unable in any way to collect the debts he made of the people's
impotency a favor that cost him nothing. In spite of this various talk
that gained currency in different quarters they now resolved that a house
be presented to him from the public treasury. He had made the place on
the Palatine which he had bought to erect a structure public property,
and had consecrated it to Apollo, because a thunderbolt descended upon
it. Hence they voted him the house and protection from any insult by deed
or word. Any one who committed such an offence was to be bound by the
same penalties as prevailed in the case of a tribune. For he received
permission to sit upon the same benches with them.

[-16-] These were the gifts bestowed upon Caesar by the senate. As for
him, he enrolled among the augurs above the proper number, Valerius
Messala, whom he previously in the proscriptions condemned to death, made
the people of Utica citizens, and gave orders that no one should wear
purple clothing except senators and such as held public office. For it
had been already appropriated by ordinary individuals in a few cases. In
this same year there was no aedile owing to a lack of candidates, and the
praetors and the tribunes performed the aediles' duties: also no praetor
urbanus was appointed for the Feriae, but some of the regular praetors
discharged his functions. Other matters in the city and in the rest of
Italy were under the charge of one Gaius Maecenas, a knight, both then and
for a long time afterward.

[-17-] Now Sextus after taking ship from Messana was afraid of pursuit
and suspected that there might be some act of treachery on the part of
his retinue. Therefore he gave notice to them that he was going to sail
seaward, but when he had extinguished the light which flagships exhibit
during night voyages for the purpose of having the rest follow close
behind, he coasted along Italy, then went over to Corcyra and from there
came to Cephallenia. Here the remainder of his vessels, which had
by chance been driven from the course by a storm, joined him again.
Accordingly, after calling them together, he took off his general's
uniform and made an address of which the substance was that while they
remained together they could render no lasting aid to one another or
escape detection, but if they scattered they could more easily make
good their escape; and he advised each man to look out individually and
separately for his own safety. The majority wer