Narrative in Eighth Book of the " Gallic War" 1 1 



Indi Romaiii, since the assemblies did not meet during the periods 

 of the pubhc games/' and probably later than September 19, which, 

 as noted above, is the earliest probable date of Fam. VIII, 12. 



If Hortensius's death took place at the end of June, that fact is 

 consistent with dating the augural election late in September. 

 But the date of Hortensius's death assumed by Nissen rests upon 

 the rate of letter-post from Rome to Rhodes. In a given case, 

 and in the absence of positive evidence, we can not be sure that a 

 letter or a messenger traveled at the ordinary rate. Cicero, fur- 

 thermore, heard of Hortensius's death not at the end of August, 

 but near the loth.^^ 



If the augural election was held between September 18 and 23, 

 Caesar's arrival in Italy can not have been earlier than October 

 I, as is clear from the fact that he was informed of the outcome 

 of the election before reaching Italy.*" The fact of his arrival 

 can hardly have been known in Rome earlier than October 10. 

 To base a rumor which was current in the city between September 

 19 and 23, and perhaps earlier, on Caesar's trip to Italy, necessi- 

 tates the assumption that his coming was generally known some- 

 considerable time in advance of his arrival. There is nothing 

 additional, in the way of positive evidence, to support such anj 

 assumption. 



In Fam. VIII, 12, 4, Caelius says in anticipation of Cicero's re- 

 turn home : Te exspecto valde et quaiii priniiim zndere ctipio : in 

 \"III, 14,4: Curre, per deos atque homines! et quam primum haec 

 I'ismn veni, legis Scantiniae iudicium apiid Drusum fieri, Appium 

 de tabuHs et signis agere; crede mihi, est properandum. These 

 passages seem to express nothing more than Caelius's earnest wish 

 to see Cicero at the earliest possible moment. If there is any 

 difference in tone between the two, VIII, 12, 4, more nearly indi- 

 cates the expectation of seeing Cicero soon. 



From the foregoing discussion it is made out with reasonable 

 certainty, ( i ) that there is nothing in the evidence thus far 

 adduced to justify rejection of Plutarch's explicit statement that 



" Staatsr., IIP, pp. 1055-56; Rom. Alt., 11', p. 469. 

 *^ Schmidt, Briefw., p. 91. 

 *'B. G., VIII, 50, 3- 



303 



