his countenance. This went on up to two
o'clock--Pompey having finished his speech at noon--and every kind of
abuse, and finally epigrams of the most outspoken indecency were uttered
against Clodius and Clodia. Mad and livid with rage Clodius, in the very
midst of the shouting, kept putting the questions to his claque: "Who
was it who was starving the commons to death?" His ruffians answered,
"Pompey." "Who wanted to be sent to Alexandria?" They answered,
"Pompey." "Who did they wish to go?" They answered, "Crassus." The
latter was present at the time with no friendly feelings to Milo. About
three o'clock, as though at a given signal, the Clodians began spitting
at our men. There was an outburst of rage. They began a movement for
forcing us from our ground. Our men charged: his ruffians turned tail.
Clodius was pushed off the rostra: and then we too made our escape for
fear of mischief in the riot. The senate was summoned into the Curia:
Pompey went home. However, I did not myself enter the senate-house, lest
I should be obliged either to refrain from speaking on matters of such
gravity, or in defending Pompey (for he was being attacked by Bibulus,
Curio, Favonius, and Servilius the younger) should give offence to the
loyalists. The business was adjourned to the next day. Clodius fixed the
Quirinalia (17 of February) for his prosecution. On the 8th the senate
met in the temple of Apollo, that Pompey might attend. Pompey made an
impressive speech. That day nothing was concluded. On the 9th in the
temple of Apollo a decree passed the senate "that what had taken place
on the 7th of February was treasonable." On this day Cato warmly
inveighed against Pompey, and throughout his speech arraigned him as
though he were at the bar. He said a great deal about me, to my disgust,
though it was in very laudatory terms. When he attacked Pompey's perfidy
to me, he was listened to in profound silence on the part of my enemies.
Pompey answered him boldly with a palpable allusion to Crassus, and said
outright that "he would take better precautions to protect his life
than Africanus had done, whom C. Carbo had assassinated."[457]
Accordingly, important events appear to me to be in the wind. For Pompey
understands what is going on, and imparts to me that plots are being
formed against his life, that Gaius Cato is being supported by Crassus,
that money is being supplied to Clodius, that both are backed by Crassus
and Curio, as well as by Bib