built of cool, grey stone; the assembly hall was quiteapart from the shrine. The Senate had convened in a spacioussemicircular vaulted chamber, cut off from the vulgar world by a rowof close, low Doric columns. From the shade of these pillars one couldcommand a sweeping view of the Forum, packed with a turbulentmultitude. Drusus stood on the Temple steps and looked out and in.Without, confusion; within, order; without, a leaderless mob; within,an assembly almost every member of which had been invested with somehigh command. For a moment the young man revived courage; after all,the Roman Senate was left as a bulwark against passion and popularwrath; and for the time being, as he looked on those motionless,venerable faces, his confidence in this court of final appeal wasrestored. Then he began to scan the features of the consulars, and hisheart sank. There was Lucius Calpurnius Piso, with the visage of aphilosopher, but within mere moral turpitude. There was Favonius;there were the two sanguinary Marcelli, consuls respectively for thetwo preceding years; there was Domitius; there was Cato, his hard faceillumined doubtless by the near realization of unholy hopes; there wasFaustus Sulla, another bitter oligarch. Drusus saw them all, and knewthat the Caesarian cause had been doomed without a hearing. CaiusMarcellus, the new consul, sat in his separate seat, in all thesplendid dignity of his embroidered toga. Around him stood his twelvelictors. But Lentulus, at whose behest the Senate had been convened,and who was to act as its president, had not come. Drusus followedAntonius over to the farther side of the house, where on a long, lowbench[137] the other tribunes of the plebs were seated. QuintusCassius was already there. The other tribunes darted angry glances attheir newly arrived colleague. Drusus remained standing behindAntonius, ready to act as a body-guard, as much as to serve in mereofficial capacity. Even as they entered he had noticed a buzz andrustle pass along the tiers of seats, and whisper pass on whisper,"There come the Caesarians!" "What treason is in that letter!" "We musthave an end of their impudence!" And Drusus ran his eye over the wholecompany, and sought for one friendly look; but he met with only stonyglances or dark frowns. There was justice neither in the people nor inthe Senate. Their hearts were drunk with a sense of revenge andself-willed passion; and Justice literally weighed out her bounty withblinded eyes.

  [137] _Subsellium_.

  There was another hum and rustle. And into the hall swept LentulusCrus, in robes of office, with Scipio, the father-in-law of Pompeius,at his side. Before him strode his twelve lictors bearing their fasceserect. Not a word was spoken while Lentulus Crus seated himself in theivory curule chair of office. No sign marked the extreme gravity ofthe occasion.

  "Let the sacred chickens be brought," said Lentulus.

  Never a lip twitched or curled in all that august multitude whileseveral public attendants brought in a wooden cage containing three orfour rather skinny specimens of poultry. Not even Drusus saw anythingreally ridiculous when Lentulus arose, took grain from an attendant,and scattered a quantity of it before the coop. Close at his elbowstood the augur, to interpret the omen,--a weazened, bald-headed oldsenator, who wore a purple-striped tunic,[138] and carried in his handa long stick,[139] curved at its head into a spiral. Drusus knewperfectly well that the fowls had been kept without food all that day;but it would have seemed treason to all the traditions of his nativeland to cry out against this pompous farce. The hungry chickens peckedup the grain. The augur muttered formula after formula, and Lentulustook pains to repeat the meaningless jargon after him. Presently theaugur ceased his chatter and nodded to the consul. Lentulus turnedtoward the Senate.

  [138] _Trabea_.

  [139] _Lituus_.

  "There is no evil sight or sound!"[140] was his announcement, meaningthat business could be transacted.

  [140] _Silentium esse videtur_.

  Whereupon up from his seat sprang Marcus Antonius, flourishing in hishand a packet. Loudly Lentulus bade him hold his peace; loudly thetribunes who sided with the Senate party forbade him to read. But arustle and stir of eager curiosity ran along all the benches, andfirst one voice, then many, cried out that the letter must be madepublic. With very ill grace the consul declared that Antonius shouldbe allowed to read the communication from Caesar.

