Torches for kindling anger, and persuaders and enjoiners of the great battle, then came to Caesar, to wit, four choice
The fourth tribune that came to Caesar, namely Curio, was an eloquent, covetous man, a truly cunning creditor (?) whose word and deed were strong in Rome till then; one to whom Caesar had given many presents of gold and wealth for supporting him and arguing on his behalf in the Roman Curia: wherefore he was then banished from the City and came to Caesar.
When Curio saw the troubles that were in Caesar's heart, he began to converse with him, to strengthen him to battle; and he said:
‘O Caesar’, quoth he, ‘so long as we were able, we gave our voice for thee in Rome, though this was displeasing to the Roman senate: we took thy side and refused the realm to Pompey, as far as we could, so long as we had power and might in Rome, and men were following righteousness therein. But when the laws of righteousness were checked by the senate, and all united with Pompey, we quitted Rome and the land of our fathers and grandsires for thee, since we expect that thy victory will set us in our own places again. Do bravely, then’, says Curio. ‘While Pompey is inadvertent, and since every good thing is ready and fitted for thee, attack him before he collects his people: for often groweth hurt from delaying and procrastinating things always prepared: as hath been said ‘ready
That incitement and exhortation which Curio gave to Caesar succeeded; for as the heart of a horse in the Elean race grows high through the clamour and shouts of the people around him, so Caesar's spirit was enhanced by Curio's incitement.
His standards were then pitched by Caesar, and he called
‘O comrades’, saith he, ‘for the space of ten years ye have endured much hardship in battles and conflicts, in vanquishing together with me the nations of the north of the world. Much cold ye have endured from the ice of the water of the Alps, and yet, after those victories, it was decided that you should never be let into Rome and that I should not find shelter on sea or on land. Well, if I should come to Rome after defeat in battle, after leaving my standards with my foes and fleeing before the folk of Gaul, what would they do to me now when, after I have triumphed over every nation, and moved fortunately from one felicity to another, they are proceeding to rise against me? Let Pompey come forth towards us, if he pleases, along with the seniors of the senate, after their peace and their long slothfulness. I am certain that I will not leave him any longer his kingship and his dominion without sharing them with him. Pompey had not attained his thirtieth year when the Romans gave him his first triumph. He is not sure, methinks, to relinquish that honour which he once obtained, though at present, because of his old age, he cannot exercise his dominion.’
‘Why should I be complaining of all the tyranny and misrule, he has wrought during that time, for they are known to everyone. As for me, no fault is found with me by the folk of Rome, save that I have not severed myself at their command from my victorious standards and from my troops. Moreover, if I am guilty, is it not enough for them to deprive me alone of my triumph, while giving the guerdon of their toil to the army that was along with me? Let the Romans appoint the lord over them that they like, if it is on my account that my armies are expelled.’
‘Can ye tell me, O warriors,’ quoth he, ‘what place of rest will be for our veterans after parting from their military service; and in what easy stations will our old soldiers settle? what grassy fields will our herds and flocks and horses graze? what lands will be tilled by ourselves? within what walls and great cities will our (invalid) heroes be healed when they desire? since we are banished from Rome and from our own birthright, and these (rewards) are given, before our eyes, to Pompey's soldiers.’
‘Howbeit, my good people,’ quoth he, ‘since right is not granted to us, raise up your victorious standards! Let your deeds of valour serve you, so that we may take the whole world from him who refuses to part with half to us. The gods will be helping us, for we march, not to destroy Rome, but to free her from the haughty lords who are over her.’
So far the speeches of Caesar.
Great muttering there was then for a long time with all the army, for though the spirits of those soldiers were fierce, and though their natures were valiant, great affection and
Then a single warrior arose in the assembly and declared the secret of the mind and spirit of every one in the whole army. Laelius was his name, a first centurion of Caesar's; and none of Caesar's people dared to cast a javelin or (shoot) an arrow before him in shock of battle or in hurdle (?) of conflict. He looked at Caesar and said:
‘O supporter of the royal Roman right,’ that is O Caesar, ‘at present it is meet and lawful for us to say true words to thee. Knowest thou at all that in the minds of these soldiers, vast is the lamentation and great is the complaint for the length of time that thou art enduring the contempt of the people of Rome? Is this what brings that upon thee, our disloyalty to thee? That was not customary for thee, for so long as our stalwart arms are able to whirl a javelin in battle or combat thou shalt never endure the contempt of anyone. Not idle do we deem the destruction of the Roman dominion in order that no one's contempt be upon thee. This army will follow thee, by whatever path in the world, difficult or easy, to which thou wilt guide it. Not harder is that for them than every path (whereon) they have hitherto followed thee.’
‘It were great and dear to us if we could follow thy command as we should wish: and we resolve that the folk against whom thy battle-trumpets will urge us will never be fellow-citizens of ours, or at peace with us. In presence of our weapons of war, we pledge our words that if thou bid us
‘Even though it be the images of the gods and their temples that thou biddest us to burn, their remains will be a blaze of fire; and though thou order us to set thy camp on the brink of the Tuscan Tiber in the midst of Rome, we will make thy camp there boldly and strongly. Every rampart and every great city which thou tellest us to destroy, yea including even Rome itself, our arms are ready to impel battering rams against them, and to scatter their rocks so long as one stone in them shall rest upon another.’
To that speech, all the cohorts that were there assented; for what Laelius said to Caesar was the heart's secret and the mind's desire of everyone of them. Then they all lifted their hands simultaneously, and pledged themselves that those arms were ready to achieve the assaults of war that Caesar desired.
Not trifling did that seem to him. The uproar and tumult of those armies in assenting was likened, to wit, as the wrathful blast of the rough wintry wind would come from the land of Thrace especially, and give forth its sonorous clamour and its prolonged sounding to the peaks of the hills and heights, the woods and sacred groves of Mount Ossa, so that it put a strong compressing twist on the top of the rough-haired woods, and many of their bushy, plentiful branches, and their bending, lengthy boughs it beat and turned in the grasp of others; and a rough noise and a rude destructive crashing arose in the air through the midst of the trees bending down, falling,
When Caesar saw the mighty hosts given up utterly to the demand of battle, all his army and force were gathered and collected at once, so that nothing might delay or postpone him in reaching Rome while Fortune was helping him. So then came to him the hosts and armies of the countries which he had been conquering during the last ten years, and his own soldiers who were greatly scattered in the lands of Gaul and in Lochlann and in the island of Britain, subduing their people, and levying their tribute, and preserving for Caesar their regal discipline.