707
- ...Q. Eusius Calenus.
- ...P. Vatinius.
DIo saith, that the people of Rome having intelligence that Pompeius was murdered, endevoured earnestly, that there might passe as honourable decrees for Caesar the conque∣rour as possibly might bee. And therefore they ordained, that hee might bee Consull five yeeres together, and Dictatour not for sixe moneths, as beforetime, but an whole yeere; and endued with the Tribunes autho∣ritie for ever. Now Caesar, albeit hee was with∣out Italie, immediately entered upon his Di∣ctatourship, having sub-ordained under him for his Generall of the horse, Mar. Antonius, a man who yet had not beene Pretour. This appeareth by the Capitoll records, Dio, Plu∣tarch, and Cicero in his second Philippica. But under what pretence and colour Caesar tooke upon him this Dictatourship and the rest following, Mar. Antonius sheweth in his Oration of Caesars praise in Dio: wherein hee saith that Caesar was created Dictator to make head against the enemies, and therefore the troubles and dissentions of warre was the cause of this creation. But certaine it is that Caesar became Dictatour for another cause, namely, that by the meanes of that soveraigne power, hee might draw unto himselfe alone the whole managing & governement of the State, which beforetime had beene administred by many persons. But Dio addeth moreover and saith, that in the beginning of this yeere there were neither Pretours nor Consuls ele∣cted. For Marcus Antonius Generall of the horse, arraied in his purple robes, with sixe Lictours, making way before him, resem∣bled a certaine shew of the auncient liber∣tie. But within a while after he departed forth of the cittie, and that which never was be∣fore done by any maister of the horse, hee left Lu. Caesar an aged man, Provost and gover∣nour of Rome. Howbeit in the end of the yeere, after the recoverie and conquest of Ae∣gypt, when king Ptolomeus was slaine, and Pharnaces king of Pontus vanquished; Con∣suls were created, Qu. Fusius, sonne of Quintus, Calenus; and Pub. Vatinius, sonne of Publius. And these the Capitoll tables doe shew, and Cassiodorus also. Of Pub. Vatinius Consull, Macrobius in his second booke maketh men∣tion.