instruments, and representations of certain actions, and other such triumphal apparatus.  Nevertheless, most brilliant triple fetes and triple processions of the Romans were held in connection with those very things, and furthermore a hallowed period of fifty days was observed.  The Parilia[102] was honored by a perpetual horse-race, yet not at all because the city had been founded on that day, but because the news of Caesar’s victory had arrived the day before, toward evening.

[-43-] Such was his gift to Rome.  For himself he wore the triumphal garb, by decree, in all assemblages and was adorned with the laurel crown always and every-where alike.  The excuse that he gave for it was that his forehead was bald; and this had some show of reason from the very fact that at the time, though well past youth, he still bestowed attention on his appearance.  He showed among all men his pride in rather foppish clothing, and the footwear which he used later on was sometimes high and of a reddish color, after the style of the kings who had once lived in Alba, for he assumed that he was related to them on account of Iulus.  To Venus he was, in general, devoted body and soul and he was anxious to persuade everybody that he had received from her a kind of bloom of youth.  Accordingly he used also to carry about a carven image of her in full armor and he made her name his watchword in almost all the greatest dangers.  The looseness of his girdle[103] Sulla had looked askance at, insomuch that he wished to kill him, and declared to those who begged him off:  “Well, I will grant him to you, but do you be on your guard, without fail, against this ill-girt fellow.”  Cicero could not comprehend it, but even in the moment of defeat said:  “I should never have expected one so ill-girt to conquer Pompey.”

[-44-] This I have written by way of digression from story, so that no one might be ignorant of the stories about Caesar.—­In honor of the victory the senate passed all of those decrees that I have mentioned, and further called him “liberator”, inscribed it in the records, and publicly voted for a temple of Liberty.  To him first and for the first time, they then, applied, as a term of special significance, the title “imperator,”—­not merely according to ancient custom any longer, as others besides Caesar had often been saluted as a result of wars, nor even as those who have received some independent command or other authority were called, but, in short, it was this title which is now granted to those who hold successively the supreme power.  And so great an excess of flattery did they employ as even to vote that his children and grandchildren should be so called, though he had no child and was already an old man.  From him this title has come down to all subsequent imperatores, as something peculiar to their office, even as in Caesar’s case.  The ancient custom has not, however, been thereby overthrown.  Each of the two titles exists.  Consequently they