Page:Cicero And The Fall Of The Roman Republic.djvu/119

Rh . On the other hand there was a feeling that the man who had sufficiently dazzled the people by his entertainments would never ask for their votes in vain. It was on this account that the ædiles ransacked the world for the gift of wild beasts and the loan of works of art, that Cæsar displayed gladiators in silver panoply, and that Scaurus invented his movable theatres, which when the plays were over were wheeled round, spectators and all, so as to form an amphitheatre for the exhibition of the fighting. "You have no right," says Cicero, "to cast such scorn on the tastefulness of Murena's games or the magnificence of his scenery, which were strong points in his favour. Why should I observe, what is obvious, that it is the populace and the crowd of ignorant men who are so much caught by games? There is no great wonder in that. But that is enough for my argument; for the elections lie with this same common multitude.. . Men do enjoy the games, you may take my word for it, and not only those who frankly acknowledge their interest, but those who pretend not to care. This was brought home to me when I was a candidate, for I too had the magnificence of a rival's scenery against me; and if I, who had given three sets of games myself, was staggered by those of Antonius, do you suppose that you, who as it happened had not given any, were not put at a disadvantage by these very silver fittings of Murena's stage at which you scoff?"