[586] L. Ælius Lamia, an eques, appears to have been one of the deputation of publicani who attended the senate to accuse Gabinius.
[587] The prætorian elections were again postponed from the previous year to the early months of B.C. 54. Appius Claudius found means to put them off till March by holding meetings of the senate each day—the electoral comita not being able to meet on the same day as the senate.
[588] The tribune C. Memmius was prosecuting Gabinius (Letter [CXLVII]). The judicial comita could meet, though not the electoral.
[589] Callisthenes of Olynthus wrote (1) a history of the Trojan war; (2) an account of Alexander the Great. Philistus of Syracuse (1) a history of Sicily; (2) a life of Dionysius the elder; (3) a life of Dionysius the younger. He imitated Thucydides (de Orat. § 17).
[590] Trebatius is going to join Cæsar, who is about to sail to Britain; hence the jest about the essedarii, drivers of Gallic and British war-chariots. Letter [CXXXIII] recommended him to Cæsar. The lines quoted are from the Medea of Ennius, adapted or translated from Euripides. I date these two letters from Cumæ, because he speaks of writing to Balbus, who was at Rome (p. [267]).
[591] A banker at Puteoli.
[592] The six books on the Republic.
[593] A municipium of Campania nine miles from Naples.
[594] Vacerra, Manilius, Cornelius, well-known lawyers or jurists of the day.
[595] We shall afterwards see that Trebatius did not go to Britain.