118. When the murderers had perpetrated their crime, in a sacred place, on one whose person was sacred and inviolable, there was an immediate flight from the curia and throughout the whole city. Some senators were wounded in the tumult and others killed. Many other citizens and strangers were murdered also, not designedly, but as such things happen in public commotions, by the mistakes of those into whose hands they fell. Gladiators, who had been armed early in the morning for that day’s spectacles, ran out of the theatre into the balcony of the Senate. The theatre itself was emptied in haste and panic-terror, and the markets were plundered. All citizens closed their front doors and put themselves in a posture of defence on their roofs. Antony fortified his house, apprehending that the conspiracy was against him as well as Caesar. Lepidus, the master of horse, being in the forum at the time, learned what had been done and ran to the island in the river where he had a legion of soldiers, which he transferred to the plain in order to be in greater readiness to execute Antony’s orders; for he yielded to Antony as a closer friend of Caesar and also as consul. While pondering over the matter they were strongly moved to avenge the death of Caesar, but they feared lest the Senate should espouse the side of the murderers and so they concluded to await events. There had been no military guard around Caesar, for he did not like guards except the usual attendants of the magistracy. Many civilian officers and a large crowd of citizens and strangers, of slaves and freedmen, had accompanied him from his house to the Senate, but had fled en masse, all except three slaves, who placed the body in a litter and, with uneven step (being an uneven number), bore him homeward who, a little before, had been master of the earth and sea.
118. Ἐκτελεσθέντος δὲ τοῖς φονεῦσι τοσοῦδε ἄγους ἐν ἱερῷ χωρίῳ καὶ ἐς ἄνδρα ἱερὸν καὶ ἄσυλον, φυγή τε ἦν ἀνὰ τὸ βουλευτήριον αὐτίκα καὶ ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν ὅλην, καὶ ἐτρώθησάν τινες τῶν βουλευτῶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ θορύβῳ καὶ ἀπέθανον ἕτεροι. πολὺς δὲ καὶ ἄλλος ἀστῶν τε καὶ ξένων ἐγίγνετο φόνος, οὐ προβεβουλευμένος, ἀλλʼ οἷος ἐκ θορύβου πολιτικοῦ καὶ ἀγνωσίας τῶν ἐπιλαβόντων, οἵ τε γὰρ μονομάχοι, ὡπλισμένοι ἕωθεν ὡς ἐπὶ δή τινα θέας ἐπίδειξιν, ἐκ τοῦ θεάτρου διέθεον ἐς τὰ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου παραφράγματα, καὶ τὸ θέατρον ὑπὸ ἐκπλήξεως σὺν φόβῳ καὶ δρόμῳ διελύετο, τά τε ὤνια ἡρπάζετο· καὶ τὰς θύρας ἅπαντες ἀπέκλειον καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τεγῶν ἐς ἄμυναν ἡτοιμάζοντο, Ἀντώνιός τε τὴν οἰκίαν ὠχύρου, τεκμαιρόμενος συνεπιβουλεύεσθαι τῷ Καίσαρι. καὶ Λέπιδος ὁ ἵππαρχος ἐν ἀγορᾷ μὲν ὢν ἐπύθετο τοῦ γεγονότος, ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ νῆσον διαδραμών, ἔνθα ἦν αὐτῷ τέλος στρατιωτῶν, ἐς τὸ πεδίον αὐτοὺς μετεβίβαζεν ὡς ἑτοιμοτέρους ἕξων ἐς τὰ παραγγελλόμενα ὑπʼ Ἀντωνίου· Ἀντωνίῳ γὰρ ἐξίστατο, φίλῳ τε τοῦ Καίσαρος ὄντι μᾶλλον καὶ ὑπάτῳ. καὶ αὐτοῖς σκεπτομένοις ὁρμὴ μὲν ἦν ἀμύνειν τῷ Καίσαρι τοιάδε παθόντι, τὴν δὲ βουλὴν πρὸς τῶν ἀνδροφόνων ἐσομένην ἐδεδοίκεσαν καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἔτι περιεσκόπουν. ἀμφὶ δὲ αὐτῷ Καίσαρι στρατιωτικὸν μὲν οὐκ ἦν, οὐ γὰρ δορυφόροις ἠρέσκετο, ἡ δὲ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ὑπηρεσία μόνη καὶ αἱ πλέονες ἀρχαὶ καὶ πολὺς ὅμιλος ἄλλος ἀστῶν καὶ ξένων καὶ πολὺς θεράπων καὶ ἐξελεύθερος αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ βουλευτήριον ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας παρεπεπόμφεισαν, ὧν ἀθρόως διαφυγόντων τρεῖς θεράποντες μόνοι παρέμειναν, οἳ τὸ σῶμα ἐς τὸ φορεῖον ἐνθέμενοι διεκόμισαν οἴκαδε ἀνωμάλως, οἷα τρεῖς, τὸν πρὸ ὀλίγου γῆς καὶ θαλάττης προστάτην.
119. The murderers wished to make a speech in the Senate, but as nobody remained there they wrapped their togas around their left arms to serve as shields, and, with swords still reeking with blood, ran, crying out that they had slain a king and tyrant. One of them bore a cap on the end of a spear as a symbol of freedom and exhorted the people to restore the government of their fathers and recall the memory of the elder Brutus and of those who took the oath together against the ancient kings. With them ran some with drawn swords who had not participated in the deed, but wanted to share the glory, among whom were Lentulus Spinther, Favonius, Aquinus, Dolabella, Murcus, and Patiscus. These did not share the glory, but they suffered punishment with the guilty. As the people did not flock to them they were disconcerted and alarmed. Although the Senate had at first fled through ignorance and alarm, they had confidence in it nevertheless as being their own relatives and friends, and oppressed equally with themselves by the tyranny. They had apprehensions of the plebeians and of Caesar’s soldiers, many of whom were then present in the city, some lately dismissed from the service and to whom lands had been allotted; others who had been already settled, but had come in to serve as an escort for Caesar on his departure from the city. The assassins had fears of Lepidus, too, and of the army under him in the city, and also of Antony in his character as consul, lest he should consult the people alone, instead of the Senate, and bring some fearful punishment upon them.
119. οἱ δὲ σφαγεῖς ἐβούλοντο μέν τι εἰπεῖν ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ, οὐδενὸς δὲ παραμείναντος τὰ ἱμάτια ταῖς λαιαῖς ὥσπερ ἀσπίδας περιπλεξάμενοι καὶ τὰ ξίφη μετὰ τοῦ αἵματος ἔχοντες ἐβοηδρόμουν βασιλέα καὶ τύραννον ἀνελεῖν. καὶ πῖλόν τις ἐπὶ δόρατος ἔφερε, σύμβολον ἐλευθερώσεως ἐπί τε τὴν πάτριον πολιτείαν παρεκάλουν καὶ Βρούτου τοῦ πάλαι καὶ τῶν τότε σφίσιν ὀμωμοσμένων ἐπὶ τοῖς πάλαι βασιλεῦσιν ἀνεμίμνησκον συνέθεον δὲ αὐτοῖς τινες χρησάμενοι ξιφίδια, οἳ τοῦ ἔργου μὴ μετασχόντες προσεποιοῦντο τὴν δόξαν, Λέντλος τε ὁ Σπινθὴρ καὶ Φαώνιος καὶ Ἀκουῖνος καὶ Δολοβέλλας καὶ Μοῦρκος καὶ Πατίσκος· οἳ τῆς μὲν δόξης οὐ μετέσχον, τῆς δὲ τιμωρίας τοῖς ἁμαρτοῦσι συνέτυχον. τοῦ δήμου δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ προσθέοντος ἠπόρουν καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν, τῇ μὲν βουλῇ, καὶ εἰ αὐτίκα ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας καὶ θορύβου διέφυγε, θαρροῦντες ὅμως, συγγενέσι τε σφῶν καὶ φίλοις οὖσι βαρυνομένοις τε τὴν τυραννίδα ὁμοίως, τὸν δὲ δῆμον ὑφορώμενοι καὶ τοὺς ἐστρατευμένους τῷ Καίσαρι πολλοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει τότε παρόντας, τοὺς μὲν ἄρτι τῆς στρατείας ἀφειμένους καὶ ἐς κληρουχίας διατεταγμένους, τοὺς δὲ προαπῳκισμένους μέν, ἐς δὲ παραπομπὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος ἐξιόντος ἀφιγμένους. Λέπιδόν τε ἐδεδοίκεσαν καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ τῷ Λεπίδῳ στρατὸν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ Ἀντώνιον ὑπατεύοντα, μὴ ἀντὶ τῆς βουλῆς τῷ δήμῳ μόνῳ χρώμενος ἐργάσαιτό τι δεινὸν αὑτούς.
