Whether Curio came to an understanding with Caesar before he entered on his tribunate or not, his policy from the outset was well calculated to make the transfer of his allegiance seem forced upon him, and to help him carry over to Caesar the support of those who were not blinded by partisan feelings.  Before he had been in office a fortnight he brought in a bill which would have annulled the law, passed by Caesar in his consulship, assigning land in Campania to Pompey’s veterans.[131] The repeal of this law had always been a favorite project with the Conservatives, and Curio’s proposal seemed to be directed equally against Caesar and Pompey.  In February of 50 B.C. he brought in two bills whose reception facilitated his passage to the Caesarian party.  One of them provided for the repair of the roads, and, as Appian tells us,[132] although “he knew that he could not carry any such measure, he hoped that Pompey’s friends would oppose him so that he might have that as an excuse for opposing Pompey.”  The second measure was to insert an intercalary month.  It will be remembered that before Caesar reformed the calendar, it was necessary to insert an extra month in alternate years, and 50 B.C. was a year in which intercalation was required.  Curio’s proposal was, therefore, a very proper one.  It would recommend itself also on the score of fairness.  March 1 had been set as the day on which the senate should take up the question of Caesar’s provinces, and after that date there would be little opportunity to consider other business.  Now the intercalated month would have been inserted, in accordance with the regular practice, after February 23, and by its insertion time would have been given for the proper discussion of the measures which Curio had proposed.  Incidentally, and probably this was in Curio’s mind, the date when Caesar might be called upon to surrender his provinces would be postponed.  The proposal to insert the extra month was defeated, and Curio, blocked in every move by the partisan and unreasonable opposition of Pompey and the Conservatives, found the pretext for which lie had been working, and came out openly for Caesar.[133] Those who knew him well were not surprised at the transfer of his allegiance.  It was probably in fear of such a move that Cicero had urged him not to yield to the influence of others, and when Cicero in Cilicia hears the news, he writes to his friend Caelius:  “Is it possible?  Curio is now defending Caesar!  Who would have expected it?—­except myself, for, as surely as I hope to live, I expected it.  Heavens! how I miss the laugh we might have had over it.”  Looking back, as we can now, on the political role which Curio played during the next twelve months, it seems strange that two of his intimate friends, who were such far-sighted politicians as Cicero and Caelius were, should have underestimated his political ability so completely.  It shows Caesar’s superior political sagacity that he clearly saw his qualities