thetemple of Jupiter, he flouted convention by breaking his engagement so that hecould wed a young woman of more noble birth. And when Sulla ordered him to divorceand honor his original engagement. Caesar refused! Can you imagine refusingSulla?”
“I can well imagine Caesar doing it,” said Brutus with asmile.
“I recall that story,” Labeo said as He licked his fingersand wiped them on his tunic. “He was stripped of his priesthood, his wife’sdowry, and his own inheritance. Sulla was so angry with him that Caesar wasforced to go into hiding.”
“Yes, but Sulla pardoned him.” said Brutus.
“Only because Caesar had influential friends who intercededfor him.” said Casca with disgust. Casca had never been a man who troubled toconceal his feelings. Wiry, dark, and foxlike, his sharply chiseled featuresgave him a predatory look, tie was one of Caesar’s most vocal critics. Perhapstoo vocal. His friends frequently cautioned him, yet he paid them no mind.
“Caesar has always had influential friends,” said Brutus. “Hegoes to a great deal of trouble to secure them.”
“I hear he sometimes secures them in the bedchamber,” saidLabeo with a grimace of distaste. “Be careful, you oaf!” he shouted, hurling apiece of venison at the slave who had leaned over to refill his goblet. “Youalmost spilled that on me!”
“I had heard that, too.” said Cimber. adjusting his tunicand getting grease stains on it in the process. He wiped at them absently,spreading them still farther. “During his assignment as aide to the governor ofBithynia, weren’t there rumors of a homosexual relationship between Caesar andKing Nicomedes?”
“Malicious gossip.” Brutus said.
“Perhaps, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Cassiussaid, giving them all a knowing look. “And there has always been such gossipabout Caesar. He swims in a veritable ocean of scandalous rumor. When therevolt broke out following Sulla’s death, did he not immediately hurry home,anxious to take opportunity of any chances to advance himself?”
“Are you speaking of the alleged conspiracy with Lepidus?”said Brutus, reaching across the table for some fruit. “The way I heard it. hechose to stay well out of it.”
“Only because he knew that Lepidus would fail,” said Casca. “Hewas afraid to take the chance of throwing in with him.”
“Afraid?” said Brutus. “
“Yes, that is true enough,” Cassius conceded. “He is courageousto the point of foolishness. Such as that time when he was captured by Cilicianpirates while en route to Rhodes. ‘They held him for ransom for over a month,during which time it’s said he often told his amused captors that he would paythem back by crucifying them. They doubtless found his youthful braggadocio vastlyentertaining. However, they were not quite so entertained after the ransommoney had been borrowed and Caesar was released. He raised a fleet to pursuethem, captured them, and did exactly as he’d promised. Then he seized theirbooty as his prize and used it to raise a force so he could join the campaignagainst King Mithridates, for which he was voted the rank of tribune on hisreturn to Rome. No. Brutus is right. If there is one thing you cannot say aboutCaesar. it is that he has ever been afraid of anything.”
“Have you heard the story of when he was sent to Spain, asquaestor?” Labeo asked. “Supposedly. he saw the statue of Alexander in theTemple of Hercules and became quite upset. The thought that by the timeAlexander was his age. he had already conquered the world while Caesar himselfhad done nothing nearly so significant caused him to quit his post and returnto Rome, from where, presumably, world-conquering could be more easily accomplished.”
“And there followed rumors of Caesar being involved in severalconspiracies for revolution, most notably with Crassus,” Cimber added. “Eventhen, he lusted after power.”
“I’ve heard those rumors, too,” said Brutus, “but nothingever came of such plots. lf, indeed, they ever existed.”
“Oh, they existed, you can be sure of that,” said Cassius,tearing off a piece of bread and dunking it into his wine. As he chewed on it,some wine dribbled down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of hishand.
“If nothing came of those plots, it was only because the momentwas not right or the other participants in the conspiracies were hesitant.”said Labeo with his mouth full. “But did that stop Caesar? No, he went onangling for higher office and making a reputation for himself as a prosecutor,one who was not above bribing witnesses to bring charges against his enemies.”
“He also shamelessly curried favor with the public bystaging elaborate entertainments,” Ligarius added between gulps of wine, “whichplaced him heavily in debt. Yet it paid off. Eventually, he managed to securethe office of Chief Priest. They say he bought the votes.”
“What about when Catiline was brought up before the Senateon charges of conspiracy?” asked Cimber. “The entire House was in favor of thedeath penalty. Caesar alone argued against it. Perhaps he was mindful of hisown aborted conspiracy with Crassus.”
“If that isn’t damning evidence, what is?” asked Cascasourly. “I heard he so incensed the Senate with his obstinacy that the houseguard went so far as to unsheath their swords. They would have killed him, too,if not for Ciecro’s intercession.”
Not that Cicero was ever fond of Caesar,” Cassius saiddryly. “He simply thought that killing someone in the Senate was bad form.”
Brutus chuckled. Cicero might have phrased it exactly thatway himself.
“You may laugh. Brutus. but it would have saved everyone alot of trouble if they’d done away with him right there and then.” said Casca. “Itell you, his luck is simply unbelievable.”
“What about when the House voted to suspend him?” Labeoasked. His white tunic was spattered with food stains. “The people clamored forhis reinstatement and the Senate buckled under. restoring him to office. Yet nosooner had they done so than his name was linked to the conspiracy of Catiline.”
“The man he had so ardently defended,” interjected Casca sarcastically.“Yet he not only managed to wriggle out of that one, but he also turned thetables on his accusers and had them sent to jail. Can you believe it?”
“He always was audacious,” Cassius agreed. “It was not longafter that, the Senate decided to send him off to Spain. Doubtless in the hopethat some obliging savage would stick a spear between his ribs. Naturally.Caesar immediately saw this as yet another opportunity to distinguish himself.However, he was worried that his creditors would seek his impeachment, so theycould keep him in Rome until he could pay off his debts. Which, of course. hecould not do. So what was his solution? He rushed off to Spain at once, withoutwaiting for his appointment to be officially confirmed or even for the House tovote him the necessary funds. After all, why should such small matters oflegality bother the great Caesar”
“But you must admit that he did bring things back under controlin Spain by the following summer,” Brutus pointed out He held out his cup to berefilled.
“True, but then he returned to Rome without waiting to beproperly relieved and demanded, demanded. to be awarded a triumph.” Cassiusreplied scornfully. “Not only that, but at the same time, he announced hisintention to run for a consulship. Now everyone knows that a commander whopetitions to enter the city in triumph is supposed to wait outside the cityuntil he receives his answer, whereas a man who wants to run for consul must bepresent in Rome to file his candidacy. Clearly Caesar could not legally doboth, but did that dissuade him? Not Caesar! He tried to get himself exemptedfrom the election regulations, so that his friends could file his candidacy forhim. Talk about audacity! The resulting protests in the Senate forced him toeither give up running for consul or forgo the triumph. He decided that beingelected consul was more important. so he gave up the triumph. entered Rome,filed his candidacy. and, running true to form, proceeded to bribe the voters.”
“The way I heard it, his enemies bribed the votersthemselves to cast their lot for Bibulus,” Brutus said.
“With the result that both men were elected,” Casca saidwith disgust. “The whole thing was a farce!”
“And after his election. Caesar embarked upon still
“Spartacus,” said Brutus, popping a stuffed dormouse in hismouth.
