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Updated: June 18, 2025
Deputations from both sides were chosen to converse and consult, with Caesar's warmest approval. Some arrangement might have followed. But Labienus interposed. He appeared at the meeting as if to join in the conference; he was talking in apparent friendliness to Cicero's acquaintance, Publius Vatinius, who was serving with Caesar. Suddenly a shower of darts were hurled at Vatinius.
The former fine fat one for the levying of money is reserved, I presume, for Drusus of Pisaurum or for the gourmand Vatinius: this latter miserable business, which might be very well done by a courier, is given to him, and his tribuneship deferred till it suits them. Irritate the fellow, I beg you, as much as you can.
Thereafter, by employing excessive bribery and driving all the honest folks from the Campus they brought about by violence that Vatinius should be elected prætor instead of Cato.
His portraits are photographic. Whether he describes the money-loving Chaerea with his shaven eye-brows and head reeking with cunning and malice; or the insolent Verres, lolling on a litter with eight bearers, like an Asiatic despot, stretched on a bed of rose-leaves; or Vatinius, darting forward to speak, his eyes starting from his head, his neck swollen, and his muscles rigid; or the Gaulish and Greek witnesses, of whom the former swagger erect across the forum, the latter chatter and gesticulate without ever looking up; we see in each case the master's powerful hand.
He posted four legions in the country of the Belgae, under Marcus Antonius, Caius Trebonius, Publius Vatinius, and Quintus Tullius, his lieutenants. Two he detached to the Aedui, knowing them to have a very powerful influence throughout all Gaul.
Caesar however had publicly declared that he would introduce no proposal in his own favour; the tribune of the people Publius Vatinius therefore undertook to submit the proposal to the burgesses, who naturally gave their unconditional assent.
The senate had made difficulties: but one of the fruits of the triumvirate was a measure for doing it. It is curious that Cicero speaks of the pauci just as his opponent Cæsar and Augustus after him. Vatinius did not get the augurship. Are they going to deny that Publius has been made a plebeian? This is indeed playing the king, and is utterly intolerable.
For I would have you believe that, putting you aside, who were the authors of my recall, there is no one by whose good offices I would not only confess, but would even rejoice, to have been so much bound. Having explained this matter to you, the questions you ask about Vatinius and Crassus are easy to answer.
The pieces contrasting with it are the orations for Sestius and against Vatinius and that upon the opinion of the Etruscan soothsayers, dating from the months of March and April, in which the aristocratic regime is glorified to the best of his ability and Caesar in particular is treated in a very cavalier tone. This is not stated by our authorities.
None of their antagonists were prosecuted by the opposition with such hatred so furious that it almost passed into a proverb as Vatinius, by far the most audacious and unscrupulous of the closer adherents of Caesar; but his master gave the command, and he was acquitted in all the processes raised against him.
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