LIV. Yet Pompeius once said when he was addressing the people, that
he had obtained every office sooner than he expected, and laid it down
sooner than was expected. And in truth he had the disbandings of his
forces a perpetual testimony of the truth of what he said. But now
being convinced that Caesar would not give up his power, he sought by
means of the functionaries of the state to strengthen himself against
him, but he attempted no change of any kind and did not wish to be
considered to distrust Caesar, but to disregard him rather and to
despise him. However when he saw that the officers were not disposed
of according to his judgment, the citizens being bribed, he allowed
anarchy to spring up in the state; and forthwith there was much talk
about a dictator, whom Lucilius the tribune first ventured to mention
by advising the people to choose Pompeius dictator. Cato attacked him
for this, and Lucilius ran the risk of losing his tribunate, and many
of the friends of Pompeius came forward to exculpate him and said that
he did not seek that office or wish for it. Upon this Cato commended
Pompeius and exhorted him to turn his attention to the establishment
of order, and Pompeius then out of shame did turn his attention to it,
and Domitius[329] and Messala were made consuls; but afterwards there
was again anarchy, and a greater number of persons now began to
agitate the question of a dictator more boldly, and Cato and his
partisans fearing that they should be forced to yield, determined to
let Pompeius have a certain legalized authority for the purpose of
diverting him from that pure tyrannical office.
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