Chapter 542: Chapter 410: Parting Ways
Pompey immediately decided to assign the legion that he had previously lent to Caesar and had fought under Caesar’s command (the First Legion) to the Parthian frontier.
This meant that Caesar would suddenly lose two legions. He did not express any refusal, but gave each soldier a generous bonus just as the troops were about to leave.
The young Roman official responsible for redeploying these two legions back to Gaul returned claiming that Caesar’s entire army was dissatisfied!
Meanwhile, once these two legions returned to Italy, they displayed an uncooperative attitude, and naturally, no one made any effort to send them overseas.
All of Rome felt tense over this.
Coincidentally, at this time, Pompey fell ill with a persistent fever, and people from all over Italy spontaneously prayed for this Roman hero’s recovery and wished him a speedy recovery.
By August, he finally recovered, and the populace rejoiced. Crowds gathered along his return route from Naples to the outskirts of Rome to greet him.
Pompey, who had always relished others’ gratitude, interpreted the people’s enthusiasm as respect and support, and he also sensed their hopes for peace, not civil war.
Pompey decided to respond to the public’s expectations. He wrote a letter to the Senate, expressing his willingness to resign from his position as governor and assured them that Caesar would do the same.
Thus, in September, the Senate convened an important meeting held in the outskirts of Rome to ensure that Pompey could participate, requiring all Roman Elders not to be absent.
At the beginning of the meeting, Little Curio once again proposed that both Caesar and Pompey should resign simultaneously.
Then, Governor Makarius (not the Makarius who was governor the previous year, but another one) divided the matter into two sections, submitted separate motions for voting by the Elders.
The first motion – that Caesar should resign – was passed with a majority, demonstrating how weak Caesar’s influence was in the Senate; the second motion was that Pompey should also resign.
Before the vote, Pompey requested to speak.
This time, while ill, Pompey had rare quiet time to reflect on the state of Rome, admitting that the current chaos was mainly caused by him and Caesar.
Although Caesar’s successful campaigns in Gaul, German, and Britannia made the idle Pompey somewhat jealous, he had already achieved numerous triumphs on three continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) before Caesar became a military commander, believing his achievements far exceeded Caesar’s. Hence, he never regarded Caesar as his equal, but always as a younger brother needing his support, a role he had indeed played in safeguarding Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul.
But when Little Curio, acting on Caesar’s behalf, proposed that both men must resign simultaneously, it infuriated him because it implied the protege he had been supporting now considered himself Pompey’s equal.
When he agreed to transfer the legion lent to Caesar to the East, he was astonished to discover that under Caesar’s influence, the legion no longer obeyed his commands.
Moreover, he learned from secret channels that Caesar commanded ten fully staffed legions and could also recruit tens of thousands of auxiliary troops from the Gaul Tribe loyal to him at any time... The Gaul region had been peaceful for nearly two years, but Caesar still maintained such a vast army and was suddenly adopting a harsher attitude towards the Gauls this year, seemingly provoking conflict. What was he planning to do?
In history, the great Gaul rebellion led by Vercingetorix had lasted for over a year from the previous year to the last, and although Caesar ultimately achieved victory with great difficulty, it came at a tremendous cost – over half of his soldiers were killed or wounded, followed by a long period of rest and replenishing new recruits.
In the current scenario, the prolonged "docility" of the Gauls and Caesar’s vast forces were putting immense pressure on Pompey, causing him serious doubt about Caesar’s intentions.
Though Pompey frequently broke Roman traditions and regulations, he harbored no ambition to change Rome’s political system. He merely wanted to hold on to his preeminent position in Roman politics and maintain public support, thus he did not wish for Caesar, driven by ambition, to change Rome’s status quo by force.
This was why Pompey did not speak before the Elders voted in history, but in this instance, he took the initiative to have the Elders vote in favor of his resignation.
The Elders, moved by his words, praised him for his selflessness and integrity.
Pompey accepted their praise calmly, thinking to himself: Although the simultaneous resignation would incur significant losses for him, Caesar’s loss was even greater. Losing his army, upon returning to Rome, Caesar would face further suppression, or even potential persecution, by the Elders, leaving him no choice but to seek Pompey’s protection and once again become his protege...
Pompey admitted his lack of political talent, whereas Caesar was highly capable in this regard. With Caesar’s support, he would have nothing to worry about.
