Family Tragedies to the Edge of Civil War

Over the years of the Gaul campaign, tragedy struck me at home while I was away. My dearest mother died. Not long after, my daughter, Julia died during child birth while delivering my grandson, who also died. I was grief stricken. My mother was very influential in my life, and my only daughter dies giving birth to what would have been my first grandchild, a grandson. It was a devastating blow in a time when Gaul was suffering many defeats to my legions.
The assassination of Publius Clodius had the Roman people outraged. The Senate answered harshly towards me passing a motion through the Senate that there should only be one Consul, and their Consul of choice was my dear friend, Pompey Magnus. The tribunes of the Roman people wanted me to be a colleague to Pompey. I asked whether they would let me continue my conquest of Gaul and to persuade the people that my Governorship of Gaul was nearly at an end. I would hate to leave Gaul when my work is not yet completed. Graciously, the people granted my request. With the conquest of Gaul, I would gain a lot of popularity from the people, not that my success in Gaul had not already obtained me great popularity from the people. I declared my decision to run for my second Consulship. With money from my spoils of Gaul, I built a new forum. In the forum, I held gladiatorial entertainment and a public banquet in memorial of my daughter Julia and my still born grandson.
In order to preserve my friendship with Pompey and to renew family ties, I offered Pompey my sister's granddaughter, Octavia. Octavia was already married to Gaius Marcellus, but in return, he would divorce Octavia to marry Pompey's daughter. I won a lot of favor from Pompey's friends and most of the Senate by offering them loans from very low to interest free rates. I also gave gifts to others who may not have even asked for them. All of these actions were a benefit to me because they endeared these people to me. My beneficiaries would rely upon me to help them in their difficulties, such as legal, debt, or those who lived past their wealth. However, I had my limits. Some Romans that would come to me for help would have records that were so heinous, people whose tastes were so expensive, people with criminal records, and people whose pockets were completely empty. I told people frankly, "What you need is a civil war."

Sources Used:

Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Penguin Classics Revised Edition, December 18, 2007. Print