- Edition: Julius Caesar
Life of Caesar
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13XIII.Now the Romans having a custom, that such as demanded honor of triumph should remain a while without the city, and that they on the other side which sued for the Consulship should of necessity be there in person: Caesar coming unhappily at the very time when the Consuls were chosen, he sent to pray the Senate to do him that favor, that, being absent, he might by his friends sue for the Consulship. Cato at the first did vehemently inveigh against it, vouching an express law to the contrary. But afterwards, perceiving that notwithstanding the reasons he alleged, many of the Senators (being won by Caesar) favored his request, yet he cunningly sought all he could to prevent them, prolonging time, in dilating his oration until night. Caesar thereupon determined rather to give over the suit of his triumph, and to make suit for the Consulship: and so came into the city, and had such a device with him, as went beyond them all but Cato only. His device was this: Pompey and Crassus, two of the greatest personages of the city of Rome being at jar together,
Caesar reconcileth Pompey and Crassus together.
Caesar made them friends, and by that means got unto himself the power of them both, for by color of that gentle act and friendship of his, he subtilly (unawares to them all) did greatly alter and change the state of the commonwealth. For it was not the private discord between Pompey and Caesar, as many men thought, that caused the civil war: but rather it was their agreement together, who joined all their powers first to overthrow the state of the Senate and nobility, and afterwards they fell at jar one with another.
Cato's foresight and prophecy.
But Cato, that then foresaw and prophecied many times what would follow, was taken but for a vain man: but afterwards they found him a wiser man than happy in his counsel.