The Chief Augur is by himself again at Julii Cooper's. Caesar approaches Posca and asks, "Wife?" Posca thinks a minute -- or maybe he realizes how much of their money is about to get spent -- and answers, "Caecilia." Without wasting another moment, Caesar approaches the Chief Augur and sits next to him, apologizing for forgetting Caecilia's last birthday. The Chief Augur has no idea what this is about, even as Mark Antony takes up position on the other side of him. Caesar wonders if Caecilia would forgive Caesar's rudeness if he offered a gift. The Chief Augur says that's not necessary, and Caesar pretends that means it's hard to know what to give a woman. "Perhaps she would accept some money," Mark Antony blurts. Handy for Caesar to have a vulgarian around sometimes. He readily agrees: "A hundred thousand sesterce, say?" Wow, that's ten times the signing bonus for a reluctant first-grade prefect in the Evocati! But the Chief Augur laments that his wife is a woman of expensive tastes. "The best women often are," Mark Antony remarks. Caesar offers 150,000. The Chief Augur complains significantly, "She would dress her slaves in silk if I would let her. She eats oysters for breakfast. Daily." "She should be most careful," Mark Antony Zmeds, leaning in close. "People often choke on oysters." Caesar, ever the carrot man, offers 200,000, which the Chief Augur pronounces "a very generous and, I may say, appropriate gift." "We understand each other," Caesar says, and turns to a waiting Posca to say, "Make a note of it. Two hundred to the Chief Augur." "Thinks he's Midas, the loon," Posca mutters. It's not immediately clear which loon he's referring to.