been solemnly cursed, and the restoration of the town forbidden. When
the first standard was set up by the colonists a blast of wind, it is
said, blew it down, and scattered the flesh of the victims; and wolves
had torn up the stakes that marked out the site. Such malicious
stories met with readier credence, because, if it is true that Caius
had called for colonists from all Italy, and Junonia was to be a Roman
colony, he was evading the decree of the people against extending the
franchise; and he was thus admitting to it, by a side-wind, those to
whom it had just in the harshest manner been refused. For, when the
vote had been taken, every man not having a vote had been expelled
from the city, and forbidden to come within five miles of it till the
voting was over. Caius had come to live in the Forum instead of on the
Palatine when he returned to Rome, among his friends as he thought;
and still even in little matters he stood forward as the champion of
the poor against the rich. There was going to be a show of gladiators
in the Forum, and the magistrates had enclosed the arena with benches,
which they meant to hire out. Caius asked them to remove the benches,
and, on their refusal, went the night before the show and took them
all away. Anyone who has witnessed modern athletic sports, and
observed how a crowd will hem in the competitors so that only a few
spectators can see, although an equally good view can be obtained by
a great number if the ring is enlarged, will perceive Caius's object,
and be slow to admit that he spoiled the show. But though such acts
pleased the people, all of them had not forgiven him the proposition
about the franchise; and his popularity was on the wane. [Sidenote:
Drusus outbids Caius.] The Senate had suborned one of his colleagues,
M. Livius Drusus, to outbid him. Either Drusus thought he was guiding
the Senate into a larger policy when he was himself merely the
Senate's puppet, and this his son's career makes probable, or he was
cynically dishonest and unscrupulous.