  Antonius read, and all were astonished at the moderation of themuch-maligned proconsul. Caesar made it clear that he would stand onhis rights as to the second consulship; but to withdraw possibilitiesof seeming to issue a threat, he would disband his entire army ifPompeius would only do the same, or, if preferred, he would retainsimply Cisalpine Gaul and Illyria with two legions, until the consularelections were over. In either event it would be out of his power tomenace the constitution, and the public tranquillity would remainquite undisturbed.

  But before the murmur of approbation at this unexpected docility woreaway, Lentulus burst forth into a fiery invective. All knew why theSenate had been convened, nor would he allow a few smooth promises tobring the state into danger. The law provided that a proconsul shouldleave his province at a certain time; and if Caesar thought that aspecial law exempted him from this requirement, it were well he weredisabused of the notion. The Senate had been convened because thepresiding consul felt that the continuance of Caesar in hisgovernorship was a menace to the safety of the Republic. Let theConscript Fathers express themselves boldly, and he, Lentulus, wouldnot desert them; let them waver and try to court the favour of Caesaras in former times, and the co
nsul would have to look to his ownsafety--and he could make his own terms with Caesar.

  Lentulus had started out with studied moderation. His harangue endedwith a stinging menace. A low mutter, difficult to interpret, ranthrough the Senate. Again Antonius leaped to his feet.

  "Conscript Fathers, will you not consider the mild offers of Caesar? Donot reject them without debate."

  "I ask the opinion of the Senate on my own proposition," broke inLentulus. "Metellus Scipio, declare what is your judgment."

  "I protest at this unseemly haste," cried Antonius; "let us considerthe letter first!"

  "And I protest against this boisterous and unlawful interruption,"retorted the consul, fiercely. "Rise, Metellus Scipio!"

  Antonius flushed with rage, but sank into his seat. Drusus leaned overhis friend's shoulder and whispered "Veto." Antonius shook his head.

  "They must speak. We should be foolish to shoot away our best arrowbefore the battle had really begun."

  Scipio arose. He was not the "chief senator,"[141] usually entitled tospeak first; but everybody knew that his words were the mereexpressions of his son-in-law, the mighty Pompeius. His oratory andphysical presence were wretched, but all the Senate hung upon hiswords.

  [141] _Princeps senatus_.

  "Pompeius did not intend to abandon the Republic, if the Senate wouldsupport him; but let them act with energy, for otherwise in the futurethey might need his aid never so much, and yet implore it in vain."

  "You want to destroy the Republic!" cried Quintus Cassius, halfleaping from his seat.

  "We want to destroy _you_!" retorted Domitius, savagely.

  But all men were not so blinded by fury, hate, and greed of power andrevenge. To the dismay of his party Caius Marcellus, the secondconsul, counselled a certain kind of moderation. There was no lovelost by the noble "Optimates" upon Pompeius, and Marcellus hinted thisplainly when he said that all Italy must be put under arms, and withsuch an army at the disposal of the Senate, it could act as it sawfit,--to get rid of a troublesome protector, he implied, no less thanan open enemy. And close after him followed Marcus Calidius and MarcusRufus, two senators, who had at least the sagacity to perceive that itwould not free the Commonwealth to crush Caesar, by flinging themselvesinto the arms of Pompeius. "Let Pompeius go off to his Spanishprovince, to which he was accredited proconsul; it was but naturalCaesar should think himself ill treated, seeing that two legions hadbeen taken from him for Eastern service, and Pompeius was keepingthese very troops close to Rome."

