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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 428069" data-attributes="member: 1645">Chapter XIV -- The Power of a Single Word (continued)Sallust, whom Caesar would make a major general in the new year, was authorized to promise the men four thousand sesterces each to return to their standards and march to Sicily for the next stage in Caesar's war against the Pompeians, an invasion of North Africa.But when Sallust couldn't come up with these four thousand sesterces on the spot, along with the money Caesar had promised them at the start of the war, plus the vague rewards he'd mentioned after the Battle of Pharsalus, including grants of land, he was rejected by the angry legionaries, most of whom wanted to go home just as much as they wanted their money.Caesar sends a deputy to do his dirty work, but he's still up to the same old tricks -- promise them everything, at some vague point in the future, for risking their lives today.According to Appian, Sallust was to claim he only just escaped from the Fields of Mars with his life.Caesar realizes he needs the 8th, 9th, and 10th Legions, and he has to go to them personally."What is it you want?" Caesar began.  "State your demands."No one answered at first.  Appian says that none of them had the courage to ask for money and so one or two men began to call out for their discharge.  They had been detained in the legions illegally, they said, and they wanted to go home.  There were loud choruses of agreement."Very well," Caesar responded, "I discharge you.  All of you."There was stunned silence."And," he went on after a judicious pause, "I will pay you everything I promised you, after I win this war with other legions, and after they have had their just rewards."Smooth...The men looked at him in stunned astonishment, waiting for him to say more.  But he didn't.  He just looked at them, his face expressionless.  The strained silence was painful, so painful that his staff officers standing beside the tribunal begged Caesar to say something more, not just dismiss with a few harsh words these troops who had been through so much with him over the years.The men he's manipulating are men who've seen it all, men who've fought with him for years.  These aren't boys fresh off the farm.  But Caesar's that damn smooth...Caesar nodded slowly, then began, with a single word:  "Citizens..."The thousands of upturned faces were expectant.  The men waited for him to continue, but Caesar paused, and waited.  And as he paused, the true effect of that lone word sunk into his troops.  Normally, generals began addresses to their troops with "Soldiers" or "Fellow soldiers."  Caesar habitually began with "My soldiers."  And now he was addressing them as citizens, as if they were no longer soldiers, just men off the street."No!" men began to cry out.  "We're still your soldiers, Caesar!"I guess it's a simple formula: compare soldiers to civilians, and they'll do anything to prove you wrong.By the way, imagine being one of Caesar's girlfriends.  The mind games this guy could play...</blockquote>

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