Upon the consuls putting the
question, whether they were of opinion that Pompeius should dismiss
his troops, and again, whether Caesar should, very few voted in favour
of the former question, and all but a few voted in favour of the
latter; but when Antonius[517] on his side moved that both should
dismiss their troops, all unanimously were in favour of that opinion.
Scipio made a violent opposition, and Lentulus, the consul, called out
that they needed arms to oppose a robber, and not votes, on which the
Senate broke up and the Senators changed their dress as a sign of
lamentation on account of the dissension.
XXXI. But when letters had come from Caesar by which he appeared to
moderate his demands, for he proposed to surrender everything else
except Gaul within the Alps and Illyricum with two legions, which
should be given to him to hold till he was a candidate for a second
consulship, and Cicero the orator, who had just returned from Cilicia
and was labouring at a reconciliation, was inducing Pompeius to
relent, and Pompeius was ready to yield in everything else except as
to the soldiers, whom he still insisted on taking from Caesar, Cicero
urged the friends of Caesar to give in and to come to a settlement on
the terms of the above-mentioned provinces and the allowance of six
thousand soldiers, only to Caesar. Pompeius was ready to yield and to
give way; but the consul Lentulus would not let him, and he went so
far as to insult and drive with dishonour from the Senate both Curio
and Antonius, thus himself contriving for Caesar the most specious of
all pretexts, by the aid of which indeed Caesar mainly excited the
passions of his men, pointing out to them that men of distinction and
magistrates had made their escape in hired vehicles in the dress of
slaves.
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