at ensued Ligarius was banished. Now the
case was brought into the courts, in which Caesar sat as judge. The
younger Tubero accused Ligarius, and Cicero defended him. It seems that,
having been enticed to open his mouth on behalf of Marcellus, he found
himself launched again into public life. But how great was the
difference from his old life! It is not to the Judices, or Patres
Conscripti, or to the Quirites that he now addresses himself, determined
by the strength of his eloquence to overcome the opposition of stubborn
minds, but to Caesar, whom he has to vanquish simply by praise. Once
again he does the same thing when pleading for Deiotarus, the King of
Galatia, and it is impossible to deny, as we read the phrases, that the
orator sinks in our esteem. It is not so much that we judge him to be
small, as that he has ceased to be great. He begins his speech for
Ligarius by saying, "My kinsman Tubero has brought before you, O Caesar,
a new crime, and one not heard of up to this day--that Ligarius has been
in Africa."[145] The commencement would have been happy enough if it had
not been addressed to Caesar; for he was addressing a judge not appointed
by any form, but self-assumed--a judge by military conquest. We cannot
imagine how Caesar found time to sit there, with his legions round him
still under arms, and Spain not wholly conquered. But he did do so, and
allowed himself to be persuaded to the side of mercy. Ligarius came back
to Rome, and was one of those who plunged their daggers into him. But I
cannot think that he should have been hindered by this trial and by
Caesar's mercy from taking such a step, if by nothing else. Brutus and
Cassius also stabbed him. The question to be decided is whether, on
public grounds, these men were justified in killing him--a question as
to which I should be premature in expressing an opinion here.

There are some beautiful passages in this oration. "Who is there, I
ask," he says, "who alleges Ligarius to have been in fault because he
was in Africa? He does so who himself was most anxious to be there, and
now complains that he was refused admittance by Ligarius, he who was in
arms against Caesar. What was your sword doing, Tubero, in that
Pharsalian army? Whom did you seek to kill then? What was the meaning of
your weapon? What was it that you desired so eagerly, with those eyes
and hands, with that passion in your heart? I press him too much; the
young man seems to be disturbed. I wi