Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/271

Rh he asked Caesar to return his legion (p. 252). As disobedience would have been impolitic, Caesar sent the Pompeian legion and one of his own. They were, however,retained in Italy, and afterward fought on the side Pompeius.

Incidentally the censorship served once more as a political instrument. Appius Claudius, now an adherent of Pompeius, expelled a great number of members from the senate. His colleague, L. Calpurnius Piso, who was Caesar's father-in-law, gave him full sway, because the persons degraded joined the party of Caesar, so far as they did not already belong to it. These censors, as well as the others since 70, failed to complete the census.

In October the consul, Gaius Marcellus, proposed that Caesar be declared a public enemy and that the two legions at Capua should, under the command of Pompeius, be sent against him. He failed to get a majority of the senate against the intercession of Curio. Nevertheless, he went to Pompeius, exhorted him to protect the city, and illegally intrusted him with the command of the legions. He induced the consuls elect to declare their consent to this arbitrary procedure. Pompeius accepted the commission, and began in a listless way to levy soldiers.

Under these circumstances Caesar returned to cisalpine Gaul to await developments.

II. THE FIRST TWO DICTATORSHIPS OF CAESAR AND THE END OF THE REPUBLIC.

Demands of Caesar. — Caesar, who desired war, privately offered to surrender the Gallic provinces on March 1, 49, provided he might retain at least Illyricum with one legion until he should enter on, or perhaps merely be elected to, the consulship for 48. His aim was probably to throw the odium of the war upon his opponents and to win over Pompeius.