120. In this frame of mind they hastened up to the Capitol with their gladiators. There they took counsel and decided to bribe the populace, hoping that if some would begin to praise the deed others would join in from love of liberty and longing for the republic. They thought that the Roman people were still exactly the same as they had heard that they were at the time when the elder Brutus expelled the kings. They did not perceive that they were counting on two incompatible things, namely, that people could be lovers of liberty and bribe-takers at the same time. The latter class were much easier to find of the two, because the government had been corrupt for a long time. The plebeians were now much mixed with foreign blood, freedmen had equal rights of citizenship with them, and slaves were dressed in the same fashion as their masters. Except in the case of the senatorial rank the same costume was common to slaves and to free citizens. Moreover the distribution of corn to the poor, which took place in Rome only, drew thither the lazy, the beggars, the vagrants of all Italy. The multitude of discharged soldiers no longer returned one by one to their native places as formerly, fearing that some of them might be accused of having engaged in iniquitous wars, but were sent in groups to unjust allotments of lands and houses belonging to others. These were now encamped in temples and sacred enclosures under one standard, and one person appointed to lead them to their colony, and as they had already sold their own be longings preparatory to their departure they were in readiness to be bought for any purpose.
120. οὕτω δʼ ἔχοντες τὸ Καπιτώλιον σὺν τοῖς μονομάχοις ἀνέθορον. καὶ αὐτοῖς βουλευομένοις ἔδοξεν ἐπὶ τὰ πλήθη μισθώματα περιπέμπειν· ἤλπιζον γάρ, ἀρξαμένων τινῶν ἐπαινεῖν τὰ γεγενημένα, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους συνεπιλήψεσθαι λογισμῷ τε τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ πόθῳ τῆς πολιτείας. ἔτι γὰρ ᾤοντο τὸν δῆμον εἶναι Ῥωμαῖον ἀκριβῶς, οἷον ἐπὶ τοῦ πάλαι Βρούτου τὴν τότε βασιλείαν καθαιροῦντος ἐπυνθάνοντο γενέσθαι· καὶ οὐ συνίεσαν δύο τάδε ἀλλήλοις ἐναντία προσδοκῶντες, φιλελευθέρους ὁμοῦ καὶ μισθωτοὺς σφίσιν ἔσεσθαι χρησίμως τοὺς παρόντας. ὧν θάτερον εὐχερέστερον ἦν, διεφθαρμένης ἐκ πολλοῦ τῆς πολιτείας. παμμιγές τε γάρ ἐστιν ἤδη τὸ πλῆθος ὑπὸ ξενίας, καὶ ὁ ἐξελεύθερος αὐτοῖς ἰσοπολίτης ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ δουλεύων ἔτι τὸ σχῆμα τοῖς δεσπόταις ὅμοιος· χωρὶς γὰρ τῆς βουλευτικῆς ἡ ἄλλη στολὴ τοῖς θεράπουσίν ἐστιν ἐπίκοινος. τό τε σιτηρέσιον τοῖς πένησι χορηγούμενον ἐν μόνῃ Ῥώμῃ τὸν ἀργὸν καὶ πτωχεύοντα καὶ ταχυεργὸν τῆς Ἰταλίας λεὼν ἐς τὴν Ῥώμην ἐπάγεται. τό τε πλῆθος τῶν ἀποστρατευομένων, οὐ διαλυόμενον ἐς τὰς πατρίδας ἔτι ὡς πάλαι καθʼ ἕνα ἄνδρα δέει τοῦ μὴ δικαίους πολέμους ἐνίους πεπολεμηκέναι, κοινῇ δὲ ἐς κληρουχίας ἀδίκους ἀλλοτρίας τε γῆς καὶ ἀλλοτρίων οἰκιῶν ἐξιόν, ἄθρουν τότε ἐστάθμευεν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς καὶ τεμένεσιν ὑφʼ ἑνὶ σημείῳ καὶ ὑφʼ ἑνὶ ἄρχοντι τῆς ἀποικίας, τὰ μὲν ὄντα σφίσιν ὡς ἐπὶ ἔξοδον ἤδη διαπεπρακότες, εὔωνοι δʼ ἐς ὅ τι μισθοῖντο.
121. From so many men of this kind a considerable crowd was drawn speedily and without difficulty to the party of Cassius in the forum. These, although bought, did not dare to praise the murder, because they feared Caesar’s reputation and doubted what course the rest of the people might take. So they shouted for peace as being for the public advantage, and with one accord recommended this policy to the magistrates, intending by this device to secure the safety of the murderers; for there could be no peace without amnesty to them. While they were thus engaged the praetor Cinna, a relative of Caesar by marriage, made his appearance, advanced unexpectedly into the middle of the forum, laid aside his praetorian robe, as if disdaining the gift of a tyrant, and called Caesar a tyrant and his murderers tyrannicides. He extolled their deed as exactly like that of their ancestors, and ordered that the men themselves should be called from the Capitol as benefactors and rewarded with public honors. So spake Cinna, but when the hirelings saw that the unbought portion of the crowd did not agree with them they did not call for the men in the Capitol, nor did they do anything else but continually demand peace.
121. ὅθεν οὐ δυσχερῶς ἐκ τοσῶνδε καὶ τοιῶνδε ἀνδρῶν πλῆθός τι τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Κάσσιον ἐς τὴν ἀγορὰν εὐθὺς ἀγήγερτο· οἳ καίπερ ὄντες ἔμμισθοι τὰ μὲν γενόμενα ἐπαινεῖν οὐκ ἐθάρρουν, δεδιότες τὴν Καίσαρος δόξαν καὶ τὸ πρὸς τῶν ἑτέρων ἐσόμενον, ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ συμφέροντι κοινῷ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπεβόων καὶ θαμινὰ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς παρεκάλουν, τέχνασμα τοῦτο ἐς τὴν τῶν ἀνδροφόνων σωτηρίαν ἐπινοοῦντες· οὐ γὰρ ἔσεσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην μὴ γενομένης αὐτοῖς ἀμνηστίας. ὧδε δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔχουσι πρῶτος ἐπιφαίνεται Κίννας στρατηγός, οἰκεῖος ὢν ἐξ ἐπιγαμίας τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ παρὰ δόξαν ἐπελθὼν ἐς μέσους τήν τε ἐσθῆτα τὴν στρατηγικὴν ἀπεδύσατο, ὡς παρὰ τυράννου δεδομένης ὑπερορῶν, καὶ τὸν Καίσαρα τύραννον ἐκάλει καὶ τοὺς ἀνελόντας τυραννοκτόνους, καὶ τὸ πεπραγμένον ἐσέμνυνεν ὡς ὁμοιότατον μάλιστα τῷ προγονικῷ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς εὐεργέτας καλεῖν ἐκέλευεν ἐκ τοῦ Καπιτωλίου καὶ γεραίρειν. καὶ Κίννας μὲν οὕτως ἔλεξεν, οἱ δὲ τὸ καθαρὸν τοῦ πλήθους οὐχ ὁρῶντες ἐπιμιγνύμενον αὑτοῖς οὐκ ἐκάλουν τοὺς ἄνδρας οὐδέ τι πλέον ἢ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης μόνης αὖθις παρεκάλουν.
122. But after Dolabella, a young man of noble family who had been chosen by Caesar as consul for the remainder of his own year when he was about to leave the city, and who had put on the consular garb and taken the other insignia of the office, came forward next and railed against the man who had advanced him to this dignity and pretended to have been privy to the conspiracy against him, and that his hand alone was unwillingly absent — some say that he even proposed a decree that this day should be consecrated as the birthday of the republic — then the hirelings took new courage, seeing that they had both a praetor and a consul on their side, and demanded that Cassius and his friends be summoned from the Capitol. They were delighted with Dolabella and thought that now they had a young optimate, who was also consul, to oppose against Antony. Only Cassius and Marcus Brutus came down, the latter with his hand still bleeding from the wound he had received when he and Cassius were dealing blows at Caesar. When they reached the forum neither of them said anything which betokened humility. On the contrary they praised each other as for something confessedly admirable. They considered the city fortunate and bore special testimony to the merits of Decimus Brutus because he had furnished them gladiators at a critical moment. They exhorted the people to be like their ancestors, who had expelled the kings, although the latter were exercising the government not by violence like Caesar, but had been chosen according to law. They advised the recall of Sextus Pompey (the son of Pompey the Great, the defender of the republic against Caesar), who was still warring against Caesar’s lieutenants in Spain. They also recommended that the tribunes, Caesetius and Marullus, who had been deposed by Caesar, should be recalled from exile.
122. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ Δολοβέλλας, νέος ἀνὴρ καὶ περιώνυμος, ὑπατεύειν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ Καίσαρος ἐς τὸ ἐπίλοιπον τοῦ ἔτους ᾑρημένος, ὅτε ὁ Καῖσαρ ἐξορμήσειε τῆς πόλεως, τὴν μὲν ὕπατον ἐσθῆτα ἠμφιέσατο καὶ τὰ σημεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς περιεστήσατο, τὸν δὲ ταῦτά οἱ παρασχόντα δεύτερος ὅδε ἐλοιδόρει καὶ συνεγνωκέναι τοῖς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ βεβουλευμένοις ὑπεκρίνετο καὶ μόνης ἄκων τῆς χειρὸς ἀπολειφθῆναι ʽεἰσὶ δʼ οἳ καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτὸν εἰσηγήσασθαι τὴν ἡμέραν θέσθαι τῇ πόλει γενέθλιον̓, τότε δὴ καὶ οἱ μεμισθωμένοι ἀνεθάρρουν ὡς καὶ στρατηγοῦ καὶ ὑπάτου σφίσι συγγνωμόνων ὄντων καὶ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Κάσσιον ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ κατεκάλουν. οἱ δὲ ἥδοντο μὲν τῷ Δολοβέλλᾳ καὶ ἐνόμιζον ἄνδρα νέον καὶ γνώριμον καὶ ὕπατον ἕξειν ἐς ἐναντίωσιν Ἀντωνίου, κατῄεσαν δὲ αὐτῶν μόνοι Κάσσιός τε καὶ Βροῦτος ὁ Μᾶρκος, ᾑμαγμένος τὴν χεῖρα· συγκατήνεγκαν γὰρ δὴ τὰς πληγὰς ἐπὶ τὸν Καίσαρα Κάσσιός τε καὶ Βροῦτος. ἐπεὶ δὲ παρῆλθον ἐς τὸ μέσον, οὐδὲν ταπεινὸν οὐδέτερος εἶπεν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπὶ καλοῖς ὁμολογουμένοις ἀλλήλους ἐπῄνουν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐμακάριζον καὶ Δέκμῳ μάλιστα ἐμαρτύρουν, ὅτι τοὺς μονομάχους σφίσιν ἐν καιρῷ παράσχοι. τόν τε δῆμον ἐξώτρυνον ὅμοια τοῖς προγόνοις ἐργάσασθαι τοῖς καθελοῦσι τοὺς βασιλέας, οὐκ ἐκ βίας ἄρχοντας ὥσπερ ὁ Καῖσαρ, ἀλλʼ ᾑρημένους ὑπὸ νόμοις· Σέξστον τε Πομπήιον, τὸν Πομπηίου Μάγνου, τοῦ Καίσαρι περὶ τῆς δημοκρατίας πεπολεμηκότος, καλεῖν ἠξίουν, πολεμούμενον ἔτι πρὸς τῶν Καίσαρος στρατηγῶν ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς δημάρχους Καισήτιον καὶ Μάρυλλον, οἳ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Καίσαρος ἀφαιρεθέντες ἠλῶντο.
123. After they had thus spoken Cassius and Brutus returned directly to the Capitol, because they had not yet entire confidence in the present posture of affairs. Having first enabled their friends and relatives to come to them in the temple, they chose from among them messengers to treat on their behalf with Lepidus and Antony for conciliation and the preservation of liberty, and for warding off the evils that would befall the country if they should not come to an agreement. This the messengers asked, not extolling the deed that had been done, however, for they did not dare to do this in the presence of Caesar’s friends. They asked that it be tolerated now that it was done, out of pity for the perpetrators (who had been actuated, not by hatred toward Caesar, but by love of country), and out of compassion for the city exhausted by long-continued civil strife, and which a new sedition might deprive of the good men still remaining. “If enmity were entertained against certain persons,” they said, “it would be an act of impiety to gratify it in a time of public danger. It would be far preferable to sink private animosity in the public weal, or, if anybody were irreconcilable, at least to postpone his private grievances for the present.”
123. τοιάδε μὲν εἶπον οἱ περὶ τὸν Κάσσιον καὶ ἐπανῆλθον αὖθις ἐς τὸ Καπιτώλιον· οὐ γὰρ ἐθάρρουν πω τοῖς παροῦσι. τῶν δʼ οἰκείων σφίσι καὶ συγγενῶν τότε πρῶτον ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς δυνηθέντων ᾑρέθησαν οἱ πρεσβεύσοντες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐς Λέπιδόν τε καὶ Ἀντώνιον ὁμονοίας πέρι καὶ προνοίας τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ φειδοῦς τῶν ἐσομένων τῇ πατρίδι κακῶν, εἰ μὴ συμφρονοῖεν. καὶ ἐδέοντο οἱ πεμφθέντες, οὐκ ἐπαινοῦντες μὲν τὸ πεπραγμένον (οὐ γὰρ ἐθάρρουν ἐν φίλοις Καίσαρος), γενόμενον δʼ ἐνεγκεῖν ἀξιοῦντες ἐλέῳ τε τῶν δεδρακότων αὐτὸ οὐ κατὰ μῖσος, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ εὐνοίᾳ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ οἴκτῳ τῆς πόλεως κεκενωμένης στάσεσιν ἤδη συνεχέσιν, εἰ καὶ τοὺς ὑπολοίπους ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας ἡ μέλλουσα στάσις διολέσει. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅσιον, εἴ τις αὐτοῖς ἔστιν ἔχθρα πρὸς ἐνίους, ἐν τοῖς δημοσίοις κινδύνοις ἐξερίζειν, πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ τὰ ἴδια καταθέσθαι ἤ, εἴ τις ἀνηκέστως ἔχει, τὰ ἴδια ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀναθέσθαι.
124. Antony and Lepidus wished to avenge Caesar, as I have already said, either on the score of friendship, or of the oaths they had sworn, or because they were aiming at the supreme power themselves and thought that their course would be easier if so many men of such rank were put out of the way at once. But they feared the friends and relatives of these men and the leaning of the rest of the Senate toward them, and especially they feared Decimus Brutus, who had been chosen by Caesar governor of Cisalpine Gaul, which had a large army. So they decided to watch a future opportunity and to try if possible to draw over to themselves the army of Decimus, which was already disheartened by its protracted labors. Having come to this decision, Antony replied to the messengers, “We shall do nothing from private enmity, yet in consequence of the crime and of the oaths we have all sworn to Caesar, that we would either protect his person or avenge his death, a solemn regard for our oath requires us to drive out the guilty and to live with a smaller number of innocent men rather than that all should be liable to the divine curse. Yet for our own part, although this seems to us the proper course, we will consider the matter with you in the Senate and we will agree to whatever may be decided in common to be propitious for the city.”
124. Ἀντώνιος δὲ καὶ Λέπιδος ἐβούλοντο μὲν ἀμύνειν Καίσαρι, ὥς μοι προείρηται, εἴτε φιλίας ἕνεκα εἴτε τῶν ὀμωμοσμένων, εἴτε καὶ ἀρχῆς ὀρεγόμενοι καὶ νομίζοντες εὐμαρέστερα σφίσιν ἅπαντα ἔσεσθαι τοιῶνδε καὶ τοσῶνδε ἀνδρῶν ἀθρόως ἐκποδὼν γενομένων· τοὺς δὲ φίλους καὶ συγγενεῖς αὐτῶν ἐδεδοίκεσαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην βουλὴν ἐπιρρέπουσαν ἐς ἐκείνους, Δέκμον τε μάλιστα, τῆς ὁμόρου Κελτικῆς ᾑρημένον ὑπὸ Καίσαρος ἄρχειν, στρατὸν πολὺν ἐχούσης. ἐδόκει δὴ καραδοκεῖν ἔτι τὰ γενησόμενα καὶ τεχνάζειν εἰ δύναιντο περισπάσαι πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τὴν στρατιὰν τὴν Δέκμου, ἄθυμον ἤδη τοῖς ἀτρύτοις πόνοις γεγενημένην. οὕτω δὲ δόξαν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἀντώνιος τοὺς εἰπόντας ἠμείψατο· κατὰ μὲν ἔχθραν ἰδίαν οὐδὲν ἐργασόμεθα· ἕνεκα δὲ τοῦ μύσους καὶ ὧν Καίσαρι πάντες ὠμόσαμεν, φύλακες αὐτῷ τοῦ σώματος ἢ τιμωροὶ παθόντι τι ἔσεσθαι, εὔορκον ἦν τὸ ἄγος ἐξελαύνειν καὶ μετʼ ὀλιγωτέρων καθαρῶν βιοῦν μᾶλλον ἢ πάντας ἐνόχους ὄντας ταῖς ἀραῖς. ἀλλὰ διʼ ὑμᾶς οἷς οὕτω δοκεῖ, σκεψόμεθα μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ καὶ νομιοῦμεν εὐαγὲς ἔσεσθαι τῇ πόλει, ὅ τι ἂν κοινῇ δοκιμάσητε.
