Narrative in Eighth Book of the " Gallic War " 1 3 



i. e., July 14,'^* the first comitial day following the ludi Apolli- 

 narcs. Antonius must then arrive in Rome not later than June 

 27, leaving camp early in the month. He probably came some- 

 what earlier than June 2^, for he would not be likely to plan his 

 journey in such a way as to arrive on the last day available for 

 the profcssio. Paulo ante and similar phrases are relative, and 

 therefore elastic. Nevertheless the four months which would in- 

 tervene between the departure of Antonius and Caesar from Bel- 

 gium, if the latter came to Italy in late September, are too long 

 a time, in comparison with the total period dealt with in B. G., 

 VIII, 50-55, to harmonize well with paulo ante. This item of 

 evidence also favors an earlier date than late September for the 

 augural election and for Caesar's first journey to Italy. 



Appius Claudius in his attempt to humiliate Caelius, Fam. VIII, 

 12, 1-3, is reported by the latter as working in collusion with 

 Domitius, ut nunc est, mihi inimicissimo homine. The clause ut 

 nunc est implies a change in the relations between Caelius and 

 Domitius. That Caelius had not been one of Domitius's personal 

 friends is evident from Fain. VIII, 14, i : ut ne familiarem quidem 

 suum quemquam tarn oderit quam me. From what immediately 

 precedes it is equally evident that Domitius did regard Caelius as 

 a natural supporter in the augural contest on the ground of polit- 

 ical affiliation : Magna ilia comitia fuerunt, et plane stndia ex 

 partium scnsu apparuerunt ; perpauci necessitudinem secuti offi- 

 cium praestiterunt. Itaque mihi est Domitius inimicissimits. From 

 this it is to be inferred that Caelius and Domitius had not been 

 personally hostile hitherto. Caelius's support of Antonius would 

 afford ample reason for Domitius's present hostility. We know 

 of no other reason. The casual way in which the changed rela- 

 tions of the two are mentioned, without indication of the cause, 

 is most naturally explained by supposing that Fain. VIII, 12, was 



"This was undoubtedly the date in 51. The tribunes and consuls were 

 elected in that year before July 19 (A ft. V, 18, i, 3), and there were only 

 three comitial days between the ludi ApoUinares and the 19th, viz., the 

 14th, 17th, i8th ; of these the 18th was dies Alliensis, on which the assem- 

 blies, perhaps also the senate, seem not to have met (Wissowa, Relig. und 

 Kult., p. 27^; Willems, Le Senat, II, p. 151, 5). 



