Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
courtesan, may be thought good enough evidence to prove. It
once happened in a public assembly, as they were at an election
of the aediles, that the people came to blows, and several
about Pompey were slain, so that he, finding himself all
bloody, ordered a change of apparel; but the
servants who brought home his clothes, making a
great bustle and hurry about the house, it chanced
that the young lady, who was then with child, saw his
gown all stained with blood; upon which she dropped immediately
into a swoon, and was hardly brought to life again; however,
what with her fright and suffering, she fell into labor and
miscarried; even those who chiefly censured Pompey for his
friendship to Caesar, could not reprove him for his affection
to so attached a wife. Afterwards she was great again, and
brought to bed of a daughter, but died in childbed; neither did
the infant outlive her mother many days. Pompey had prepared
all things for the interment of her corpse at his house near
Alba, but the people seized upon it by force, and performed the
solemnities in the field of Mars, rather in compassion for the
young lady, than in favor either for Pompey or Caesar; and yet
of these two, the people seemed at that time to pay Caesar a
greater share of honor in his absence, than to Pompey, though
he was present.
For the city now at once began to roll and swell, so to say,
with the stir of the coming storm. Things everywhere were in a
state of agitation, and everybody's discourse tended to
division, now that death had put an end to that relation which
hitherto had been a disguise rather than restraint to the
ambition of these men. Besides, not long after came messengers
from Parthia with intelligence of the death of Crassus there,
by which another safeguard against civil war was removed, since
both Caesar and Pompey kept their eyes on Crassus, and awe of
him held them together more or less within the bounds of
fair-dealing all his lifetime. But when fortune had taken away
this second, whose province it might have been to revenge the
quarrel of the conquered, you might then say with the comic
poet,
The combatants are waiting to begin,
Smearing their hands with dust and oiling each his skin.
So inconsiderable a thing is fortune in respect of human
nature, and so insufficient to give content to a covetous mind,
that an empire of that mighty extent and sway could not satisfy
the ambition of two men; and though they knew and had read,
that
The gods, when they divided out 'twixt three,
This massive universe, heaven, hell, and sea,
Each one sat down contented on his throne,
And undisturbed each god enjoys his own,
yet they thought the whole Roman empire not sufficient to
contain them, though they were but two.
Pompey once in an oration to the people, told them, that he had
always come into office before he expected he should, and that
he had always left it sooner than they expected he would; and,
indeed, the disbanding of all his armies witnessed as much.
Yet when he perceived that Caesar would not so willingly
discharge his forces, he endeavored to strengthen himself
against him by offices and commands in the city; but beyond
this he showed no desire for any change, and would not seem to
distrust, but rather to disregard and contemn him. And when he
saw how they bestowed the places of government quite contrary
to his wishes, because the citizens were bribed in their
elections, he let things take their course, and allowed the
city to be left without any government at all. Hereupon there
was mention straightaway made of appointing a dictator.
Lucilius, a tribune of the people, was the man who first
adventured to propose it, urging the people to make Pompey
dictator. But the tribune was in danger of being turned out of
his office, by the opposition that Cato made against it. And
for Pompey, many of his friends appeared and excused him,
alleging that he never was desirous of that government, neither
would he accept of it. And when Cato therefore made a speech
in commendation of Pompey, and exhorted him to support the
cause of good order in the Commonwealth, he could not for shame
but yield to it, and so for the present Domitius and Messala
were elected consuls. But shortly afterwards, when there was
another anarchy, or vacancy in the government, and the talk of
a dictator was much louder and more general than before, those
of Cato's party, fearing lest they should be forced to appoint
Pompey, thought it policy to keep him from that arbitrary and
tyrannical power, by giving him an office of more legal
authority. Bibulus himself, who was Pompey's enemy, first gave
his vote in the senate, that Pompey should be created consul
alone; alleging, that by these means either the Commonwealth
would be freed from its present confusion, or that its bondage
should be lessened by serving the worthiest. This was looked
upon as a very strange opinion, considering the man that spoke
it; and therefore on Cato's standing up, everybody expected
that he would have opposed it; but after silence made, he said
that he would never have been the author of that advice
himself, but since it was propounded by another, his advice was
to follow it, adding, that any form of government was better
than none at all; and that in a time so full of distraction, he
thought no man fitter to govern than Pompey. This counsel was
unanimously approved of, and a decree passed that Pompey should
be made sole consul, with this clause, that if he thought it
necessary to have a colleague, he might choose whom he pleased,
provided it were not till after two months expired.
Thus was Pompey created and declared sole consul by Sulpicius,
regent in this vacancy; upon which he made very cordial
acknowledgments to Cato, professing himself much his debtor,
and requesting his good advice in conducting the government; to
this Cato replied, that Pompey had no reason to thank him, for
all that he had said was for the service of the commonwealth,
not of Pompey; but that he would be always ready to give his
advice privately, if he were asked for it; and if not, he
should not fail to say what he thought in public. Such was
Cato's conduct on all occasions.
