Dios Rome, Vol. 2 | Page 7

tribune, set
forth his plan: he was either prompted by Pompey or wished to do him
some favor; certainly he was not impelled by any love of the common
welfare, for he was the vilest of men: his plan was that they should
choose from among the ex-consuls one general with full powers over
all, who should command for three years and have the use of a huge
force, with many lieutenants. He did not actually utter the name of
Pompey, but it was easy to see that if once the multitude should hear of
any such proposition, they would choose him. [-24-] So it turned out.
His motion was carried and immediately all save the senate began to
favor Pompey. That body was in favor of enduring anything whatever
at the hands of the freebooters rather than to put so great command into

Pompey's hands. In fact they came near slaying Gabinius in the very
halls of the senate, but he eluded them somehow. When the people
learned the intention of the senators they raised an uproar, going to the
point of making a rush at them as they sat assembled: and if the elders
had not gotten out of the way, the populace would without doubt have
killed them. They all scattered and secreted themselves except Gaius
Piso the consul (it was in his year and Acilius's that these events took
place), who was arrested and condemned to perish for the others; but
Gabinius begged him off. After this the leading men themselves gladly
held their peace on condition of being allowed to live, but used
influence on the nine tribunes, to have them oppose Gabinius. All of
the latter, however, except a Lucius Trebellius and Lucius Roscius, out
of fear of the multitude would not say a word in opposition; and those
two men, who had the courage, were unable to redeem any of their
promises by either word or deed. For when the appointed day came on
which the motion was to be ratified, things went as follows.
Pompey, who was thoroughly anxious to command, and already by
reason of his own ambition and the zeal of the populace no longer so
much regarded this commission as an honor as the failure to win it a
disgrace, seeing the opposition of those in power had a wish to appear
as if compulsion were being used. In general he was as little as possible
in the habit of revealing his real desires, but still more on this occasion
did he feign reluctance, because of the ensuing jealousy, should he of
his own accord lay claim to the leadership, and because of the glory if
he should be appointed unwillingly as the one most worthy to
command.
[-25-] He now came forward and said: "Quirites, I rejoice at the honor
laid upon me by you. All men naturally take pride in benefits conferred
upon them by the citizens, and I, who have often enjoyed honors at
your hands, scarcely know how to be worthily pleased at the present
contingency. However, I do not think that you should be so insatiable
with regard to my services, nor that I should incessantly be in some
position of command. For I have labored since childhood, and as you
know, you should be promoting others as well. Do you not recall how
many toils I underwent in the war against Cinna, though I was the
veriest youth, or how many labors in Sicily and in Africa before I had
quite reached the age of iuvenis, or how many dangers I encountered in

Spain, while I was not as yet a senator? I shall not say that you have
shown yourselves ungrateful toward me for all these labors. How could
I? Quite the reverse, in addition to the many other important favors of
which you have deemed me worthy, the very fact that I was trusted to
undertake the post of general against Sertorius, when no one else was
either willing or able, and that I held a triumph, contrary to custom,
after resigning it, brought me the greatest honor. I only say that I have
undergone many anxieties and many dangers, that I am worn out in
body and wearied in soul. Do not keep reckoning that I am still young,
nor calculate that I have lived just so many years. For if you count up
the campaigns that I have made and the dangers I have faced, you will
find them far more in number than my years, and by this means you
will more readily believe that I can no longer withstand the anxieties
and the hardships."
[-26-] "Some one might possibly reply: 'But you see that all such
opportunities for toil are causes of jealousy and hatred.' This feature
you hold