or wish for it. Upon this Cato commended
Pompeius and exhorted him to turn his attention to the establishment
of order, and Pompeius then out of shame did turn his attention to it,
and Domitius[329] and Messala were made consuls; but afterwards there
was again anarchy, and a greater number of persons now began to
agitate the question of a dictator more boldly, and Cato and his
partisans fearing that they should be forced to yield, determined to
let Pompeius have a certain legalized authority for the purpose of
diverting him from that pure tyrannical office. Bibulus, who was an
enemy of Pompeius, was the first to propose in the Senate to choose
Pompeius sole consul[330] and he said that the city would thus either
be relieved from the present disorder, or they would be slaves to the
best man among them. This opinion appeared strange from such a person,
when Cato rising for the purpose as it was expected of speaking
against Bibulus, as soon as there was silence, said that for his part
he would not have introduced the proposed measure, but as it was
introduced by another he advised that it should be adopted, for he
preferred any government to no government, and he thought that nobody
would administer affairs better than Pompeius at a time of such
disorder. The Senate accepted the proposal and passed a decree that
Pompeius if elected should be solo consul, and that if he wanted a
colleague, he might choose any person whom he approved of, but not
before two months had elapsed; and Pompeius being made consul on these
terms and declared by Sulpicius the Interrex, addressed Cato in a
friendly manner, admitting his great obligations to him and urging him
to give him his advice as a private man in the discharge of his
office. But Cato would not admit that Pompeius was under any
obligations to him, for he had said nothing that he did say out of
regard to him, but out of regard to the state: he added that he would
give him his advice if he were privately applied to; and if Pompeius
did not invite him, he would publicly tell him his opinion. Such was
Cato in everything.

LV. After entering the city, Pompeius married Cornelia,[331] a
daughter of Metellus Scipio, who was not a virgin, but had lately been
left a widow by Publius, the son of Crassus, who had lost his life
among the Parthians, and whose virgin bride she was. The young woman
possessed many charms besides her youthful beauty, for she was well
instructed in letters, in play