125. Thus did Antony make a safe answer. The messengers returned their thanks and went away full of hope, for they had entire confidence that the Senate would cooperate with them. Antony ordered the magistrates to have the city watched by night, stationing guards at intervals as in the daytime, and he had fires lighted throughout the city. By this means the friends of the murderers were enabled to traverse the city the whole night, going to the houses of the senators and beseeching them in behalf of these men and of the republic. On the other hand, the leaders of the colonized soldiers ran about uttering threats lest they should fail to hold the lands set apart, either already assigned or proclaimed to them. And now the more honest citizens began to recover courage when they learned how small was the number of the conspirators, and when they remembered Caesar’s merits they became much divided in opinion. That same night Caesar’s money and his official papers were transferred to Antony’s house, either because Calpurnia thought that they would be safer there or because Antony ordered it.
125. ὁ μὲν ἀσφαλῶς οὕτως ἀπεκρίνατο. οἱ δὲ χάριν τε ᾔδεσαν καὶ ἀπεχώρουν ἐν ἐλπίδι βεβαίῳ τὰ πάντα θέμενοι· τὴν γὰρ βουλὴν σφίσι συμπράξειν ἐς πάντα ἐπεποίθεσαν. ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ἐκέλευσε νυκτοφυλακεῖν τὴν πόλιν, ἐκ διαστήματος ἐν μέσῳ προκαθημένας ὥσπερ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ· καὶ ἦσαν πυραὶ πανταχοῦ κατὰ τὸ ἄστυ καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν ἔθεον ἀνὰ τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν ἐς τὰς τῶν βουλευτῶν οἰκίας οἱ τῶν ἀνδροφόνων οἰκεῖοι, παρακαλοῦντες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίου πολιτείας· ἀντιπαρέθεον δὲ καὶ οἱ τῶν κληρούχων ἡγεμόνες ἀπειλοῦντες, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῖς φυλάξει τὰς κληρουχίας τάς τε ἤδη δεδομένας καὶ τὰς ἐπηγγελμένας. ἤδη δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀστῶν ὁ καθαρώτατος λεὼς ἀνεθάρρει, τὴν ὀλιγότητα τῶν δεδρακότων πυθόμενοι· καὶ ἐς μνήμην τοῦ Καίσαρος ὑπεφέροντο καὶ ταῖς γνώμαις διῃροῦντο. τῆς δʼ αὐτῆς νυκτὸς καὶ τὰ χρήματα τοῦ Καίσαρος καὶ τὰ ὑπομνήματα τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐς τὸν Ἀντώνιον μετεκομίζετο, εἴτε τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτὰ τῆς Καίσαρος ἐξ ἐπικινδύνου τότε οἰκίας ἐς ἀκινδυνοτέραν τὴν Ἀντωνίου μεταφερούσης, εἴτε τοῦ Ἀντωνίου κελεύσαντος.
126. While these things were taking place Antony, by means of a notice sent around by night, called the Senate to meet before daybreak at the temple of Tellus, which was very near his own house, because he did not dare to go to the senate-house situated just below the Capitol, where the gladiators were aiding the conspirators, nor did he wish to disturb the city by bringing in the army. Lepidus, however, did that. As daylight was approaching the senators assembled at the temple of Tellus, including the praetor Cinna, clothed again in the robe of office which he had cast off the previous day as the gift of a tyrant. Some of the unbribed people and some of Caesar’s veterans, when they saw him, were indignant that he, although a relative of Caesar, should have been the first to slander him in a public speech, threw stones at him, pursued him, and when he had taken refuge in a house brought fagots and were about to set it on fire when Lepidus came up with his soldiers and stopped them. This was the first decided expression of opinion in favor of Caesar. The hirelings, and the murderers themselves, were alarmed by it.
126. γιγνομένων δὲ τούτων διάγραμμα νυκτὸς ἀνεγινώσκετο Ἀντωνίον τὴν βουλὴν συγκαλοῦντος ἔτι πρὸ ἡμέρας ἐς τὸ τῆς Γῆς ἱερόν, ἀγχοτάτω μάλιστα ὂν τῆς οἰκίας Ἀντωνίου· οὔτε γὰρ ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον ἐθάρρει κατελθεῖν, ὑποκείμενον τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ, τῶν μονομάχων ὄντων ἐκείνοις συνεργῶν, οὔτε στρατιὰν ἐσαγαγὼν ἐς τὴν πόλιν διαταράξαι· Λέπιδος δὲ ὅμως εἰσήγαγε. πλησιαζούσης δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας οἵ τε ἄλλοι βουλευταὶ συνέθεον ἐς τὸ τῆς Γῆς ἱερὸν καὶ Κίννας ὁ στρατηγός, αὖθις ἐπικείμενος τὴν στρατηγικὴν ἐσθῆτα, ἣν ἐχθὲς ὡς τυράννου δόντος ἐξερρίφει. θεασάμενοι δʼ αὐτόν τινες τῶν ἀδεκάστων καὶ τῶν ἐστρατευμένων τῷ Καίσαρι, διʼ ὀργῆς ἔχοντες ὅτι πρῶτος ἐπὶ τῷ Καίσαρι, καίπερ οἰκεῖος ὢν αὐτοῦ, βλασφήμως ἐδημηγόρησε, λίθοις ἔβαλλον καὶ ἐδίωκον· καὶ ἐς οἰκίαν τινὰ συμφυγόντα, ξύλα συμφέροντες, ἐμπρήσειν ἔμελλον, εἰ μὴ Λέπιδος μετὰ στρατιᾶς ἐπελθὼν ἐκώλυσε.
127. In the Senate only a small number were free from sympathy with the act of violence and indignant at the murder. Most of them sought to aid the murderers in various ways. They proposed first to invite them to be present under a pledge of safety and sit in council with them, thus changing them from criminals to judges. Antony did not oppose this because he knew they would not come; and they did not come. Then, in order to test the feeling of the Senate, some of them extolled the deed openly and without disguise, called the men tyrannicides, and proposed that they should be rewarded. Others were opposed to giving rewards, saying that the men did not want them and had not done the deed for the sake of reward, but thought that they should merely be thanked as public benefactors. Still others were opposed to thanking them and thought that it would be sufficient to grant them impunity. Such were the devices to which they resorted, and were trying to discover which of these courses the Senate would be inclined to accept first, hoping that after a little that body would be more easily led on by them to the other measures. The honester portion revolted at the murder as impious, but out of respect for the great families of the murderers would not oppose the granting of impunity, yet they were indignant at the proposal to honor them as public benefactors. Others argued that if impunity were granted it would not be fitting to refuse the most ample means of safety. When one speaker said that honoring them would be dishonoring Caesar, it was answered that it was not permissible to prefer the interests of the dead to those of the living. Another having said plainly that one of two things must be decided beforehand — either that Caesar was a tyrant or that his murderers were to be pardoned as an act of clemency — the others [Caesar’s enemies] seized upon this simple proposition and asked that an opportunity be given them of expressing themselves by vote concerning the character of Caesar, under the solemn pledge that, if they voluntarily should give their unbiased judgment, the penalty of the oath should not befall them for having previously voted Caesar’s decrees under compulsion — never willingly and never until they were in fear for their own lives, after the killing of Pompey and of numberless others besides Pompey.
