Caesars Women by Colleen McCullough

Author:Colleen McCullough [McCullough, Colleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical
Published: 2010-10-18T22:00:00+00:00

"And secondly?" asked Lucius Caesar.

"Secondly, the appeal goes on straightaway, which means the Centuries will still be boiling. And Cicero is going to panic. If the Centuries damn Rabirius, his own neck is at risk. Cicero isn't stupid, you know, just a trifle obtuse when his conceit and his certainty that he's right get the better of his judgement. The moment he hears what we're doing, he'll understand exactly why we're doing it."

"In which case," said Celer, "if he has any sense he'll go straight to the Popular Assembly and procure a law invalidating the ancient procedure."

"Yes, I believe that's how he'll approach it." Caesar looked at Labienus. "I noted that Ampius and Rullus voted with us in Concord yesterday. Do you think they'd co-operate with us? I need a veto in the Popular Assembly, but you'll be busy on the Campus Martius with Rabirius. Would Ampius or Rullus be prepared to exercise his veto on our behalf?"

"Ampius certainly, because he's tied to me and we're both tied to Pompeius Magnus. But I think Rullus would co-operate too. He'd do anything he fancied might make Cicero and Cato suffer. He blames them for the death of his land bill."

"Rullus then, with Ampius in support. Cicero will ask the Popular Assembly for a lex rogata plus quam perfecta so that he can legally punish us for instituting the ancient procedure. I add that he'll have to invoke his precious Senatus Consultum Ultimum to hurry it into law at once—thereby focusing public attention on the ultimate decree just when he'll be wishing it burned and forgotten.

Whereupon Rullus and Ampius will interpose their vetoes. After which I want Rullus to take Cicero to one side and propose a compromise. Our senior consul is such a timid soul that he'll grasp at any proposal likely to avoid violence in the Forum—provided it allows him to get half of what he's after."

"You ought to hear Magnus on the subject of Cicero during the Italian War,"

said Labienus contemptuously. "Our heroic senior consul fainted at the sight of a sword."

"What's Rullus's deal to be?" asked Lucius Caesar, frowning at Labienus, whom he deemed a necessary evil.

"First, that the law Cicero procures not render us liable for prosecution later.

Secondly, that Rabirius's appeal to the Centuries take place the following day so that Labienus can continue as prosecutor while still a tribune of the plebs.

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