Although the Elders were inspired by Pompey, the voting results – with just over half in favor – were not due to their excessive love for Pompey, willing to violate his wishes, but out of fear of a potential outbreak of war.
Nevertheless, the voting result was sufficient to pass the motion.
Little Curio was dumbfounded. He had planned to have the Senate vote on the motion that both should resign; now it was entirely unnecessary.
In anger and shame, he yelled at everyone: "You foolish people, don’t you think about what terrible consequences this will lead to!"
The entire assembly suddenly fell silent.
Cato was the first to speak, confidently saying: "Everyone cast their sacred vote based on conscience, and the entire voting process was completely in accordance with the regulations. As long as someone is a Roman citizen, he should strictly abide by the endorsed proposal! If anyone refuses to implement it, he is a criminal of Rome, and the Senate can impose stern punishments on him. Furthermore, all Roman citizens will censure and oppose him! —"
Little Curio gave Cato a sidelong glance, smirking, causing Cato to be unable to continue his passionate speech.
Pompey stood up and said loudly: "Caesar has always been rational and deeply loves Rome. I believe he will implement today’s Senate resolution, resign from his governorship, disband his armies, and return here to continue serving Rome!"
"What if he refuses to honor the agreement and instead leads his army against Rome?!" Former Governor Makarius’ question drew all the Elders’ eyes towards Pompey.
Faced with numerous worried eyes, Pompey boldly declared: "Then I will lead my soldiers bravely into battle to fend him off, ensuring Rome remains unharmed!"
The chamber erupted in cheers, with the Elders surrounding Pompey enthusiastically, and some even shouted: "Magnus Pompey!"
Amidst the cheers of the Roman Elders, Pompey could not help but feel a bit elated...
However, once he returned to his residence and regained his composure, he immediately began writing to Caesar.
In his letter, he briefly recounted the proceedings of this meeting, then emphasized the current political environment, indicating that both parties stepping down was imperative. He reminded Caesar of the widespread Roman citizens’ longing for peace and promised that after Caesar returned to Rome, he would ensure his safety and fully support him in running for governor.
Pompey’s trusted aide carried the letter, riding swiftly towards the north.
When the messenger arrived in Ravenna and delivered the letter to Caesar, Caesar was already aware of the Senate’s decision for his resignation.
In front of the messenger, Caesar opened the letter calmly to read, and privately smiled at Pompey’s promise.
Unlike Pompey, Caesar entered the Roman political scene always adhering to Rome’s official protocols, proceeding gradually through ranks (of course, due to his outstanding performance, he often advanced at the youngest allowable age for each rank).
On the surface, he appeared to be a Roman citizen who strictly upheld Roman traditions, but in reality, he understood the true nature of power early on. To gain greater authority, he was willing to forsake intoxicating honors, use any means to attack political enemies, and bow when in disadvantage, seeking support from Pompey, borrowing money from Crassus, and rallying behind them, eventually gaining their trust and support to become governor and Governor of the Northern Three Provinces.
Recognizing how hard-won these opportunities were, he put forth 100% effort during his tenure as Governor of Gaul, and naturally, he received substantial rewards:
Throughout the years of the Gaul War, he amassed immense wealth, which not only paid off his debts but also expanded his network with money;
Conquering the Gaul territories essentially brought them under Roman control and led the Senate to reward him with more than two public thanksgiving celebrations, significantly boosting his prestige in Rome;
Most importantly, he held command of a large and battle-hardened army, whose officers and soldiers all remained loyal to him, willing to fight for him. This was the foundation of his rising status in Rome, and he certainly wouldn’t naively follow others’ advice to resign as governor or disband his troops.
On the contrary, to maintain this army’s loyalty and secure his position in Rome, he needed to do more, such as having Rome enact new laws, rewarding his soldiers with land, legally affirming his arrangements in Gaul, similar to what Pompey once did for the East. He even wanted the Senate to pass other bills to win over various Roman social classes fulfilling his ambition to reform Roman politics...
To achieve these goals, Caesar realized he couldn’t remain in the provinces indefinitely; he had to return to Rome and become a governor, so on one side, he denied the opponents limiting his term as governor but never clearly stated when his term would end. On the other hand, he hoped for Pompey’s support to smoothen his run for governor.
In short, he wanted both the bear and the fish.