44 Frederick Warren Sanford 



to anticipate the projected date of departure from his headquarters 

 at Nemetocenna by a comparatively short time. When the date 

 at which the augural election was to be held became known to 

 Antonius, the first courier to Caesar had been gone too long to 

 make it possible for another courier to intercept him before he 

 should be well on his way to Italy, if he had started promptly in 

 response to the first message. As he was to come soon at any 

 rate, there was no urgent reason for making an effort to inform 

 him of the real date of the election. There was always the possi- 

 bility, too, that a Roman election would be postponed after the 

 date was set, and in that event Caesar might after all be in time 

 to assist Antonius. The latter therefore waited until after the 

 augural election, then sent a courier with the news of his suc- 

 cessful candidacy for the tribunate and the augurate, of Galba's 

 defeat for the consulsl]ip, and of the elation of Caesar's enemies 

 over the election of consuls for 49 hostile to Caesar. 



The second courier met Caesar beyond the Italian frontier, 

 more than 560 in. p. from Rome, if he went by the Little St. 

 Bernard. The meeting occurred probably not earlier than twelve 

 days after the election, i. e., not earlier than August i. Caesar 

 came from Nemetocenna quam maximis itineribus. He had trav- 

 eled possibly 550 ;//. p., having left Nemetocenna July 26 or shortly 

 before. Antonius's first courier had to travel 1,150 in. p. from 

 Rome to Nemetocenna, a journey of twenty-three days at the 

 ordinary pace. He may have left Rome by July i, or earlier, for 

 it is not certain that Caesar did start at once in response to An- 

 tonius's summons. 



Hirtius reports these happenings in such a way as to make it 

 appear that the extended journey which Caesar made through 

 Cisalpine Gaul was conceived only after he learned of Antonius's 

 victory and of Galba's defeat. 



IX 

 In B. C, VIII, 52, 2, Hirtius fails to indicate Labienus's where- 

 abouts at the time when Caesar gave him charge of Cisalpine Gaul. 

 It was not till after this appointment, to judge from Hirtius's 

 account, that Caesar was informed of his enemies' efforts to alien- 



336 