  For one moment it seemed to Drusus that wisdom and justice had notdeserted the Senate of his native state. The consuls were divided; twoinfluential men were counselling moderation. Surely the Senate wouldnot push to extremities. But he had not reckoned on the spell whichthe malevolent spirit of Lentulus had cast over the assembly. Inbitter words the presiding consul refused to put Calidius's proposalto a vote, and then, turning directly upon his colleague before theface of the whole multitude, he poured out reproof and vituperation.Marcellus turned red and then black in the face with rage. Drusus'sheart was beating rapidly with hope. So long as the consuls were atenmity, little would be done! Suddenly Scipio started as if to leavethe assembly. "He's going to call in Pompeius's cohorts!" belchedLentulus. Marcellus turned pale. Drusus saw Calidius's friendswhispering with him, evidently warning and remonstrating. Senatorscast uneasy glances toward the doorways, as if expecting to see acentury of legionaries march in to enforce the decrees of Pompeius'sspokesmen. Marcellus staggered to his feet. He was cowed, andevidently felt himself in personal danger.

  "Conscript Fathers," he stammered, "I--I withdraw my motion to delayaction for considering the recall of Caesar."

  "You have done well!" shouted Lentulus, triumphing savagely. Scipioostentatiously settled back on his seat, while Cato called withwarning, yet exultation:--

  "Take care what you do. Caesar is the only sober man among all thoseengaged in the plot to overturn the government. Remember with whom youmust deal, and act!"

  Then Scipio arose once more. Every one knew that his fiat was law."Conscript Fathers," he began, "Marcus Cato speaks well. Consider thepower of Caesar. He has trained up bands of gladiators whom hisfriends, both senators and knights, are drilling for him. He isdoubling his soldiers' pay, giving them extra corn, slaves,attendants, and land grants. A great part of the Senate,--yes, Ciceroeven, they say,--owes him money, at low and favourable rates ofinterest; he has actually made presents to freedmen and influentialslaves. All young prodigals in debt are in his pay. He has madepresents to win the favour of cities and princes, or been lending themtroops without vote of the Senate. In Italy, Gaul, and Spain,--yes, inGreece, too, and Asia, he is winning the good-will of communities byerecting splendid public buildings. So great is his present power!What he will do in a second consulship I dare not say. I dare notassign bounds to his ambition. Conscript Fathers, shall we voteourselves freemen or slaves? What more can I add to the words of theconsul? I vote to ratify the proposition of Lucius Lentulus, thatCaesar either disband his army on a fixed day, or be declared a publicenemy!"

  "And what is your opinion, Lucius Domitius?" demanded Lentulus, whilenever a voice was raised to oppose Scipio.

  "Let the Senate remember," replied Domitius, "that Caesar will justifythe meaning of his name--the 'hard-hitter,' and let us strike thefirst and telling blow."

  A ripple of applause swept down the Senate. The anti-Caesarians hadcompletely recovered from their first discomfiture, and were carryingall sentiment before them. Already there were cries of "A vote! avote! Divide the Senate! A vote!"

  "Conscript Fathers," said Lentulus, "in days of great emergency likethis, when your minds seem so happily united in favour of doing thatwhich is for the manifest safety of the Republic, I will not ask forthe opinions of each senator in turn. Let the Senate divide; let allwho favour the recall of the proconsul of the Gauls pass to the right,those against to the left. And so may it be well and prosperous forthe Commonwealth."

  But Antonius was again on his feet; and at his side stood QuintusCassius.

  "Lucius Lentulus," he thundered, "I forbid the division. _Veto!_"

  "_Veto!_" shouted Cassius.

  Domitius, too, had risen. "Conscript Fathers, let the consulsremonstrate with the tribunes to withdraw their prohibition. And, ifthey do not succeed, let them lay before the Senate that order whichis the safeguard of the Republic."

