Traditionally in the Roman Republic, a conquering commander would have returned to the city amidst great fanfare in the hopes of being honored with a triumph, a grand parade through the streets of Rome. Yet Romans took care that the triumphant commander remained aware of his limitations by having an attendant ride on the triumphal chariot whispering in his ear, “Remember that you are not a god.” The general would then become a private citizen again and likely take their place in the senate.

Although he certainly merited a triumph, Caesar's return was different for several reasons. First, Rome was in no state to properly handle the return of a victorious general of Caesar's stature. It had been riven by too much violence, corruption, and partisanship. Rome was unable to find a creative way to reintegrate Caesar. Second, Caesar had ambitions; he was not returning to go into retirement or simply join the senate. He had proven himself the greatest general of his generation and was intent on preserving his status. Lastly, Caesar had political enemies and he had engaged in a number of questionable actions both as consul and general. Whether or not his opponents could have succeeded in convicting him of any crimes is uncertain, nonetheless, Caesar claimed that if he were not able to move directly into another office, the consulship, he would be legally vulnerable to his enemies. If he remained an elected official, he would be immune from prosecution. Caesar's enemies may have been correct in claiming they had a legal case against him, but this in turn granted Caesar the cover to maintain that he had no other option than to remain in office or, denied that, to use force to protect himself. Caesar employed this rhetorical argument so effectively that it has even deceived many modern historians who argue that Cato and his supporters pushed Caesar into a corner. Caesar's wealth and popularity strongly militate against the idea that he had much to fear from a handful of cantankerous senators. Caesar was flush with cash enough to bribe whomever he needed and had support from his veterans to intimidate whenever necessary, not to mention his immense popularity. When the senate refused to grant him the option of running for consul in absentia, Caesar and his supporters argued that he had no other alternative but to protect himself by marching his army on Rome.