numbers gathered throughout the city and especially near the house of the
high priest, Lepidus, and set up howls. Again, the Po, which had flooded
a large portion of the surrounding territory, suddenly receded and left
behind on the dry land a vast number of snakes. Countless fish were cast
up from the sea on the shore near the mouth of the Tiber. Succeeding
these terrors a plague spread over nearly the whole of Italy in a
malignant form, and in view of this the senate voted that the Curia
Hostilia[7] should be rebuilt and the spot where the naval battle had
taken place be filled up. However, the curse did not appear disposed to
rest even at this point, especially when during Vibius's conduct of the
initial sacrifices on the first of the month one of his lictors suddenly
fell down and died. Because of these events many men in the course of
those days took one side or the other in their speeches and advice, and
among the deliverances was the following, of Cicero:--[-18-] "You have
heard recently, Conscript Fathers, when I made a statement to you about
the matter, why I made preparations for my departure as if I were going
to be absent from the city a very long time and then returned rapidly
with the idea that I could benefit you greatly. I would not endure an
existence under a sovereignty or a tyranny, since under such forms of
government I can not enjoy the rights of free[8] citizenship nor speak
my mind safely nor die in a way that is of service to you; and again, if
opportunity is afforded to obey any of duty's calls, I would not shrink
from action, though it involved danger. I deem it the task of an upright
man equally to keep watch over himself for his country's interests
(guarding himself that he may not perish uselessly), and in this course
of action not to fail to say or do whatever is requisite, even if it be
necessary to suffer some harm in preserving his native land.

[-19-] "These assumptions granted, a large degree of safety was afforded
by Caesar both to you and to me for the discussion of pressing questions.