similar abuse in return and was merely desirous of being put on an equality with him, he paid little heed to his traducer, acting as if nothing had been said; indeed, he allowed him to employ vilifications unstintedly, as if they were praises showered upon him.  Still, he did not disregard him entirely.  Caesar possessed in reality a rather decent nature, and was not easily moved to anger.  Accordingly, though punishing many, since his interests were of such magnitude, yet his action was not due to anger nor was it altogether immediate.  He did not indulge wrath at all, but watched his opportunity and his vengeance dogged the steps of the majority of culprits without their knowing it.  He did not take measures so as to seem to defend himself against anybody, but so as to arrange everything to his own advantage while creating the least odium.  Therefore he visited retribution secretly and in places where one would least have expected it,—­both for the sake of his reputation, to avoid seeming to be of a wrathful disposition, and to the end that no one through premonition should be on his guard in advance, or try to inflict some dangerous injury upon his persecutor before being injured.  For he was not more concerned about what had already occurred than that[36] (future attacks) should be hindered.  As a result he would pardon many of those, even, who had harmed him greatly, or pursue them only a little way, because he believed they would do no further injury; whereas upon many others, even more than was right, he took vengeance looking to his safety, and said that[37] what was done he could never make undone,[38] but because of the extreme punishment he would[39] for the future at least suffer[40] no calamity.

[-12-] These calculations induced him to remain quiet on this occasion, too; but when he ascertained that Clodius was willing to do him a favor in return, because he had not accused him of adultery, he set the man secretly against Cicero.  In the first place, in order that he might be lawfully excluded from the patricians, he transferred him with Pompey’s cooeperation again to the plebian rank, and then immediately had him appointed tribune.  This Clodius, then, muzzled Bibulus, who had entered the Forum at the expiration of his office and intended in the course of taking the oath to deliver a speech about present conditions, and after that attacked Cicero also.

[B.C. 58 (a.u. 696)]

He soon decided that it was not easy to overthrow a man who, on account of his skill in speaking, had very great influence in politics, and so proceeded to conciliate not only the populace, but also the knights and the senate with whom Cicero most held in regard.  His hope was that if he could make these men his own, he might easily cause the downfall of the orator, whose great strength lay rather in the fear than in the good-will which he inspired.  Cicero annoyed great numbers by his words, and those who were won to him by benefits conferred were not so numerous