127. τοῦτο μὲν δὴ πρῶτον ἔργον παρρησίας ἦρξεν ἐπὶ τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ αὐτὸ κατέδεισαν οἵ τε μισθωτοὶ καὶ οἱ σφαγεῖς αὐτοί· ἐν δὲ τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ βραχὺ μὲν ἦν τὸ καθαρεῦον σπουδῆς βιαίου καὶ ἀγανακτοῦν, οἱ δὲ πλέονες σὺν παρασκευῇ ποικίλῃ τοῖς ἀνδροφόνοις συνήργουν. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀξιοπίστως ἠξίουν καὶ παρεῖναι σφίσι καὶ συνεδρεύειν, ἐξ ὑπευθύνων ἐς κριτὰς μεταφέροντες. καὶ ὁ Ἀντώνιος οὐκ ἐκώλυεν, εἰδὼς οὐκ ἐλευσομένους· οὐδὲ ἦλθον. εἶτα ἐπὶ διαπείρᾳ τῆς βουλῆς οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν μάλα θρασέως τὸ πεπραγμένον ἐπῄνουν ἄντικρυς καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκάλουν τυραννοκτόνους καὶ γεραίρειν ἐκέλευον, οἱ δὲ τὰ μὲν γέρα περιῄρουν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνων δεομένων οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῷδε αὐτὰ πραξάντων. εὐφημεῖν δὲ μόνον αὐτοὺς ἐδικαίουν ὡς εὐεργέτας· οἱ δὲ καὶ τὴν εὐφημίαν ὑπανῄρουν καὶ φείδεσθαι μόνον αὐτῶν ἠξίουν. καὶ οἱ μὲν τάδε ἐτέχναζον καὶ περιεώρων, ὅ τι πρῶτον αὐτῶν ἐνδεξαμένη μάλιστα ἡ βουλὴ πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ κατʼ ὀλίγον εὐεπιχείρητος αὑτοῖς ἔσοιτο· οἱ δὲ καθαρώτεροι τὸ μὲν ἔργον ὡς ἄγος ἀπεστρέφοντο, αἰδοῖ δὲ μεγάλων οἴκων περισῴζειν αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐκώλυον, ἠγανάκτουν δέ, εἰ καὶ τιμήσουσιν ὡς εὐεργέτας. οἱ δὲ ἀντέλεγον μὴ χρῆναι περισῴζοντας φθονεῖν τῶν περισσῶν ἐς ἀσφάλειαν. ὡς δέ τις εἶπε τὴν τούτων τιμὴν ὕβριν Καίσαρι φέρειν, οὐκ εἴων ἔτι τὸν τεθνεῶτα τῶν περιόντων προτιθέναι. ἑτέρου δὲ ἐγκρατῶς εἰπόντος, ὅτι χρὴ δύο τῶνδε πάντως τὸ ἕτερον, ἢ Καίσαρα τύραννον προαποφαίνειν ἢ τούτους ἐξ ἐλέου περισῴζειν, τούτου μόνου δεξάμενοι τὸ λεχθὲν οἱ ἕτεροι ᾔτουν σφίσι ψῆφον ἀναδοθῆναι περὶ τοῦ Καίσαρος ἐπὶ ὅρκῳ, καὶ εἰ καθαρῶς ἐθέλουσι κρῖναι, μηδένʼ αὑτοῖς ἐπιθεάσαι τὰ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐψηφισμένα ἄρχοντι ἤδη, ὧν οὐδὲν ἑκόντας οὐδὲ πρὶν ἢ δεῖσαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν. ἀνῃρημένου τε Πομπηίου καὶ ἐπὶ Πομπηίῳ μυρίων ἄλλων, ψηφίσασθαι.
128. When Antony, who had been looking on and waiting, saw that sufficient material for discussion had been introduced which was not open to dispute, he resolved to balk their scheme by exciting fear and anxiety for themselves. Seeing a great number of these senators themselves who had been designated by Caesar for city magistracies, priestly offices, and the command of provinces and armies (for, as he was going on a long expedition, he had appointed them for five years), Antony proclaimed silence as consul and said: “Those who are asking for a vote on the character of Caesar ought to consider in the first place that all the things done and decreed under his government and while he was the chosen ruler of the state remain in full force. If it is decided that he usurped the government by violence, his body should be cast out unburied and all his acts annulled. These acts, to speak briefly, embrace the whole earth and sea, and most of them will stand whether we like them or not, as I shall presently show. Those things which alone belong to us to decide, because they concern us alone, I will propose to you first, so that you may gain a conception of the more difficult questions from a consideration of the easier ones. Almost all of us have held office under Caesar; or do so still, having been chosen thereto by him; or will do so soon, having been designated in advance by him; for, as you know, he had disposed of the city offices, the yearly magistracies, and the command of provinces and armies for five years. If you are willing to resign these offices (for this is entirely in your power), I will put that question to you first and then I will take up the remaining ones.”
128. ὁ δὲ Ἀντώνιος ἐφορῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐφεδρεύων, ἐπειδὴ λόγων ὕλην οὐκ ἄπορον οὐδὲ ἀναμφίλογον εἶδεν ἐσφερομένην, ἔγνω τὸ ἐνθύμημα αὐτῶν οἰκείῳ φόβῳ καὶ φροντίδι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν διαχέαι. εἰδὼς οὖν τῶν βουλευτῶν αὐτῶν πολὺ πλῆθος ἔς τε τὰς ἀρχὰς τὰς ἐν ἄστει καὶ ἐς ἱερωσύνας καὶ ἐθνῶν ἢ στρατοπέδων ἡγεμονίας ὑπὸ τοῦ Καίσαρος εἰς τὸ μέλλον ᾑρημένους ʽὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ χρόνιον στρατείαν ἐξιὼν ἐπὶ πενταετὲς ᾕρητὀ, σιωπὴν ὡς ὕπατος ἐπικηρύξας ἔφη· τοῖς αἰτοῦσι περὶ Καίσαρος ψῆφον ἀνάγκη τάδε προειδέναι, ὅτι ἄρχοντος μὲν αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱρετοῦ προστάτου γενομένου τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ δεδογμένα πάντα κύρια μενεῖ, δόξαντος δʼ ἐπὶ βίᾳ τυραννῆσαι τό τε σῶμα ἄταφον τῆς πατρίδος ὑπερορίζεται καὶ τὰ πεπραγμένα πάντα ἀκυροῦται. ἔστι δέ, ὡς ὅρῳ περιλαβεῖν, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀφικνούμενα γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ βουλομένοις ἡμῖν ὑπακούσεται· καὶ δείξω μετʼ ὀλίγον. ὃ δέ ἐστι μόνον ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, ὅτι καὶ περὶ μόνων ἐστὶν ἡμῶν, τοῦτο ὑμῖν προθήσω πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων, ὡς ἂν ἐν τῷ εὐμαρεῖ τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν δυσχερεστέρων προλάβοιτε. ἡμεῖς γὰρ αὐτοὶ σχεδὸν ἅπαντες οἱ μὲν ἤρξαμεν ὑπὸ τῷ Καίσαρι, οἱ δὲ ἔτι ἄρχομεν αἱρετοὶ πρὸς ἐκείνου γενόμενοι, οἱ δὲ ἐς τὸ μέλλον ἄρχειν κεχειροτονήμεθα· ἐς γὰρ πενταετες, ὡς ἴστε, καὶ τὰ ἀστικὰ ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ ἐτήσια τὰς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἢ στρατοπέδων ἡγεμονίας διετάξατο. εἰ δὴ ταῦτα ὑμεῖς ἑκόντες ἀποθήσεσθε ʽἐστὲ γὰρ ὑμεῖς τοῦδε μάλιστα κύριοἰ, τόδε πρῶτον ὑμᾶς ἀξιῶ κρῖναι· καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐποίσω.
129. Having lighted this kind of a firebrand among them, not in reference to Caesar, but to themselves, Antony relapsed into silence. They rose immediately en masse, and with loud clamor protested against new elections or submitting their claims to the people. They preferred to keep a firm hold on what they possessed. Some were opposed to new elections because they were not of lawful age, or for some other unavowed reason, and among these was the consul Dolabella himself, who could not legally stand for an election to that office as he was only twenty-five years old. Although he had pretended yesterday that he had a share in the conspiracy, a sudden change came over him, and now he reviled the majority for seeking to confer honor on murderers and dishonoring their own magistrates under the pretext of securing the safety of the former. Some encouraged Dolabella himself and the other magistrates to believe that they would obtain for them the same positions from the people’s gratitude without any change of officers, but simply by the more legal method of election in place of monarchical appointment, and that it would be an additional honor to them to hold the same places under the monarchy and the republic. While these speakers were still talking some of the praetors, in order to ensnare the opposing faction, laid aside their robes of office as if they were about to exchange them for a more legal title to their places, in common with the others; but the others did not fall into the trap. They knew that these men could not control the future election.
