VI.  There were at this time two parties in the State, that of Sulla, which was all-powerful, and that of Marius, which was cowed and divided and very feeble.  It was Caesar’s object to strengthen and gain over the party of Marius, and accordingly, when the ambitious splendour of his aedileship was at its height, he had images of Marius secretly made, and triumphal Victories, which he took by night and set up on the Capitol.  At daybreak the people seeing the images glittering with gold, and exquisitely laboured by art (and there were inscriptions also which declared the Cimbrian victories of Marius), were in admiration at the boldness of him who had placed them there, for it was no secret who it was, and the report quickly circulating through the city, brought everybody to the spot to see.  Some exclaimed that Caesar had a design to make himself tyrant, which appeared by his reviving those testimonials of honour which had been buried in the earth by laws and decrees of the senate, and that it was done to try if the people, who were already tampered with, were tamed to his purpose by his splendid exhibitions, and would allow him to venture on such tricks and innovations.  But the partisans of Marius, encouraging one another, soon collected in surprising numbers, and filled the Capitol with their noise.  Many also shed tears of joy at seeing the likeness of Marius, and Caesar was highly extolled as the only man worthy to be a kinsman of Marius.  The senate being assembled about these matters, Catulus Lutatius, who had at that time the greatest name of any man in Rome, got up, and charging Caesar, uttered that memorable expression:  “Caesar, no longer are you taking the state by underground approaches, but by storming engines.”  Caesar spoke in reply to this charge, and satisfied the senate, on which his admirers were still more elated, and urged him not to abate of his pretensions for any one:  with the favour of the people, they said, he would soon get the better of all, and be the first man in the State.

VII.  About this time Metellus,[459] the Pontifex Maximus, died, and though Isauricus and Catulus were candidates for the priesthood, which was a great object of ambition, and were men of the highest rank and greatest influence in the senate, Caesar would not give way to them, but he presented himself to the people as a competitor.  The favour of the people appearing equally divided, Catulus, as the more distinguished candidate, being more afraid of the uncertainty of the event, sent and offered Caesar a large sum of money if he would retire from his canvass; but Caesar replied that he would stand it out even if he had to borrow still more.  On the day of the election, his mother, with tears, accompanied him to the door, when Caesar embracing her, said, “Mother, to-day you shall see your son either Pontifex Maximus, or an exile.”  After the voting was over, which was conducted with great spirit, Caesar prevailed, a circumstance which alarmed the senate and the nobles,