Cimon, dear, you've got to dig up your authorities for the statement that Caesar had been granted the right to stand in absentia for the Consulship. Everything I've read says that is not so and was, in fact, the spark that inflamed eveyrthing else. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it's a critical point. Help!!!

Second, where are you getting this? As to retaining his imperium, even if the Senate had appointed successors in March of 50, when Caesar's terms of command expired, transfer of authority would not have occurred for several months. And as long as Caesar remained outside Rome's walls he would have retained his proconsular imperium. As it stood, the Senate did agree to extend Caesar's command through November 50, simply by agreeing to postpone allotments until that time! Caesar had everything he wanted!

On the contrary, my memory - off the top of my head, admittedly - is that Domitius Ahenobarbus was hot to be INSTANTLY appointed to the Gallic command by the Senate in 51, which would have stopped Caesar's imperium in Gaul the second Ahenobarbus showed up to take command!!