42 Frederick Warren San ford 



VIII 



It is plain from B. G., VIII, 50, i, that Caesar, before going to 

 Italy himself in behalf of Antonius's augural candidacy, had set 

 in motion the electioneering machinery of his Cisalpine province. 

 It seems equally certain from §2, taken in connection with § i, 

 that after Antonius arrived in Rome further news came to Caesar 

 of such a character as to inspire his first journey to Italy: Con- 

 tendebat enim gratia cum libenter pro hotiiine sihi coniunctissimo, 

 quern paulo ante praemiserat ad petitionem, turn acriter contra 

 factionem et potentiam paucorum, qui Antonii repulsa Caesaris 

 decedentis gratiam conveUere cupiehant. Evidently he expected 

 to arrive in time to be of assistance to Antonius. In order to 

 effect his purpose of arousing the voters of Cisalpine Gaul, Caesar 

 should have arrived by July i or even earlier. He actually arrived 

 a month later. How did it happen that he came so late, when the 

 usual time at which elections were held was well known? 



Antonius came to Rome as early, possibly, as the middle of 

 June. That he would stand for the tribunate was probably as- 

 sumed in advance. But he also doubtless gave out soon after his 

 arrival that he aspired to succeed Hortensius in the college of 

 augurs. No professio was required of a candidate for a priest- 

 hood, that formality being replaced by a nomination in contio 

 given by one or two members of the college concerned. ^^'^ How 

 long before the election this contio was held is not known. At all 

 events Antonius was safe in announcing his intention in the matter 

 before the contio was held, since there was at least one member 

 of the augural college, Servius Galba, upon whom he could rely 

 for nomination. ^^^ Naturally a determined opposition would soon 

 be manifested. It would become apparent also that the contest 

 was to be waged on strictly political lines. It was of importance 

 to Caesar's prestige that Antonius should win. The opposition 



"^ Note 64. 



^'^ C. Bardt, Die Priester der vier grossen Collegien, p. 26. Galba is 

 mentioned as augur (probably) first in March, 49 (^Att. IX, 9, 3). But he 

 must have become a member of the augural college before the summer of 

 50, for his election along with Antonius would surely have called forth 

 some comment from Caelius in Fam.VIII, 14, I. 



334 



