doubt, extracted from Gaul. The Senate decided
that both Pompey and Caesar should be required to abandon their
commands--or rather they adopted a proposal to that effect without any
absolute decree. But this sufficed for Caesar, who was only anxious to be
relieved from the necessity of obeying any order from the Senate by the
knowledge that Pompey also was ordered, and also was disobedient. Then
it was--in the summer of this year--that the two commanders were desired
by the Senate to surrender each of them a legion, or about three
thousand men, under the pretence that the forces were wanted for the
Parthian war. The historians tell us that Pompey had lent a legion to
Caesar, thus giving us an indication of the singular terms on which
legions were held by the proconsular officers who commanded them. Caesar
nobly sends up to Rome two legions, the one as having been ordered to be
restored by himself, and the other as belonging to Pompey. He felt, no
doubt, that a show of nobleness in this respect would do him better
service than the withholding of the soldiers. The men were stationed at
Capua, instead of being sent to the East, and no doubt drifted back into
Caesar's hands. The men who had served under Caesar would not willingly
find themselves transferred to Pompey.

Caesar in the summer came across the Alps into Cisalpine Gaul, which as
yet had not been legally taken from him, and in the autumn sat himself
down at Ravenna, which was still within his province. It was there that
he had to meditate the crossing of the Rubicon and the manifestation of
absolute rebellion. Matters were in this condition when Cicero returned
to Italy, and heard the corroboration of the news as to the civil war
which had reached him at Athens.

In a letter written from Athens, earlier than the one last quoted,
Cicero declared to Atticus that it would become him better to be
conquered with Pompey than to conquer with Caesar.[121] The opinion here
given may be taken as his guiding principle in politics till Pompey was
no more. Through all the doubts and vacillations which encumbered him,
this was the rule not only of his mind but of his heart. To him there
was no Triumvirate: the word had never been mentioned to his ears. Had
Pompey remained free from Caesar it would have been better. The two men
had come together, and Crassus had joined them. It was better for him to
remain with them and keep them right, than to stand away, angry and
astray, as