129. ὁ μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτον αὐτοῖς οὐ περ Καίσαρος, ἀλλὰ περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν δαλὸν ἐξάψας ἡσύχαζεν· οἱ δʼ εὐθὺς ἀνεπήδων ἀθρόοι μετὰ βοῆς, οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες ἐπὶ χειροτονίαις ἄλλαις οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τῷ δήμῳ γενέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ βεβαίως ἔχειν, ἃ ἔλαβον. τοῖς δὲ καὶ ἡλικίας τι νεώτερον ἢ ἄλλη πρὸς χειροτονίαν ἐναντίωσις ὑποῦσα ἀνηρέθιζε. καὶ τῶνδε αὐτὸς ὁ ὕπατος ἐξῆρχε Δολοβέλλας· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ δυνατὸν ἐφαίνετο κατʼ ἔννομον χειροτονίαν ὑπατεῦσαι, πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν ἐνιαυτῶν ὄντι. ὀξεῖα δὴ τοῦ χθὲς ὑποκριναμένου μετασχεῖν τῶν γεγονότων ἐγίγνετο μεταβολή, λοιδορουμένου τοῖς πολλοῖς, εἰ τοὺς ἀνδροφόνους τιμᾶν ἀξιοῦντες τοὺς ἄρχοντας σφῶν ἀτιμώσουσιν ἐς εὐπρέπειαν τῆς ἐκείνων σωτηρίας. οἱ δὲ αὐτόν τε τὸν Δολοβέλλαν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπήλπιζον χάριν ἐκ τοῦ δήμου λαβόντες ἐς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀρχὰς ἀποφανεῖν αὐτίκα καὶ οὐκ ἀρχόντων ἀλλαγήν, ἀλλὰ μόνης ἔσεσθαι χειροτονίας ἐπὶ τὸ νομιμώτερον ἐκ τοῦ μοναρχικοῦ· ὃ καὶ κόσμον αὐτοῖς οἴσειν ἔν τε μοναρχίᾳ καὶ δημοκρατίᾳ τὰ ὅμοια προτιμωμένοις. καὶ τούτων ἔτι λεγομένων ἔνιοι τῶν στρατηγῶν τὰς ἐσθῆτας ἐπὶ ἐνέδρᾳ τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων ἀπετίθεντο, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτὰς ἀντιληψόμενοι νομιμώτερον. τοῖς δὲ ἥ τε ἐνέδρα κατεφαίνετο, καὶ οὐδὲ κυρίους ἔτι τῆσδε τῆς χειροτονίας ἐσομένους ᾔδεσαν.
130. While affairs were proceeding thus, Antony and Lepidus went out of the Senate, having been called for by a crowd that had been assembling for some time. When they were perceived in an elevated place, and the shouters had been with difficulty silenced, one of their number, either of his own volition or because he was prompted, called out, “Have a care lest you suffer a like fate.” Antony loosened his tunic and showed him a coat-of-mail inside, thus exciting the beholders, as though it were impossible even for consuls to be safe without arms. Some cried out that the deed must be avenged, but a greater number demanded peace. To those who called for peace Antony said, “That is what we are striving for, that it may come and be permanent, but it is hard to get security for it when so many oaths and solemnities were of no avail in the case of Caesar.” Then, turning to those who demanded vengeance, he praised them as more observant of the obligations of oaths and religion, and added, “I myself would join you and would be the first to call for vengeance if I were not the consul, who must care for what is called expedient rather than for what is just. So these people who are inside tell us. So Caesar himself perhaps thought when, for the good of the country, he spared those citizens whom he captured in war, and was slain by them.”
130. ὧδε δὲ ἔτι ἐχόντων, ὁ Ἀντώνιος καὶ ὁ Λέπιδος ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου προῆλθον· καὶ γάρ τινες αὐτοὺς ἐκ πολλοῦ συνδραμόντες ἐκάλουν ὡς δὲ ὤφθησαν ἐκ μετεώρου καὶ σιγὴ κεκραγότων μόλις ἐγίγνετο, εἷς μέν τις ἐβόησεν, εἴτε κατὰ γνώμην ἰδίαν εἴτε παρεσκευασμένος· φυλάσσεσθε παθεῖν ὅμοια. καὶ ὁ Ἀντώνιος αὐτῷ παραλύσας τι τοῦ χιτωνίσκου θώρακα ἐντὸς ἐπεδείκνυεν, ὑπερεθίζων ἄρα τοὺς ὁρῶντας ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν σῴζεσθαι χωρὶς ὅπλων οὐδὲ ὑπάτοις. ἐπιβοώντων δʼ ἑτέρων τὸ πεπραγμένον ἐπεξιέναι καὶ τῶν πλεόνων περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης παρακαλούντων, τοῖς μὲν περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἔφη· περὶ τούτου σκοποῦμεν, ὡς ἔσται τε καὶ γενομένη διαμενεῖ· δυσεύρετον γὰρ ἤδη τὸ ἀσφαλὲς αὐτῆς, ὅτι μηδὲ Καίσαρα ὤνησαν ὅρκοι τοσοίδε καὶ ἀραί. ἐς δὲ τοὺς ἐπεξιέναι παρακαλοῦντας ἐπιστραφεὶς ἐπῄνει μὲν ὡς εὐορκότερα καὶ εὐσεβέστερα αἱρουμένους καί αὐτὸς ἄν, ἔφη, συνετασσόμην ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πρῶτος ἐβόων, εἰ μὴ ὕπατος ἦν, ᾧ τοῦ λεγομένου συμφέρειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ δικαίου μέλει· ὧδε γὰρ ἡμῖν οἱ ἔνδον παραινοῦσιν. οὕτω δέ που καὶ Καῖσαρ αὐτός, οὓς εἷλε πολέμῳ τῶν πολιτῶν, διὰ τὸ συμφέρον τῆς πόλεως περισώσας ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀπέθανε.
131. When Antony had in this way worked upon both parties by turns, those who wanted to have vengeance on the murderers asked Lepidus to execute it. As Lepidus was about to speak those who were standing at a distance asked him to go down to the forum where all could hear him equally well. So he went directly there, thinking that the crowd was now changing its mind, and when he had taken his place on the rostra he groaned and wept in plain sight for some time. Then recovering himself, he said, “Yesterday I stood with Caesar here, where now I am com- pelled to ask what you wish me to do about his murder.” Many cried out “Avenge Caesar.” The hirelings shouted on the other side, “Peace for the republic.” To the latter he replied, “Agreed, but what kind of a peace do you mean? By what sort of oaths shall it be confirmed? We all swore the national oaths to Caesar and we have trampled on them — we who are considered the most distinguished of the oath-takers.” Then, turning to those who called for vengeance, he said, “Caesar, that truly sacred and revered man, has gone from us, but we hesitate to deprive the republic of those who still remain. Our conscript fathers,” he added, “are considering these matters, and this is the opinion of most of them.” They shouted again, “Avenge him yourself.” “I would like to,” he replied, “and it is right that I should do it even alone, but it is not fitting that you and I should wish to do it alone, or alone set ourselves up against them.”
131. τοιαῦτα τοῦ Ἀντωνίου παρὰ μέρος τεχνάζοντος οἱ ἀμύνειν τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἀξιοῦντες Λέπιδον ἠξίουν ἀμύνειν. Λεπίδου δέ τι μέλλοντος λέγειν, οἱ πόρρω συνεστῶτες κατελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἠξίουν, ἵνα ὁμαλῶς ἅπαντες ἐπακούσειαν. καὶ ὁ μὲν εὐθὺς ᾔει, νομίζων ἤδη τὸ πλῆθος τρέπεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔμβολα παρελθὼν ἔστενε καὶ ἔκλαιεν ἐν περιόπτῳ μέχρι πολλοῦ, ἀνενεγκὼν δέ ποτε εἶπεν· ἐνταῦθα χθὲς μετὰ Καίσαρος ἱστάμην, ἔνθα νῦν ἀναγκάζομαι ζητεῖν περὶ Καίσαρος ἀνῃρημένου, τί βούλεσθε. ἀναβοησάντων δὲ πολλῶν· ἀμύνειν σε τῷ Καίσαρι, ἀντανεβόησαν οἱ μισθωτοί. τὴν εἰρήνην τῇ πόλει. ὁ δὲ τούτοις μὲν ἔφη· βουλόμεθα. ἀλλὰ ποίαν λέγετε εἰρήνην; ἢ ποίοις ὅρκοις ἀσφαλὴς ἔσται; τοὺς μὲν γὰρ πατρίους πάντας ὠμόσαμεν Καίσαρι καὶ κατεπατήσαμεν, οἱ τῶν ὀμωμοκότων ἄριστοι εἶναι λεγόμενοι. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀμύνειν ἀξιοῦντας ἐπιστραφείς ὁ μὲν Καῖσαρ ἡμῶν, ἔφη, μεθέστηκεν, ἱερὸς τῷ ὄντι καὶ τίμιος ἀνήρ, τὴν δὲ πόλιν τοὺς ὑπολοίπους αἰδούμεθα βλάψαι. καὶ τάδε, ἔφη, σκοποῦσιν ἡμῶν οἱ πρόβουλοι, καὶ δοκεῖ τοῖς πλέοσιν. ἀνακραγόντων δὲ αὖθις· ἐπέξιθι μόνος, βούλομαι, εἶπε, καὶ εὔορκόν ἐστί μοι καὶ μόνῳ. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐμὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς βούλεσθαι δεῖ μόνους οὐδὲ μόνους ἀντιτιθέναι.
