Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
for it was apparent that he had prevented a civil war, and had
composed, in the wisest and most statesman-like way, questions
of the greatest difficulty and embarrassment. But these
temperate counsels were soon swept away by the tide of popular
applause, and the prospects, if Brutus were overthrown, of being
without doubt the ruler-in-chief. As Caesar's body was
conveying to the tomb, Antony, according to the custom, was
making his funeral oration in the market; place, and, perceiving
the people to be infinitely affected with what he had said, he
began to mingle with his praises language of commiseration, and
horror at what had happened, and, as he was ending his speech,
he took the under-clothes of the dead, and held them up,
showing them stains of blood and the holes of the many stabs,
calling those that had done this act villains and bloody
murderers. All which excited the people to such indignation,
that they would not defer the funeral, but, making a pile of
tables and forms in the very market-place, set fire to it; and
everyone, taking a brand, ran to the conspirators' houses, to
attack them.
Upon this, Brutus and his whole party left the city, and
Caesar's friends joined themselves to Antony. Calpurnia,
Caesar's wife, lodged with him the best part of the property, to
the value of four thousand talents; he got also into his hands
all Caesar's papers, wherein were contained journals of all he
had done, and draughts of what he designed to do, which Antony
made good use of; for by this means he appointed what
magistrates he pleased, brought whom he would into the senate,
recalled some from exile, freed others out of prison, and all
this as ordered so by Caesar. The Romans, in mockery, gave
those who were thus benefited the name of Charonites, since, if
put to prove their patents, they must have recourse to the
papers of the dead. In short, Antony's behavior in Rome was
very absolute, he himself being consul, and his two brothers in
great place; Caius, the one, being praetor, and Lucius, the
other, tribune of the people.
While matters went thus in Rome, the young Caesar, Caesar's
niece's son, and by testament left his heir, arrived at Rome
from Apollonia, where he was when his uncle was killed. The
first thing he did was to visit Antony, as his father's friend.
He spoke to him concerning the money that was in his hands, and
reminded him of the legacy Caesar had made of seventy-five
drachmas to every Roman citizen. Antony, at first, laughing at
such discourse from so young a man, told him he wished he were
in his health, and that he wanted good counsel and good friends,
to tell him the burden of being executor to Caesar would sit
very uneasily upon his young shoulders. This was no answer to
him; and, when he persisted in demanding the property, Antony
went on treating him injuriously both in word and deed, opposed
him when he stood for the tribune's office, and, when he was
taking steps for the dedication of his father's golden chair, as
had been enacted, he threatened to send him to prison if he did
not give over soliciting the people. This made the young Caesar
apply himself to Cicero, and all those that hated Antony; by
them he was recommended to the senate, while he himself courted
the people, and drew together the soldiers from their
settlements, till Antony got alarmed, and gave him a meeting in
the Capitol, where, after some words, they came to an
accommodation.
That night Antony had a very unlucky dream, fancying that his
right hand was thunderstruck. And, some few days after, he was
informed that Caesar was plotting to take his life. Caesar
explained, but was not believed, so that the breach was now made
as wide as ever; each of them hurried about all through Italy to
engage, by great offers, the old soldiers that lay scattered in
their settlements, and to be the first to secure the troops that
still remained undischarged. Cicero was at this time the man of
greatest influence in Rome. He made use of all his art to
exasperate people against Antony, and at length persuaded the
senate to declare him a public enemy, to send Caesar the rods
and axes and other marks of honor usually given to praetors, and
to issue orders to Hirtius and Pansa, who were the consuls, to
drive Antony out of Italy. The armies engaged near Modena, and
Caesar himself was present and took part in the battle. Antony
was defeated, but both the consuls were slain. Antony, in his
flight, was overtaken by distresses of every kind, and the worst
of all of them was famine. But it was his character in
calamities to be better than at any other time. Antony, in
misfortune, was most nearly a virtuous man. It is common enough
for people, when they fall into great disasters, to discern what
is right, and what they ought to do; but there are but few who
in such extremities have the strength to obey their judgment,
either in doing what it approves or avoiding what it condemns;
and a good many are so weak as to give way to their habits all
the more, and are incapable of using their minds. Antony, on
this occasion, was a most wonderful example to his soldiers.
He, who had just quitted so much luxury and sumptuous living,
made no difficulty now of drinking foul water and feeding on
wild fruits and roots. Nay, it is related they ate the very
bark of trees, and, in passing over the Alps, lived upon
creatures that no one before had ever been willing to touch.
The design was to join the army on the other side the Alps,
commanded by Lepidus, who he imagined would stand his friend, he
having done him many good offices with Caesar. On coming up and
encamping near at hand, finding he had no sort of encouragement
offered him, he resolved to push his fortune and venture all.
