They had years before elected his father as their patron, their legal representative at Rome, and now they pitched upon the son, proud to have this highly honourable function continued in the same family.

This election gave Drusus some little prestige at the capital, and some standing in the courts and politics.

When he went to Rome it was not as a mere individual who had to carve out his own career, but as a man of honour in his own country, a representative of a considerable local interest, and the possessor of both a noble pedigree and an ample fortune.
Curio found him plenty to do; wire-pulling, speech-making, private bargaining,--all these were rife, for everybody knew that with the first of January, when Lentulus became consul, the fortunes of Caesar were to be made or marred irretrievably.

There were rumours, always rumours, now of Caesar, now of Pompeius.

The proconsul was going to march on Rome at once, and put all his enemies to the sword.