132. While Lepidus was employing such devices the hirelings, who knew that he was ambitious, praised him and offered him Caesar’s place as pontifex maximus. He was delighted. “Mention this to me later,” he said, “if you consider me worthy of it,” whereupon the mercenaries, encouraged by their offer of the priesthood, insisted still more strongly on peace. “Although it is contrary to religion and law,” he said, “I will do what you wish.” So saying he returned to the Senate, where Dolabella had consumed all the intervening time in unseemly talk about his own office. Antony, who was waiting to see what the people would do, looked at Dolabella with derision, for the two were at variance with each other. After enjoying the spectacle sufficiently and perceiving that the people would not do anything rashly, he decided, under compulsion, to extend protection to the murderers (concealing the necessity, however, and pretending to act in this way as a matter of the greatest favor), and at the same time to have Caesar’s acts ratified and his plans carried into effect by common agreement. Accordingly he commanded silence again and spoke as follows:— “Fellow-citizens, while you have been considering the case of the offenders I have not joined in the debate.
132. τοιαῦτα καὶ τοῦτον τεχνάζοντα οἱ μισθωτοὶ φιλότιμον εἰδότες ἐπῄνουν καὶ ᾑροῦντο ἐπὶ τὴν Καίσαρος ἱερωσύνην. τοῦ δὲ ἥψατο μὲν ἡ ἡδονή, μέμνησθε, δὲ ἔφη, μοι τοῦδε καὶ ὕστερον, ἂν ἄξιος εἶναι δοκῶ. μᾶλλον οὖν ἔτι παρρησίᾳ διὰ τὴν ἱερωσύνην ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης τῶν μισθωτῶν ἐνισταμένων, ἀσεβὲς μέν, ἔφη, καὶ παράνομον, ἐργάσομαι δὲ ὅμως, ὃ βούλεσθε. καὶ εἰπὼν ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον ἀνέτρεχεν, ἐν ᾧ πάντα τὸν χρόνον τόνδε ὁ Δολοβέλλας ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐνίστατο ἀσχημόνως. καὶ ὁ Ἀντώνιος, ἀναμένων ἅμα τὰ ἐν τῷ δήμῳ γιγνόμενα, σὺν γέλωτι αὐτὸν ἐφεώρα· καὶ γὰρ ἤστην διαφόρω. ὡς δὲ ἅλις ἔσχε τῆς ὄψεως καὶ οὐδʼ ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τι γεγένητο θερμότερον, τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας ἔγνω περισῴζειν ὑπὸ ἀνάγκης, ἐπικρύπτων τὴν ἀνάγκην καὶ ὡς ἐν βαρυτάτῃ χάριτι περισῴζων, τὰ δὲ τῷ Καίσαρι πεπραγμένα κυροῦν συμβόλῳ καὶ τὰ βεβουλευμένα συντελεῖν.
133. When you called for a vote on Caesar instead of on them, I had brought forward, until this moment, only one of Caesar’s acts. This one threw you into these many present controversies, and not without reason, for if we resign our offices we shall confess that we (so many and of such high rank as we are) came by them undeservedly. Consider the matters that cannot be easily controlled by us. Reckon them up by cities and provinces, by kings and princes. Almost all of these, from the rising to the setting sun, Caesar either subdued for us by force and arms, or organized by his laws, or confirmed in their allegiance by his favors and kindness. Which of these powers do you think will consent to be deprived of what they have received, unless you mean to fill the world with new wars — you who propose to spare these wretches for the sake of your exhausted country? But, omitting the more distant dangers and apprehensions, we have others not only near at hand, but even of our own household throughout Italy itself,— men who are here after receiving the rewards of victory, many of them with arms in their hands and in the same organization in which they fought, men assigned to colonies by Caesar (many thousands of whom are still in the city), — what think you they will do if they are deprived of what they have received, or expect to receive, in town and country? The past night showed you a sample. They were coursing the streets with threats against you who were supplicating in behalf of the murderers.”
133. σιωπήν τε κατακηρύξας αὖθις ἔλεγεν· ἐγὼ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἁμαρτόντων πολιτῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες ὁμότιμοι, σκεπτομένοις ὑμῖν οὐδὲν ἐπεφθεγγόμην· περὶ δὲ Καίσαρος ἀντʼ ἐκείνων ψῆφον αἰτοῦσιν ἓν ἐκ τῶν Καίσαρος ἔργων προύθηκα μέχρι νῦν, καὶ τοσούτους ἡμῖν τὸ ἓν ἀγῶνας ἤγειρεν, οὐκ ἀλόγως· εἰ γὰρ ἀποθησόμεθα τὰς ἀρχάς, ὁμολογήσομεν ἄνδρες τοσοίδε καὶ τοιοίδε ἀναξίως αὐτῶν τετυχηκέναι. ὅσα δʼ οὖν μηδὲ ἐπακούσεται ῥᾳδίως, ἐπισκέψασθε νῦν αὐτὰ καὶ συναριθμεῖτε κατά τε πόλεις καὶ κατὰ ἔθνη καὶ βασιλέας καὶ δυνάστας. πάντα γὰρ δὴ σχεδὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅσα ἐξ ἠοῦς ἐπὶ δύσιν ὁ Καῖσαρ ἡμῖν ἐχειρώσατο δυνάμει καὶ κράτει, συνεστήσατο, νόμοις καὶ χάρισι καὶ φιλανθρωπίαις βεβαιωσάμενος· ὧν τίνας ὑποστήσεσθαι δοκεῖτε ἀφαιρουμένους, ἃ ἔλαβον, εἰ μὴ πάντα ἐμπλῆσαι πολέμων ἐθέλετε, οἳ τῇ πατρίδι ὡς ἀσθενεστάτῃ μάλιστα οὔσῃ τοὺς ἐναγεῖς περισῴζειν ἀξιοῦτε; καὶ τὰ μὲν πορρωτέρω τοῖς τε δεινοῖς ἔτι καὶ τοῖς φόβοις ἀφεστηκότα ἐάσω· ἃ δὲ οὐκ ἀγχοῦ μόνον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ σύνοικα ἀνὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν αὐτήν, τοὺς τὰ νικητήρια λαβόντας καὶ κατὰ πλῆθος ἅμα τοῖς ὅπλοις, ὡς ἐστρατεύοντο, ὑπὸ τῇ αὐτῇ συντάξει συνῳκισμένους ὑπὸ Καίσαρος, ὧν ἔτι πολλαὶ μυριάδες εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, τί νομίζετε πράξειν ἀφαιρουμένους, ὧν εἰλήφασιν ἢ προσδοκῶσι λήψεσθαι πόλεών τε καὶ χωρίων; καὶ τοῦδε μὲν ὑμῖν καὶ ἡ παρελθοῦσα νὺξ τὴν εἰκόνα ἔδειξε.
134. “Think you that Caesar’s fellow-soldiers will allow his body to be dragged through the streets, dishonored, and cast away unburied — for our laws prescribe such treatment for tyrants? Will they consider the rewards they have received for their victories in Gaul and Britain secure, when he who gave them is treated with contumely? What will the Roman people themselves do? What the Italians? What ill-will of gods and men will attend you if you put ignominy upon one who advanced your dominion to shores of the ocean hitherto unknown? Will not such fickleness on our part be held in greater reprobation and condemnation if we vote to confer honor on those who have slain a consul in the senate-house, an inviolable man in a sacred place, in full senate, under the eyes of the gods, and if we dishonor one whom even our enemies honor for his bravery? I warn you to abstain from these proceedings as being sacrilegious in themselves and not in our power. I move that all the acts and intentions of Caesar be ratified and that the authors of the crime be by no means applauded (for that would be neither pious, nor just, nor consistent with the ratification of Caesar’s acts). Let them be spared, if you please, as an act of clemency only, for the sake of their families and friends, if the latter will accept it in this sense in behalf of the murderers and acknowledge it in the light of a favor.”
