were laid before Pompey and the consuls at Teanum on the 24th, and a written answer sent, that these conditions would be accepted, provided Caesar evacuated the towns which he had occupied on the Italian side of the Rubicon, and retired into his province. L. Caesar returned at once with this answer. About the 28th he arrived in Caesar's camp, probably at Ancona. Caesar considered it unreasonable to ask him to retire into his province, and give up his garrisons without definite agreements that Pompey would give up his recruiting, and without definite arrangements concerning the proposed conference. He accordingly rejected Pompey's terms, and turned to the prosecution of the war.

Though no actual conflicts occurred between the 20th and 28th of January, yet neither party remained quiet. A vigorous resistance was set on foot by the Optimates in Picenum. Certain senators were sent to the different towns of that district. Attius Varus held Auximum, ten miles from Ancona, and appears to have been planning an assault on that town and on the fortresses which Caesar had occupied on the Flaminian Road, viz. on Fanum, Pisaurum, and Ariminum. Lentulus Spinther was in Asculum, and further south, in Samnium, Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus had taken up his position at Corfinium. Caesar had as yet only one legion, the 13th, with him, so that it was necessary that he should concentrate all his cohorts against this resistance in Picenum, in order to prevent the seizure of the Flaminian Road, and the consequent interception of the 12th legion, which was now on its way from Gaul. Accordingly, orders were sent about the 23rd to Antony at Arretium, and to Curio at Iguvium, to join Caesar at Ancona; and they succeeded in effecting this juncture by the end of January.

Thus reinforced Caesar, after finding it inexpedient to assent to Pompey's terms, opened the campaign in Picenum. He occupied Auximum on February 1, and Cingulum (founded and built by Labienus) within the next day or two; he also sent flying parties into the south of the Picentine district to reconnoitre. Meanwhile the 12th legion had arrived, and Caesar at once directed his

Caes. i. 15, 3. Caesar must have sent for the 12th and 8th legions early in December, so as to admit of their arriving in Picenum, from the territory of the Aedui, some 600 miles away (cp. Bell. Gall. viii. 54, 4) as early as February.

march for Asculum, the principal town of Picenum, which was held by Lentulus Spinther.* No sooner had the object of Caesar's march become known than that gallant senator fled from the town. As Caesar had now no immediate necessity to press on to Asculum at once, he occupied Firmum on the route,† and sent forward a portion of his troops to take possession of Asculum. This was on the 4th. On the 5th, at Firmum, he organized the soldiers who had deserted from the Pompeians, enrolled volunteers, and collected provisions; and on the 6th started by the coast road, through Castrum Truentinum, for Aternum, whence he struck south-westwards, through the territory of the Marrucini, for Corfinium, and arrived before that town on the 14th.

For there most of the forces of the Pompeians in North Italy had become concentrated. There were six cohorts at Alba Fucentia, under L. Manlius, and seven at Sulmo, under Q. Lucretius and Attius Pelignus; but the main post was at Corfinium. Thither Thermus had come from Iguvium, and Lentulus Spinther from Asculum. The forces which had followed Lentulus were taken over on the route by Vibullius Rufus, who had been sent by Pompey as commander of the troops in that region; and Lentulus and Thermus themselves arrived at Corfinium about February 5th, with news that Vibullius was following with considerable forces. When these arrived (as they probably did about the 10th) there were eighteen cohorts within the walls of Corfinium.‡

It was a serious matter for Domitius to decide what to do when Caesar was in full march against him. Was he to evacuate Corfinium while he still could, and join Pompey, who had taken

* Caes. i. 15, 3, Asculum Picenum proficiscitur. This only indicates the original object of Caesar's march.

In Caes. i. 16, 1, Mr. Peskett rightly retains Firmo, comparing Att. viii. 12 b, 1 (325), and interprets expulso Lentulo as indicating the expulsion of Lentulus from the whole district in which the operations were being carried on, viz. from Picenum.

Caesar (i. 15) says Vibullius and Hirrus had 13 cohorts, Domitius about 20. Pompey, in Att. viii. 12 A, 1 (331), speaks of my 19 and Domitius's 12.' Again, in viii. 11 A, 1 (332), he speaks of Domitius as having 11, Vibullius 14, Hirrus 5. As Schmidt (p. 132) justly says, Pompey was more likely than Caesar to know details about his own troops; he supposes that Caesar knew the approximate total of the enemy's troops, but wrongly included the 5 cohorts of Hirrus in the 13 of Vibullius; and accordingly, in order to make up the requisite sum, gave an undue number to Domitius.

up his quarters at Luceria; or was he to confront Caesar with his eighteen cohorts and the walls of Corfinium? In the latter case he might fairly expect that Pompey would march north to his support, and, thus assailed from two sides, Caesar might be crushed. At first Domitius seemed inclined to retreat, but after the 10th he appears to have made up his mind to join Pompey if Caesar marched on Luceria, but if he marched on Corfinium to try resistance in Corfinium; and to this effect he wrote to Pompey apparently about the 12th or 13th.† About the 6th, and also about the 12th, Pompey wrote an urgent letter to Domitius to march out while he could. The letters crossed, and when Domitius received the letter of Pompey it was too late to follow the advice it contained.§ On the 14th Domitius wrote that Caesar was before Corfinium, and urged Pompey to come to his aid with all speed. This was the last communication from Domitius before the siege began. Pompey did not march north to Corfinium; on the contrary, on the day on which he received this last letter of Domitius, viz. the 17th, he gave orders for all troops, except those required for the defence of Sicily, to retreat to Brundisium for transhipment to Greece. The siege of Corfinium began on the 14th, and the town capitulated on the 20th, Sulmo having previously surrendered on the 18th.T With a word of reproach for their ingratitude, Caesar dismissed all the senators who were found in Corfinium, and gave back to Domitius a large sum of money belonging to him, which the magistrates of the town had put into Caesar's hands. This was Caesar's new method of winning victory, by raising up, as he says himself, the strong bulwarks of mercy and generosity."

