But when Pompeius began to
raise recruits, some refused and a few came together tardily and
without any readiness, but the greater part cried out that some terms
should be come to. For Antonius in spite of the Senate had read a
letter of Caesar to the people which contained proposals likely to
conciliate the mass; for Caesar proposed that both he and Pompeius
should give up their provinces and dismiss their troops, and so put
themselves in the hande of the people and render an account of what
they had done. Lentulus who was now consul would not assemble the
Senate; but Cicero who had just returned from Cilicia[340] attempted
an amicable settlement on the terms, that Caesar should quit Gaul and
give up all his army except two legions with which he should hold
Illyricum and wait for his second consulship. As Pompeius was
dissatisfied with this, the friends of Caesar so far yielded as to
agree that Caesar should dismiss one of these two legions; but as
Lentulus made opposition and Cato called out that Pompeius was
blundering again if he allowed himself to be deceived, the attempt at
a settlement came to no conclusion.
LX. In the mean time intelligence arrived that Caesar had taken
Ariminum,[341] a large city of Italy, and was marching straight upon
Rome with all his force. But this was false; for he was advancing with
only three hundred horsemen and five thousand legionary soldiers, and
he did not wait for the rest of his force which was beyond the Alps,
choosing to fall upon his enemies when they were in confusion and did
not expect him, rather than to give them time to prepare to fight with
him.
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