His hair was long and disordered, nor had he shaved his beard
since his defeat; in this guise, and with a dark colored cloak
flung over him, he came into the trenches of Lepidus, and began
to address the army. Some were moved at his habit, others at
his words, so that Lepidus, not liking it, ordered the trumpets
to sound, that he might be heard no longer. This raised in the
soldiers yet a greater pity, so that they resolved to confer
secretly with him, and dressed Laelius and Clodius in women's
clothes, and sent them to see him. They advised him without
delay to attack Lepidus's trenches, assuring him that a strong
party would receive him, and, if he wished it, would kill
Lepidus. Antony, however, had no wish for this, but next
morning marched his army to pass over the river that parted the
two camps. He was himself the first man that stepped in, and,
as he went through towards the other bank, he saw Lepidus's
soldiers in great numbers reaching out their hands to help him,
and beating down the works to make him way. Being entered into
the camp, and finding himself absolute master, he nevertheless
treated Lepidus with the greatest civility, and gave him the title
of Father, when he spoke to him, and, though he had everything
at his own command, he left him the honor of being called
the general. This fair usage brought over to him Munatius
Plancus, who was not far off with a considerable force. Thus in
great strength he repassed the Alps, leading with him into Italy
seventeen legions and ten thousand horse, besides six legions
which he left in garrison under the command of Varius, one of
his familiar friends and boon companions, whom they used to call
by the nickname of Cotylon.
Caesar, perceiving that Cicero's wishes were for liberty, had
ceased to pay any further regard to him, and was now employing
the mediation of his friends to come to a good understanding
with Antony. They both met together with Lepidus in a small
island, where the conference lasted three days. The empire was
soon determined of, it being divided amongst them as if it had
been their paternal inheritance. That which gave them all the
trouble was to agree who should be put to death, each of them
desiring to destroy his enemies and to save his friends. But,
in the end, animosity to those they hated carried the day
against respect for relations and affection for friends; and
Caesar sacrificed Cicero to Antony, Antony gave up his uncle
Lucius Caesar, and Lepidus received permission to murder his
brother Paulus, or, as others say, yielded his brother to them.
I do not believe anything ever took place more truly savage or
barbarous than this composition, for, in this exchange of blood
for blood, they were equally guilty of the lives they
surrendered and of those they took; or, indeed, more guilty in
the case of their friends, for whose deaths they had not even
the justification of hatred. To complete the reconciliation,
the soldiery, coming about them, demanded that confirmation
should be given to it by some alliance of marriage; Caesar
should marry Clodia, the daughter of Fulvia, wife to Antony.
This also being agreed to, three hundred persons were put to
death by proscription. Antony gave orders to those that were to
kill Cicero, to cut off his head and right hand, with which he
had written his invectives against him; and, when they were
brought before him, he regarded them joyfully, actually bursting
out more than once into laughter, and when he had satiated
himself with the sight of them, ordered them to be hung up above
the speaker's place in the forum, thinking thus to insult the
dead, while in fact he only exposed his own wanton arrogance,
and his unworthiness to hold the power that fortune had given
him. His uncle Lucius Caesar, being closely pursued, took
refuge with his sister, who, when the murderers had broken into
her house and were pressing into her chamber, met them at the
door, and, spreading out her hands, cried out several times,
"You shall not kill Lucius Caesar till you first dispatch me,
who gave your general his birth;" and in this manner she
succeeded in getting her brother out of the way, and saving his
life.
This triumvirate was very hateful to the Romans, and Antony most
of all bore the blame, because he was older than Caesar, and had
greater authority than Lepidus, and withal he was no sooner
settled in his affairs, but he returned to his luxurious and
dissolute way of living. Besides the ill reputation he gained
by his general behavior, it was some considerable disadvantage
to him his living in the house of Pompey the Great, who had been
as much admired for his temperance and his sober, citizen-like
habits of life, as ever he was for having triumphed three times.
They could not without anger see the doors of that house shut
against magistrates, officers, and envoys, who were shamefully
refused admittance, while it was filled inside with players,
jugglers, and drunken flatterers, upon whom were spent the
greatest part of the wealth which violence and cruelty procured.
For they did not limit themselves to the forfeiture of the
estates of such as were proscribed, defrauding the widows and
families, nor were they contented with laying on every possible
kind of tax and imposition; but, hearing that several sums of
money were, as well by strangers as citizens of Rome, deposited
in the hands of the vestal virgins, they went and took the money
away by force. When it was manifest that nothing would ever be
enough for Antony, Caesar at last called for a division of
property. The army was also divided between them, upon their
march into Macedonia to make war with Brutus and Cassius,
Lepidus being left with the command of the city.
However, after they had crossed the sea and engaged in
operations of war, encamping in front of the enemy, Antony
opposite Cassius, and Caesar opposite Brutus, Caesar did nothing
worth relating, and all the success and victory were Antony's.