“You, Aulus Fonteius [another tribune], have been a seditious and a bad officer. I dismiss you also.
“You, Titus Salienus, Marcus Tiro, Caius Clusinas, centurions, obtained your commissions by favor, not by merit. You have shown want of courage in the field; your conduct otherwise has been uniformly bad; you have encouraged a mutinous spirit in your companies. You are unworthy to serve under my command. You are dismissed, and will return to Italy.”
The five offenders were sent under guard on board ship, each noticeably being allowed a single slave to wait upon him, and so were expelled from the country.
This remarkable picture of Caesar’s method of enforcing discipline is described by a person who was evidently present; [6] and it may be taken as a correction to the vague stories of his severity to these officers which are told by Dion Cassius.
[1] To Atticus, xi. 7.
[2] Citizens.
[3] Where the African coast turns south from Cape Bon.
[4] “Animum enim altum et erectum prae se gerebat.”—De Bello Africano.
[5] Between Carthage and Utica.
[6] De Bella Africano, c. 54. This remarkably interesting narrative is attached to Caesar’s Commentaries. The author is unknown.