36 Frederick Warren Sanford 



breach between the two men was now so wide that there was no 

 occasion for further silence on Caelius's part. To the description 

 of the quarrel he devoted an entire letter. 



Fain. VIII, 14, contains no mention of the elections other than 

 the augural. It is quite probable that the letter was accompanied 

 by a cojnnientarium, with full news not only of the elections, but 

 also of the debate on pay for Pompeius's troops, of Curio's veto 

 and subsequent withdrawal of the same, of Appius's edicts, of the 

 processes instituted before Drusus under the lex Scantinia, and 

 of numerous other matters of interest to Cicero. Caelius chose 

 for comment, among the elections, only the one which interested 

 him most because of his own part therein, and contented himself 

 with a passing notice of the wisdom of Curio's action in with- 

 drawing his veto. 



VI 



The general purpose of the long digression beginning in B. G., 

 VIII, 52, 4, has been commented on above.^^^ It falls into three 

 parts, (i) Curio's endeavors to effect a compromise between Pom- 

 peius and Caesar, with a specific attempt to secure a decree of the 

 senate, (2) the action of the senate in the year 51, (3) the episode 

 of the two legions. The second is a parenthesis within .a paren- 

 thesis. All three serve to illustrate the implacable animosity 

 towards Caesar of a political clique with Pompeius at the head. 

 The first evidences the inclination of a majority of the senate 

 towards peace, it being implied that the Pompeians dared not 

 allow Curio's proposal to come to a vote {c. 52, 5) ; the same pur- 

 pose is served by the second part {c. 53). The first and third 

 illustrate Caesar's willingness to obey constituted authority and 

 his desire for peace. That Curio's attempt to have a definite 

 decree passed belongs to a date comparatively early in the year 

 has been pointed out.^^® 



These questions arise. What was the date of the decree with 

 reference to the two legions? At what time did they come down 

 from Caesar's provinces? What was the time relation between 



P. 316. 

 Note 97. 



328 