On his return into the city Pompey married Cornelia, the
daughter of Metellus Scipio, not a maiden, but lately left a
widow by Publius, the son of Crassus, her first husband, who
had been killed in Parthia. The young lady had other
attractions besides those of youth and beauty; for she was
highly educated, played well upon the lute, understood
geometry, and had been accustomed to listen with profit to
lectures on philosophy; all this, too, without in any degree
becoming unamiable or pretentious, as sometimes young women do
when they pursue such studies. Nor could any fault be found
either with her father's family or reputation. The disparity
of their ages was however not liked by everybody; Cornelia
being in this respect a fitter match for Pompey's son. And
wiser judges thought it rather a slight upon the commonwealth
when he, to whom alone they had committed their broken
fortunes, and from whom alone, as from their physician, they
expected a cure to these distractions, went about crowned with
garlands and celebrating his nuptial feasts; never considering,
that his very consulship was a public calamity, which would
never have been given him, contrary to the rules of law, had
his country been in a flourishing state. Afterwards, however,
he took cognizance of the cases of those that had obtained
offices by gifts and bribery, and enacted laws and ordinances,
setting forth the rules of judgment by which they should be
arraigned; and regulating all things with gravity and justice,
he restored security, order, and silence to their courts of
judicature, himself giving his presence there with a band of
soldiers. But when his father-in-law Scipio was accused, he
sent for the three hundred and sixty judges to his house, and
entreated them to be favorable to him; whereupon his accuser,
seeing Scipio come into the court, accompanied by the judges
themselves, withdrew the prosecution. Upon this Pompey was
very ill spoken of, and much worse in the case of Plancus; for
whereas he himself had made a law, putting a stop to the
practice of making speeches in praise of persons under trial,
yet notwithstanding this prohibition, he came into court, and
spoke openly in commendation of Plancus, insomuch that Cato,
who happened to be one of the judges at that time, stopping his
ears with his hands, told him, he could not in conscience
listen to commendations contrary to law. Cato upon this was
refused, and set aside from being a judge, before sentence was
given, but Plancus was condemned by the rest of the judges, to
Pompey's dishonor. Shortly after, Hypsaeus, a man of consular
dignity, who was under accusation, waited for Pompey's return
from his bath to his supper, and falling down at his feet,
implored his favor; but he disdainfully passed him by, saying,
that he did nothing else but spoil his supper. Such partiality
was looked upon as a great fault in Pompey, and highly
condemned; however, he managed all things else discreetly, and
having put the government in very good order, he chose his
father-in-law to be his colleague in the consulship for the
last five months. His provinces were continued to him for the
term of four years longer, with a commission to take one
thousand talents yearly out of the treasury for the payment of
his army.
This gave occasion to some of Caesar's friends to think it
reasonable, that some consideration should be had of him too,
who had done such signal services in war, and fought so many
battles for the empire, alleging, that he deserved at least a
second consulship, or to have the government of his province
continued, that so he might command and enjoy in peace what he
had obtained in war, and no successor come in to reap the
fruits of his labor, and carry off the glory of his actions.
There arising some debate about this matter, Pompey took upon
him, as it were out of kindness to Caesar, to plead his cause,
and allay any jealousy that was conceived against him, telling
them, that he had letters from Caesar, expressing his desire
for a successor, and his own discharge from the command; but it
would be only right that they should give him leave to stand
for the consulship though in his absence. But those of Cato's
party withstood this, saying, that if he expected any favor
from the citizens, he ought to leave his army, and come in a
private capacity to canvas for it. And Pompey's making no
rejoinder, but letting it pass as a matter in which he was
overruled, increased the suspicion of his real feelings towards
Caesar. Presently, also, under presence of a war with Parthia,
he sent for his two legions which he had lent him. However,
Caesar, though he well knew why they were asked for, sent them
home very liberally rewarded.
About that time Pompey recovered of a dangerous fit of sickness
which seized him at Naples, where the whole city, upon the
suggestion of Praxagoras, made sacrifices of thanksgiving to
the gods for his recovery. The neighboring towns likewise
happening to follow their example, the thing then went its
course throughout all Italy, so that there was not a city
either great or small, that did not feast and rejoice for many
days together. And the company of those that came from all
parts to meet him was so numerous, that no place was able to
contain them, but the villages, seaport towns, and the very
highways, were all full of people, feasting and sacrificing to
the gods. Nay, many went to meet him with garlands on their
heads, and flambeaux in their hands, casting flowers and
nosegays upon him as he went along; so that this progress of