[769] Plutarch, Cæsar, 18.
[770] “From his first youth he was much used to horseback, and had even acquired the facility of riding with dropped reins and his hands joined behind his back.” (Plutarch, Cæsar, 18.)
[771] “He ate and slept without enjoying the pleasure of either, and only to obey necessity.” (Velleius Paterculus, II. 41.)
[772] Suetonius, Cæsar, 53.—(Plutarch, Cæsar, 18 and 58.)
[773] “And when,” says Cicero, “I look at his hair, so artistically arranged; and when I see him scratch his head with one finger, I cannot believe that such a man could conceive so black a design as to overthrow the Roman Republic.” (Plutarch, Cæsar, 4.)
[774] Suetonius, Cæsar, 45.—Cicero said likewise, “I suffered myself to be caught by the fashion of his girdle,” alluding to his hanging robe, which gave him an effeminate appearance. (Macrobius, Saturnalia, II. 3.)
[775] Dio Cassius, XLIII. 43.
[776] Velleius Paterculus, II. 41.
[777] Suetonius (Cæsar, 1) says that Cæsar was designated (destinatus) flamen. Velleius Paterculus (II. 43), that he was created flamen. In our opinion he was created, but not inaugurated, flamen. Now, as long as this formality was not accomplished, he was only the flamen designate. What proves that he had never been inaugurated is, that Sylla could revoke it; and, on another hand, Tacitus says (Annales, III. 53) that, after the death of Cornelius Merula, the flamenship of Jupiter remained vacant for seventy-two years, without any interruption to the special worship of this god. So that, evidently, they did not count the flamenship of Cæsar as real, since he had never entered on his office.
[778] “Dimissa Cossutia ... quæ pretextato desponsata fuerat.” (Suetonius, Cæsar, 1.)—This passage from Suetonius clearly indicates that he was betrothed, and not married, to Cossutia; for Suetonius uses the word dimittere, which means “to free,” and not the word repudiare in its true meaning; besides, desponsata signifies betrothed.—Plutarch says that Cornelia was the first wife of Cæsar, though he pretends that he married Pompeia as his third. (Plutarch, Cæsar, 5.)