Then, besides, a victorious general coming back to Rome always found that his military renown added vastly to his influence and power in the city.

He was welcomed with celebrations and triumphs; the people flocked to see him and to shout his praise.

He placed his trophies of victory in the temples, and entertained the populace with games and shows, and with combats of gladiators or of wild beasts, which he had brought home with him for this purpose in the train of his army.

While he was thus enjoying his triumph, his political enemies would be thrown into the back ground and into the shade; unless, indeed, some one of them might himself be earning the same honors in some other field, to come back in due time, and claim his share of power and celebrity in his turn.

In this case, Rome would be sometimes distracted and rent by the conflicts and contentions of military rivals, who had acquired powers too vast for all the civil influences of the Republic to regulate or control.
[Illustration: ROMAN PLEBEIANS.] [Sidenote: Military rivals.] [Sidenote: Marius and Sylla.] [Sidenote: The patricians and plebeians.] [Sidenote: Civil contests.] [Sidenote: Quarrel about the command of the army.] [Sidenote: Sylla's violence.] There had been two such rivals just before the time of Caesar, who had filled the world with their quarrels.