  Everybody knew what Domitius meant. If Antonius would not give way,martial law was to be declared. Hot and furious raged the debate. Moreand more passionate the expressions of party hatred. More and moremenacing the gestures directed upon the two Caesarian tribunes. Buteven the impetuous fierceness of Lentulus, Cato, Scipio, and Domitiuscombined could not drive the browbeaten Senate to cast loose from itslast mooring that night. Domitius's measure went over. It waslate--the stars were shining outside. Lamps had been brought in, andthrew their ruddy glare over the long tiers of seats and their augustoccupants. Finally the angry debate ended, because it was a physicalimpossibility to continue longer. Senators went away with dark frownsor care-knit foreheads. Out in the Forum bands of young "Optimates"were shouting for Pompeius, and cursing Caesar and his followers.Drusus, following Antonius, felt that he was the adherent of a lostcause, the member of a routed army that was defending its laststronghold, which overwhelming numbers must take, be the defence neverso valiant. And when very late he lay down on his bed that night, thehowls of the fashionable mob were still ringing in his ears.

  II

  That night the most old-fashioned and sober Roman went to bed at anadvanced hour. Men were gathered in little knots along the streets, inthe forums, in the porticos and basilicas, arguing, gesticulating,wrangling. Military tribunes and centurions in armour of Pompeius'slegions were parading on the _comitium_.[142] Veterans of that leaderwere jostling about in the crowd, clanking their newly furbishedarmour and shouting for their old general. If a man spoke for Caesar, acrowd of bystanders was ready to hoot him down. Staid house
holderslocked up their dwellings and stationed trusty slaves at the doors tosee that the crowds did not take to riot and pillage. The sailors fromthe wharves had been drinking heavily in all the taverns, and nowroved up and down the crowded streets, seeking opportunity for brawls.Thieves and cutpurses were plying their most successful work; but noofficials had time to direct the efforts of the harassed and slenderpolice corps. To Pompeius's palace, without the gates, every man whosevoice or vote seemed worth the winning had been summoned. All thesenators had streamed out thither; and there the Magnus had broughtthem under the spell of his martial authority and made them as wax inhis hand. And all "that majesty that doth hedge about a king," orabout a victorious general, exerted its full influence. The senatorscame into the palace of Pompeius as into the palace of their despot.He stood before them in his largest hall, wearing the embroidered robeof a triumphator, with the laurel crown of his victories upon hishead. At his right hand, as first vizir of his state, stood LentulusCrus; at his left Lucius Domitius. The senators came to him and bowedlow, and said their "_Aves_" and "_Salves_" as though cringing beforea Mithridates or Tigranes of the East; and Pompeius, by the cordialityor coolness of his response, indicated which of his vassals had or hadnot fallen under his disfavour.

  [142] Assembly-place in the _Forum Romanum_.

  Yes, despotism had come at last for Rome. The oligarchy had by itscorrupt incapacity made a tyranny inevitable. They could make choiceof masters, but a master they must have. Many were the proud Fabii,Claudii, and Valerii present that night--men whose lines of curuleancestors were as long as the duration of the Republic--who groundtheir teeth with shame and inward rage the very moment they cried,"_Salve, Magne!_" Yet the recipient of all this adulation was in noenviable frame of mind. He looked harassed and weary, despite thesplendour of his dress and crown. And many were the whisperedconversations that passed between him and his ministers, or rathercustodians, Lentulus and Domitius.

  "Ah! poor Julia," sighed Pompeius, whose mind ever reverted to hisdead wife, "what misery would have been yours if you had seen thisday. Poor Julia; how I loved her; and Caesar, her father, loved hertoo; and now--"

  "Be yourself, Magnus," expostulated the consul at his side; "rememberthat for the good of the Republic every personal affection is to beput away. Recall Brutus, who put his own sons to death because theycommitted treason. Remember what Scipio AEmilianus said when he learnedthat Tiberius Gracchus, his dear brother-in-law, had been put to deathfor sedition. He quoted Homer's line:--

  "'So perish all who do the like again!'"

  "And must I trample down every tie, every affection?" complainedwretched Pompeius, who never ceased hoping against hope that somethingwould avert the catastrophe.

