Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/258

244 Brief Revival of the Oligarchy. — The oligarchy readily considered these and other repulses of Pompeius alone as the defeats of the triumvirate, and in the spring of 56 began to make a move against the triumvirs. Incidentally Cicero made a savage attack on Vatinius; and early in April, as the spokesman of the oligarchy, he proposed, and the senate voted, to consider on May 15 the legality of the distribution of the Campanian domain. This was a declaration of political war, and the next step was likely to be the recall of Caesar. The oligarchy committed at an inopportune time the old mistake, and compelled the slow, comparatively loyal, and politically incapable Pompeius to combine once more with Caesar, who had no regard for law and possessed great political astuteness and marvelous energy.

III. The Conference at Luca, the Second Consulship of Pompeius and Crassus, and the Reign of Anarchy.

Conference at Luca. — Caesar watched the progress of events in the capital from as near a point of view as circumstances allowed, and stayed about this time at Luca, where quite a number of magistrates and some two hundred senators assembled — a sort of monarchical senate. In April, 56, he held a secret conference with Pompeius and Crassus. He reconciled them and agreed to a plan of joint action for another five years. Pompeius and Crassus were to obtain the consulship for 55. For the next five years (54-50) they were to receive respectively Spain and Syria as provinces, with suitable equipment in troops and money. In return they were to secure an extension of Caesar's term for five years from March 1, 54; and it was probably understood that according to Sulla's arrangement Caesar was not to be superseded until January, 48, in order that he might attain the