Book 2
4.30
The persons who had been sent by Pompey to Caesar to bring these legions spread many reports derogatory to Caesar and repeated them to Pompey. They said that Caesar’s army was wasted by protracted service, that the soldiers longed for their homes and would change to the side of Pompey as soon as they should cross the Alps. They spoke in this way either from ignorance or because they were corrupted. In fact, every soldier was strongly attached to Caesar and labored zealously for him, under the force of discipline and the influence of the gain which war usually brings to victors and which they received from Caesar also; for he gave with ar lavish hand in order to mould them to his designs. They knew what his designs were, but they stood by him nevertheless. Pompey believed what was reported to him and collected neither soldiers nor apparatus suitable for so great a contest.A parallel passage in Plutarch says that when some were saying that if Caesar should turn his forces against the city, they could not see what power would be able to resist him, Pompey smiled, and with great unconcern bade them take no care of that, for, he said, whenever I stamp upon the ground in any part of Italy there will rise up forces enough both horse and foot. (Life of Pompey, 57.) In the Senate the opinion of each member was asked and Claudius craftily divided the question and took the votes separately, thus: Shall successors be sent to Caesar? and again, Shall Pompey be deprived of his command? The majority voted against the latter proposition, and it was decreed that successors to Caesar should be sent. Then Curio put the question whether both should lay down their commands, and 22 senators voted in the negative while 370 went back to the opinion of Curio in order to avoid civil discord.Mendelssohn marks the text at this place turbata. Then Claudius dismissed the Senate, exclaiming, Enjoy your victory and have Caesar for a master.