  "There is no tie, no affection, Magnus," said Domitius, sternly, "thatbinds you to Caesar. Cast his friendship from your breast as you woulda viper. Think only of being justly hailed with Romulus, Camillus, andMarius as the fourth founder of Rome. Strike, and win immortal glory."

  And so to the last hour these confederates wrought upon their suppleinstrument, and bent him to their will; and their tool in turn had allelse at his mercy. Pompeius addressed the senators, and, well trainedby his guardians, spoke with brutal frankness to those who had daredto advise moderation.

  "You, Rufus," he said, pointing a menacing finger, before which thatsenator cowered in dread, "have been advising the Republic to toleratethe chief of its enemies. You bid me to disarm or withdraw from Italy,as though the lives and property of any good men would be safe themoment Caesar was left unopposed to pour his cohorts of barbarous Gaulsand Germans into the country. You, Calidius, have given the sameuntimely advice. Beware lest you repent the hour when you counselledthat I should disarm or quit the neighbourhood of Rome." The two-edgedsuggestion contained in this last warning was too marked for thereproved men not to turn pale with dread, and slink away tremblingbehind their associates.

  "But," continued Pompeius, "I have praise as well as blame; MarcusCato has not deserted the Republic. He has advised, and advised well,that the proconsul of the Gauls be stripped of his legions." It wasCato's turn now to bite his lips with mortification, for in times pasthe had foretold that through Pompeius great miseries would come to thestate, and in his praetorship had declared that Pompeius ought to go tohis province, and not stay at home to stir up tumults and anarchy fromwhich he could emerge as monarch. And such praise from the Magnus'slips, under the present circumstances, was gall and wormwood to hishaughty soul.

  "And," continued Pompeius, "I shall not forget to applaud theenergetic counsels of Domitius and Lentulus Crus. Let those who wishto preserve life and property," he added, with a menacingsignificance, "see to it that they do as these gentlemen advise."

  And thereupon there was a great shout of applause from all the morerabid senators, in which the rest thought it safer to join, withsimulated heartiness. But Pompeius did not stop here. He broughtbefore the senators tribunes from the two legions taken from Caesar,and these tribunes loudly declaimed--having learned their lessonwell--that their troops were ill-affected toward their formercommander, and would follow Pompeius to the last. And the Magnusproduced veteran officers of his old campaigns, whom hope of rewardand promotion had induced to come and declare for their formercommander. Late, very late, the informal session of the Senate brokeup. The "Fathers of the Republic" went each man to his own dwelling;but there was no longer any doubt as to what was to come of the doingsof the day.

  Flaccus, the banker, had of course no access to the conference; but hehad waited outside the gate of the palace, to learn the issue from anacquaintance in the Senate. His patience was at last rewarded.

  "Tell me, friend," was his question, "what will be the outcome ofthis; shall I risk any loans to-morrow?"

  The friendly senator seemed doubtful.

  "Caesar is a ruined man. Who imagines his legions will fight? We knowLabienus is with Pompeius."

  "You are wrong," said Flaccus.

  "Wrong? I?" replied the senator. "I know whereof I speak."

  "_Phy!"_ cried the banker, "not Caesar, but you are ruined. The legionswill fight."

  "Don't prophesy," sneered the acquaintance, "seeing that you brokersalways keep out of politics."

  "You politicians are blind," retorted Flaccus.

  * * * * *

  The debate raged on. But by law the Senate could not convene on thethird and fourth of the month, and the question of setting aside thetribunician veto went over until the fifth. It was the last lullbefore the outbreak of the great tempest. The little group ofCaesarians put forth their final efforts. Drusus went in person to callon Cicero, the great orator, and plead with him to come out from hisresidence in the suburbs and argue for peace. The destroyer ofCatilina had declared that he would not forfeit his rights to atriumph for his Cilician victories by appearing prematurely in theSenate. Besides, he could never antagonize Pompeius. Curio smiledgrimly when his colleague reported his fruitless embassy.

  "I think, my friends," said the politician, "we shall soon prove theold saying, 'Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.'"