134. δεομένοις γὰρ ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτόντων ἀντιπαρέθεον ἐκεῖνοι μετὰ ἀπειλῆς· τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Καίσαρος συρόμενον καὶ αἰκιζόμενον καὶ ἄταφον ῥιπτούμενον ʽκαὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν νόμων τοῖς τυράννοις ἐπιτέτακταἰ περιόψεσθαι νομίζετε τοὺς ἐστρατευμένους αὐτῷ; καὶ τὰ Κελτῶν καὶ Βρεττανῶν νομιεῖν, ἃ εἰλήφασιν, ἕξειν βέβαια τοῦ δόντος ὑβριζομένου; τί δὲ τὸν δῆμον αὐτὸν ἐργάσεσθαι; τί δὲ τοὺς Ἰταλιώτας; πόσον δὲ ὑμῖν ἔσεσθαι φθόνον παρά τε ἀνδρῶν καὶ θεῶν, ἐνυβρίζουσιν ἐς τὸν ὑμῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν μέχρις ὠκεανοῦ, ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγνωστον προαγαγόντα; καὶ οὐκ ἐν αἰτίᾳ καὶ καταγνώσει μᾶλλον ἔσεσθαι τὴν τοσήνδε ἡμῶν ἀνωμαλίαν, εἰ τοὺς μὲν ὕπατον ἐν βουλευτηρίῳ καὶ ἱερὸν ἄνδρα ἐν ἱερῷ χωρίῳ, βουλῆς ἀγηγερμένης, ὑπὸ ὄψεσι θεῶν κατακανόντας τιμᾶν ἀξιώσομεν, ἀτιμοῦν δὲ τὸν καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις διʼ ἀρετὴν τίμιον; τούτων μὲν οὖν ὡς οὔτε ὁσίων οὔτε ἐφʼ ἡμῖν ὄντων προλέγω πάμπαν ἀπέχεσθαι· γνώμην δὲ ἐσφέρω τὰ μὲν πεπραγμένα καὶ βεβουλευμένα τῷ Καίσαρι πάντα κυροῦν, τοὺς δὲ ἁμαρτόντας ἐπαινεῖν μὲν οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ ʽοὐ γὰρ ὅσιον οὐδὲ δίκαιον, οὐδὲ σύμφωνον ἔτι τῷ κυροῦν τὰ Καίσαρι πεπραγμένἀ, περισῴζειν δὲ ἐξ ἐλέου μόνον, εἰ ἐθέλοιτε, διὰ τοὺς οἰκείους αὐτῶν καὶ φίλους, εἰ δὴ καὶ τόδε αὐτὸ οἵδε λαμβάνειν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ὁμολογοῖεν ἐν χάριτος μέρει.
135. When Antony had said these things with intense feeling and impetuosity, all the others remaining silent and agreeing, the following decree was passed: “There shall be no prosecution for the murder of Caesar, but all of his acts and decrees are confirmed, because this policy is deemed advantageous to the commonwealth.” The friends of the murderers insisted that those last words should be added for their security, implying that Caesar’s acts were confirmed as a measure of utility and not of justice; and in this matter Antony yielded to them. When this decree had been voted the leaders of the colonists who were present asked for another act special to themselves, in addition to the general one, in order to confirm their colonies. Antony did not oppose this, but rather intimidated the Senate to pass it. So this was adopted, and another like it concerning the colonists who had been already sent out. The Senate was thereupon dismissed, and a number of senators collected around Lucius Piso, whom Caesar had made the custodian of his will and urged him not to make the will public, and not to give the body a public funeral, lest some new disturbance should arise therefrom. As he would not yield they threatened him with a public prosecution for defrauding the people of such an amount of wealth which ought to go into the public treasury; thus giving new signs that they were suspicious of a tyranny.
135. τοιαῦτα εἰπόντος τοῦ Ἀντωνίου σὺν ἀνατάσει τε καὶ ὁρμῇ βαρυτέρᾳ, γίγνεται δόγμα, ἡσυχαζόντων ἤδη καὶ ἀγαπώντων ἁπάντων, φόνου μὲν οὐκ εἶναι δίκας ἐπὶ τῷ Καίσαρι, κύρια δὲ εἶναι τὰ πεπραγμένα αὐτῷ πάντα καὶ ἐγνωσμένα, ἐπεὶ τῇ πόλει συμφέρει. ἐβιάσαντο γὰρ τόδε ἐς ἀσφάλειαν οἱ τῶν περισῳζομένων οἰκεῖοι προστεθῆναι μάλιστα, ὡς οὐ δικαίως φυλασσόμενα μᾶλλον ἢ διὰ χρείαν. καὶ ὁ Ἀντώνιος αὐτοῖς ἐς τοῦτο ἐνέδωκεν. ἐψηφισμένων δὲ τούτων, ὅσοι τῶν κληρούχων ἡγεμόνες ἦσαν, ἠξίουν ἴδιον περὶ σφῶν ἐπὶ τῷ κοινῷ δόγμα ἕτερον γενέσθαι, βεβαιοῦν αὐτῶν τὰς κληρουχίας. καὶ οὐκ ἐκώλυεν ὁ Ἀντώνιος, ἐπιδεικνὺς τῇ βουλῇ τὸν φόβον. γίγνεται μὲν δὴ καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἕτερον αὖ περὶ τῶν ἐξιόντων ἐπὶ τὰς ἀποικίας ὅμοιον· Λεύκιον δὲ Πείσωνα, ὅτῳ τὰς διαθήκας ὁ Καῖσαρ παρετίθετο, τοῦτον ἤδη τὸν τρόπον τῆς βουλῆς διαλελυμένης τινὲς περιστάντες παρεκάλουν μήτε τὰς διαθήκας προφέρειν μήτε θάπτειν τὸ σῶμα φανερῶς, μή τι νεώτερον ἕτερον ἐκ τούτων γένοιτο. καὶ οὐ πειθόμενον ἠπείλουν ἐσαγγέλλειν, ὅτι τὸν δῆμον οὐσίαν τηλικαύτην ἀφαιροῖτο γιγνομένην κοινήν, αὖθις ἄρα ἐνσημαινόμενοι τὴν τυραννίδα.
136. Then Piso called out with a loud voice and demanded that the consuls should reconvene the senators, who were still present, which was done, and then he said: “These men who talk of having killed a tyrant are already so many tyrants over us in place of one. They forbid the burying of a Pontifex Maximus and they threaten me when I produce his will. Moreover, they intend to confiscate his property as that of a tyrant. They have ratified Caesar’s acts as regards themselves, but they annul those which relate to him. It is no longer Brutus or Cassius who do this, but those who instigated them to the murder. Of his burial you are the masters. Of his will I am, and never will I betray what has been intrusted to me unless somebody kills me also.” This speech excited clamor and indignation on all sides, and especially among those who hoped that they should obtain something from the will. It was decreed that the will should be read in public and that Caesar should have a public funeral. Thereupon the Senate adjourned.
136. ἐκβοήσας οὖν ὁ Πείσων ὅτι μέγιστον καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἔτι παροῦσάν οἱ τὴν βουλὴν ἀξιώσας συναγαγεῖν, εἶπεν· οἱ τύραννον λέγοντες ἕνα ἀνῃρηκέναι τοσοίδε ἡμῶν ἀνθʼ ἑνὸς ἤδη τυραννοῦσιν· οἳ θάπτειν με κωλύουσι τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ τὰς διαθήκας ἀπειλοῦσι προφέροντι καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν δημεύουσιν αὖθις ὡς τυράννου. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτῷ πεπραγμένα κεκύρωται· ἃ δὲ ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ κατέλιπεν, ἀκυροῦσιν, οὐ Βροῦτος ἔτι οὐδὲ Κάσσιος, ἀλλʼ οἱ κἀκείνους ἐς τόνδε τὸν ὄλεθρον ἐκριπίσαντες. τῆς μὲν οὖν ταφῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε κύριοι, τῶν δὲ διαθηκῶν ἐγώ· καὶ οὔποτε ἃ ἐπιστεύθην προδώσω, πρὶν κἀμέ τις ἐπανέλῃ. θορύβου δὲ καὶ ἀγανακτήσεως γενομένης παρὰ πάντων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν τι καὶ ἐλπιζόντων ἐκ τῶν διαθηκῶν αὑτοῖς ἔσεσθαι, τάς τε διαθήκας ἐς τὸ μέσον ἔδοξε προφέρειν καὶ θάπτειν τὸν ἄνδρα δημοσίᾳ. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖσδε ἡ βουλὴ διελύθη.