§8.50.1Ipse hibernis peractis contra consuetudinem in Italiam quam maximis itineribus est profectus, ut municipia et colonias appellaret, quibus M. Antoni quaestoris sui, commendaverat sacerdoti petitionem.
Caesar himself, after the winter quarters were broken up, set out for Italy by as rapid marches as possible, contrary to his custom, in order to address the municipia and colonies, to which he had already recommended the candidacy of Marcus Antonius, his quaestor, for the priesthood.
§8.50.2Contendebat enim gratia cum libenter pro homine sibi coniunctissimo, quem paulo ante praemiserat ad petitionem, tum acriter contra factionem et potentiam paucorum, qui M. Antoni repulsa Caesaris decedentis gratiam convellere cupiebant.
For he was exerting himself with his influence, on the one hand, gladly on behalf of a man most closely connected to him, whom he had sent on ahead a little before for his candidacy, and on the other hand, fiercely against the faction and power of a few men, who, by the rejection of Marcus Antonius, desired to shake the influence of Caesar as he was departing from his province.
§8.50.3Hunc etsi augurem prius factum quam Italiam attingeret in itinere audierat, tamen non minus iustam sibi causam municipia et colonias adeundi existimavit, ut eis gratias ageret, quod frequentiam atque officium suum Antonio praestitissent, §8.50.4simulque se et honorem suum sequentis anni commendaret, propterea quod insolenter adversarii sui gloriarentur L. Lentulum et C. Marcellum consules creatos qui omnem honorem et dignitatem Caesaris spoliarent, ereptum Ser. Galbae consulatum, cum is multo plus gratia suffragiisque valuisset, quod sibi coniunctus et familiaritate et consuetudine legationis esset.
Although he had heard on the journey, before he reached Italy, that Antonius had been made an augur, he nevertheless thought that he had no less just a cause to visit the municipia and colonies, so that he might return thanks to them, because they had shown such great attendance and devotion to Antonius, and at the same time recommend himself and his own honor for the following year, because his adversaries were insolently boasting that Lucius Lentulus and Gaius Marcellus had been elected consuls, who would despoil Caesar of all his honor and dignity, and that the consulship had been snatched from Servius Galba, although he had been far more powerful in influence and votes, for the reason that he was closely connected to Caesar both by friendship and by the intimacy of their joint lieutenancy.