Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/270

256 Caesar Bribes Curio. — The question of superseding Caesar was discussed repeatedly in the senate in 51, but no decisive step was taken^ partly because a great number of senators absented themselves. Nevertheless, it was sufficiently evident that Pompeius and the leaders of the oligarchy had formed a coalition against him. To offset this, Caesar gave one of the consuls elect for 50 a bribe of $1,880,000. But his greatest and shrewdest investment as a corrupt politician was to purchase the tribune Gaius Scribonius Curio, a very dissolute but talented young man, a clever speaker, and an adroit politician. He paid the debts of Curio — the handsome sum of $3,300,000 (𐆘. 60,000,000) — and promised him other advantages.

Tactics of Curio. — Curio played at first the rôle of an independent and patriotic republican. Soon he discarded his mask and declared, in justification of using his veto, that it was unreasonable to recall Caesar before his time, when the government did not demand of Pompeius that he, too, should resign and disband his army. The state, he urged, would never be at peace unless both surrendered their provinces and armies at the same time. This proposition was very popular. Pompeius later stated that he was ready to resign, but took no steps to that end. In June, 50, the senate decided by a vote of three hundred and seventy to twenty-two in favor of the view of Curio. The vote was not accepted by the presiding consul and consequently had no legal force. Morally the result was that Pompeius appeared to be insincere, and Curio, whose motion Caesar agreed to by letter, could with perfect right continue vetoing senatorial decrees in regard to the provinces.

Doings of Pompeius and his Partisans. — Pompeius and his adherents then caused the senate to order him and Caesar to furnish one legion each for the Parthian war.