y to offer his
throat to anyone who wished to kill him; but afterwards he alleged his
disease as an excuse for his behaviour, saying that persons who are so
affected cannot usually keep their senses steady when they address a
multitude standing, but that the senses being speedily convulsed and
whirling about bring on giddiness and are overpowered. However, the
fact was not so, for it is said that he was very desirous to rise up
when the Senate came, but was checked by one of his friends, or rather
one of his flatterers, Cornelius Balbus,[591] who said, "Will you not
remember that you are Caesar, and will you not allow yourself to be
honoured as a superior?"

LXI. There was added to these causes of offence the insult offered to
the tribunes. It was the festival of the Lupercalia,[592] about which
many writers say that it was originally a festival of the shepherds
and had also some relationship to the Arcadian Lykaea. On this occasion
many of the young nobles and magistrates run through the city without
their toga, and for sport and to make laughter strike those whom they
meet with strips of hide that have the hair on; many women of rank
also purposely put themselves in the way and present their hands to be
struck like children at school, being persuaded that this is
favourable to easy parturition for those who are pregnant, and to
conception for those who are barren. Caesar was a spectator, being
seated at the Rostra on a golden chair in a triumphal robe; and
Antonius was one of those who ran in the sacred race, for he was
consul. Accordingly, when he entered the Forum and the crowd made way
for him, he presented to Caesar a diadem[593] which he carried
surrounded with a crown of bay; and there was a clapping of hands,
not loud, but slight, which had been already concerted. When Caesar put
away the diadem from him all the people clapped their hands, and when
Antonius presented it again, only a few clapped; but when Caesar
declined to receive it, again all the people applauded. The experiment
having thus failed, Caesar rose and ordered the crown to be carried to
the Capitol. But as Caesar's statues were seen crowned with royal
diadems, two of the tribunes, Flavius and Marullus, went up to them
and pulled off the diadems, and having discovered those who had been
the first to salute Caesar as king they led them off to prison. The
people followed clapping their hands and calling the tribunes Bruti,
because it was Brutus who