But we must meanwhile return to South Italy, and follow the movements of Cicero since January 25th.

* Att. viii. 11 A (322).

Att. viii. 12 в (325).

† Att. viii. 12 c, 1 (329).

We must remember that, in virtue of the senatus consultum ultimum, Domitius had a par imperium with Pompey; the latter was not his superior officer, so that he could only advise Domitius, he could not command him, to retreat.

Att. viii. 12 A, 2 (331).

Caes. i. 18; Cic. Att. viii. 4, 3 (335).

** Att. ix. 7 c, 1 (347), Haec nova sit ratio vincendi, ut misericordia et liberalitate

nos muniamus.

Cicero remained at Capua on the 26th and 27th, and wrote from thence Att. vii. 15 (311) and Fam. xvi. 12 (312) to Tiro. In the former of those letters he speaks of the general desire that Caesar may abide by the terms he has offered; even Cato was willing to accept them; none but the irreconcilable Favonius was opposed to acceptance of them, but he was not listened to. Cato was unwilling to go to Sicily; he wanted to be present in the senate when the discussion on Caesar's terms took place, and Cicero was afraid that he meant to obstruct. But most of the senators thought Caesar's offers too good to be true; they believed that he tendered them only with a view to gain time and to induce the Pompeians to discontinue making adequate preparations for war. The letter to Tiro contains a general narrative of events since Cicero last wrote on the 12th; and expression is given to the same doubt as to Caesar's sincerity in offering such favourable terms as he had offered. On the 28th Cicero set out on his return journey to Formiae, and reached Cales in the evening. From that place he wrote Att. vii. 16 (313)—

'We have,' he says, 'two things to look forward to-the answer which Caesar will give to the message brought by L. Caesar, and the course of action which Pompey will adopt. Pompey says that in a few days he will have a strong army, and holds out hopes that if Caesar advances into Picenum we shall all soon return to Rome. Labienus has raised Pompey's courage, as he expresses no doubt that Caesar's forces are very weak.'

On the 29th Cicero reached Formiae. We have no letters written on January 29th or February 1st. On the 2nd Cicero's family, and his brother Quintus and his family, arrived at Formiae. Before their arrival Cicero wrote Att. vii. 17 (315). He is still in grave anxiety as to Caesar's reply. He considers that

Caesar will be quite mad if he does not accede to the conditions on which his most shameless demands are accepted. But he is making most vigorous preparations. He has commissioned Trebatius* to ask me to be at Rome when he arrives. I have answered Trebatius, that I fear I cannot do so, as I am in the country, but in a private capacity. I am afraid war will rage all through Italy; but in a day or two we shall know Caesar's reply.'

* Cp. Plut. Cic. 37.

Early on February 3rd, before daybreak, Cicero wrote to Atticus, vii. 18 (316), in good spirits, to tell of the arrival of his family, and to express his satisfaction at the favourable reception which (as Atticus had said) the reply of Pompey to Caesar had met with in Rome. He continues::

If Caesar rejects these terms it will be his ruin; if he accepts them— which, you ask, would I prefer? I should tell you if I knew the extent of our forces. Caesar is a regular desperado to carry on operations so vigorously while negotiations for peace are proceeding. But a truce to angry spleen; let us yield to circumstances, and go with Pompey to Spain. This is the least of evils, since we most unreasonably rejected Caesar's candidature for a second consulship.'

Later in the day, before this letter was sent, Cicero received a packet of letters from Atticus, Philotimus, and Furnius. The latter enclosed a letter from Curio to himself, ridiculing the mission of L. Caesar. This was the first intimation Cicero received of Caesar's refusal to accede to the demands of the Optimates. His spirits sank at once. 'We seem to be utterly crushed, and I do not know what to do. I don't mind about myself; my difficulty is to know what to do with the children. I am just leaving for Capua, to learn something about the course of action which Pompey is taking.'*

Cicero had made an appointment to meet the consuls at Capua on the 5th, and he arrived in that town on the 4th. He there heard that Pompey had fixed on Luceria as his head-quarters. The consul Lentulus arrived in Capua on the 5th, and the other consul was expected shortly. Neither had any adequate force, and Caesar was dashing on- not to fight, but to intercept flight.' Again Cicero asks: 'Am I to remain behind if Pompey leaves Italy?'

For remaining may be urged the winter, my lictors, our indolent and thoughtless generals; for flight, my friendship with Pompey, and the disgrace of joining the tyrant-for tyrant he is, though it is not certain whether he is going to be another Phalaris or Pisistratus.'†

This not wholly unfavourable view of Caesar was probably due to a courteous letter which Cicero had received from him a

Att. vii. 19 (317).

† Att. vii. 20 (318).