LXI.  There was added to these causes of offence the insult offered to the tribunes.  It was the festival of the Lupercalia,[592] about which many writers say that it was originally a festival of the shepherds and had also some relationship to the Arcadian Lykaea.  On this occasion many of the young nobles and magistrates run through the city without their toga, and for sport and to make laughter strike those whom they meet with strips of hide that have the hair on; many women of rank also purposely put themselves in the way and present their hands to be struck like children at school, being persuaded that this is favourable to easy parturition for those who are pregnant, and to conception for those who are barren.  Caesar was a spectator, being seated at the Rostra on a golden chair in a triumphal robe; and Antonius was one of those who ran in the sacred race, for he was consul.  Accordingly, when he entered the Forum and the crowd made way for him, he presented to Caesar a diadem[593] which he carried surrounded with a crown of bay; and there was a clapping of hands, not loud, but slight, which had been already concerted.  When Caesar put away the diadem from him all the people clapped their hands, and when Antonius presented it again, only a few clapped; but when Caesar declined to receive it, again all the people applauded.  The experiment having thus failed, Caesar rose and ordered the crown to be carried to the Capitol.  But as Caesar’s statues were seen crowned with royal diadems, two of the tribunes, Flavius and Marullus, went up to them and pulled off the diadems, and having discovered those who had been the first to salute Caesar as king they led them off to prison.  The people followed clapping their hands and calling the tribunes Bruti, because it was Brutus who put down the kingly power and placed the sovereignty in the Senate and people instead of its being in the hands of one man.  Caesar being irritated at this deprived Flavius and Marullus of their office, and while rating them he also insulted the people by frequently calling the tribunes Bruti and Cumaei.[594] LXII.  In this state of affairs the many turned to Marcus Brutus,[595] who on his father’s side was considered to be a descendant of the ancient Brutus, and on his mother’s side belonged to the Servilii, another distinguished house, and he was the son-in-law and nephew of Cato.  The honours and favours which Brutus had received from Caesar dulled him towards attempting of his own proper motion the overthrow of the monarchical power; for not only was his life saved at the battle of Pharsalus after the rout of Pompeius, and many of his friends also at his entreaty, but besides this he had great credit with Caesar.  He had also received among those who then held the praetorship[596] the chief office, and he was to be consul in the fourth year from that time, having been preferred to Cassius who was a rival candidate.  For it is said that Caesar observed that Cassius urged better grounds of preference,