on of lands among
the soldiery. But when Cato opposed him in this measure also and
frustrated the law, Pompeius next attached himself to Clodius, the
boldest of the demagogues at that time, and gained over Caesar,[702] to
which Cato in a manner gave occasion. For Caesar, who had returned from
his praetorship in Iberia, at the same time wished to be a candidate
for the consulship and asked for a triumph. But as it was the law that
those who were candidates for a magistracy should be present, and
those who were going to have a triumph should stay outside the walls,
Caesar asked permission of the Senate to solicit the office through
means of others. Many were willing to consent, but Cato spoke against
it, and when he saw that the Senators were ready to oblige Caesar, he
took up the whole day in talking, and thus frustrated the designs, of
the Senate. Caesar accordingly giving up his hopes of a triumph,
entered the city, and immediately attached himself to Pompeius, and
sought the consulship. Being elected consul, Caesar gave Julia in
marriage to Pompeius, and the two now coalescing against the state,
the one introduced laws for giving to the poor allotments and a
distribution of land, and the other assisted in supporting these
measures. But Lucullus and Cicero siding with Bibulus, the other
consul, opposed the measures, and Cato most of all, who already
suspected that the friendship and combination of Caesar and Pompeius
had no just object, and said that he was not afraid of the
distribution of the land, but of the reward for it which those would
claim who were gratifying the multitude, and alluring them by this
bait.

XXXII. By these arguments Cato brought the Senate to an unanimous
opinion; and of those without the Senate no small number supported the
senators, being annoyed at the unusual measures of Caesar: for what the
boldest and most reckless tribunes were used to propose for
popularity's sake, these very measures Caesar in the possession of
consular power adopted, basely and meanly endeavouring to ingratiate
himself with the people. Caesar's party, therefore, being alarmed, had
recourse to violence, and first of all a basket of ordure was thrown
upon Bibulus as he was going down to the Forum, and then the people
fell on his lictors and broke the fasces; finally missiles being
thrown about, and many being wounded, all the rest ran away from the
Forum except Cato, who walked away slowly, every now and then turning