tulus was an eager aspirant for the task and for the perquisites
appertaining thereto. Cicero, who always in a warm and posi-
tive manner recognized the obligations of gratitude, was more
than willing to recognize the interests of the proconsul of Cicilia.
The king's henchmen worked hard that the prize might go to
Pempey himself (Fam. 1, 1, 1), and vast sums were spent to that
end. Cicero urged Pempey against the smirching of his good
name, but without any success. Certain Sibylline oracles were
effectively cited, and they were interpreted ad hoc: viz. that
such restoration must be accomplished without military force.
Pempey himself was extremely insincere in what he moved,
as though he wanted Lentulus to secure the job. Pempey's
servitors of course wanted Pempey (ib. 3), and public opinion
by this time was sufficiently experienced to infer that the Only
One wanted it for himself. No agreement on any project what-
soever was reached in the end. On the evening of January 14th
the orator dined with Pempey (Fam. 1, 2, 3) and used the oppor-
tunity to put in a word for the governor of Cicilia. But it was as
always: "When I hear his own utterance, I utterly acquit him
of all suspicion and greed, but when I see his intimates of all
classes, I clearly see what now is patent to everybody, that the
whole matter (i. e. of Ptolemy's restoration) has long ago been
bought and sold by definite persons, and that with the concur-
rence of the king himself and of his councillors." Cicero took
an active part in all these debates on foreign affairs; at the same
time he had a somewhat personal standard in measuring or
rating the transactions of the Great Council. (Fam. 1, 4, 1.)
As for the three dynasts it seems that their several factions
were by no means in concert in dealing with the Alexandrine
job. The orator fairly followed his own convictions. He was
to be more definitely attached to the larger policy of the
Three, but he was not yet aware of it. His brother Quintus
had gone to Sardinia as a deputy in the administration of the
grain supply. The brothers then were somewhat engrossed
with building or with various plans and projects of rebuilding.
(Q. Fr. 2, 2, 1-2.) The election of Clodius for the aedileship,
really carried over from the preceding year, was impending,
being set for Jan. 22 (ib. 2). Atticus, even though it was the
winter-season, was returning to Rome from Buthrotum and the
East. The month of February again assumed a turbulent face.
Clodius was now Aedilis, and with his tremendous energy of

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