to this effect. When the men in power would not heed them,
they fell at odds with them and favored Sextus. They talked frequently in
his behalf, and at the horse-races honored by a loud clapping of hands
the statue of Neptune carried in the procession, evincing great pleasure
at it. When for some days it was not brought in, they took stones and
drove the officials from the Forum, threw down the images of Caesar and
Antony, and finally, on not accomplishing anything in this way even,
rushed violently upon them as if to kill them. Caesar, although his
followers were wounded, rent his clothes and betook himself to
supplicating them, whereas Antony presented a less yielding front. Hence,
because the wrath of the populace was aroused to the highest pitch and
it was feared that they would commit some violence, the two rulers were
forced unwillingly to make propositions of peace to Sextus.

[-32-] Meantime they removed the praetors and the consuls though it was
now near the close of the year, and appointed others instead, caring
little that these would have but a few days to hold office. (One of those
who at this time became consuls was Lucius Cornelius Balbus, of Gades,
who so much surpassed the men of his generation in wealth and munificence
that at his death he left a bequest of twenty-five denarii to each of the
Romans.) They not only did this, but when an aedile died on the last day
of the year, they chose another to fill out the closing hours. It was at
this same time that the so-called Julian supply of water was piped into
Rome and the festival that had been vowed for the successful completion
of the war against the assassins was held by the consuls. The duties
belonging to the so-called Septemviri were performed by the pontifices,
since none of the former was present: this was also done on many other
occasions.

[-33-] Besides these events which took place that year Caesar gave a
public funeral to his pedagogue Sphaerus, who had been freed by him. Also
he put to death Salvidienus Rufus, suspected of plotting against him.
This man was of most obscure origin, and while he was a shepherd a flame
had issued from his head. He had been so greatly advanced by Caesar that
he was made consul without even being a member of the senate, and his
brother who died before him had been laid to rest across the Tiber, a
bridge being constructed for this very purpose. But nothing human is
lasting, and he was finally accused in the senate