asure, so that it could not be navigated and was closed
against all trade. It was this which mainly induced the Romans, who
were hard pressed for provisions and were expecting great scarcity, to
send out Pompeius to clear the sea of the pirates. Gabinius,[238] one
of the friends of Pompeius, drew up a law which gave Pompeius, not a
naval command, but palpably sole dominion and power over all men
without any responsibility. For the law gave him authority over the
sea within the columns of Hercules and all the main land to the
distance of four hundred stadia from the sea. There were not many
places within the Roman dominions which lay beyond those limits, but
the chief nations and the most powerful of the kings were comprised
within them. Besides this, Pompeius was empowered to choose fifteen
legati from the Senate who should command in particular parts, to take
from the treasuries and from the Publicani as much money as he
pleased, and two hundred ships, with full authority as to the number
and levying of the armed force and of the rowers for the vessels. When
these provisions of the law were read, the people received them with
exceeding great satisfaction, but the chief of the Senate and the most
powerful citizens considered that this unlimited and indefinite power
was indeed too great to be an object of envy, but was a matter for
alarm. Accordingly with the exception of Caesar they opposed the law;
but Caesar spoke in favour of it, though indeed he cared very little
for Pompeius, but from the beginning it was his plan to insinuate
himself into the popular favour and to gain over the people. But the
rest vehemently assailed Pompeius. One of the consuls who had observed
to him that if he emulated Romulus he would not escape the end of
Romulus, was near being killed by the people. When Catulus came
forward to speak against the law, the people out of respect were
silent for some time; but after he had spoken at length with
honourable mention of Pompeius and without any invidious remark, and
then advised the people to spare him and not to expose such a man to
repeated dangers and wars, "What other man," he continued, "will you
have, if you lose him?" when with one accord all the people replied,
"Yourself." Now as Catulus could produce no effect, he retired from
the Rostra; when Roscius[239] came forward, nobody listened, but he
made signs with his fingers that they should not appoint Pompeius to
the sole command, but should