+52 B.C. Pompeius Sole Consul.+ So things continued until 52 B.C., when the constant rioting (Clodius v. Milo), and utter lawlessness prevailing in Rome +gave Pompeius his opportunity+. The Senate in their distress caused Pompeius to be nominated sole Consul, with supreme power to meet the crisis. The death of Julia in 54 and of Crassus in 53 had removed the two strongest influences for peace, and from 52 onwards the breach between Pompeius and Caesar began to widen. During Caesar’s long absence from Rome his opponents, with Cato at their head, were waiting their chance to impeach him for numerous acts in his province, as soon as he appeared in Rome for the consular elections. He would then be merely a private citizen, and as such amenable to prosecution. Now Caesar’s proconsulship of Gaul was to terminate on March 1, 49, and the consular elections would take place at the earliest in the following summer. +There would therefore be an interval between the two offices+, and Caesar would be exposed to the utmost peril, if he gave up province and army on March 1, 49. Caesar had long foreseen this. When the law was passed in 55, which added a fresh term of five years to his government, +Pompeius seems to have inserted in it+ (doubtless in accordance with a previous promise to Caesar) +a clause prohibiting the discussion of a successor before March 1, 50+. Caesar therefore could not be superseded except by the consuls of 49, and these would not be able to succeed him (as proconsuls) till Jan. 1, 48. He would thus be able to retain his army and government throughout the year 49. +Caesar’s canvass for the Consulship.+ As the law stood, he would have to come in person to Rome. But early in 52 +a decree was promulgated, with the support of Pompeius, which relieved him from the necessity of canvassing in person+. Caesar might now feel himself safe: he would retain both army and provinces throughout 49, and would not be forced to return to Rome until he was safe from prosecution as Consul. +Lex Pompeia de iure magistratuum.+ But this did not suit Caesar’s enemies. Pompeius and the Senate combined to alter the whole legal machinery for appointing provincial governors. +There was to be an interval of five years between a consulship and a proconsulship+, which would prevent Caesar, even if he were duly elected Consul in 49, from obtaining a fresh provincial governorship until five years from the end of 48. When the bill became law (as it did in 51) there would be an interval of some years before any consuls would be qualified under it for provinces: and to fill up the governorships during the interval, the Senate was authorised to appoint any person of consular rank who had not as yet proceeded to a proconsulship. +Thus Caesar’s resignation both of his army and his province could be demanded on March 1, 49.+