antony-第2章

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st　place；　he　resisted　the　consul　Marcellus；　who　was　putting　under　Pompey's　orders　the　troops　who　were　already　collected；　and　was　giving　him　power　to　raise　new　levies；　he；　on　the　other　hand；　making　an　order　that　they　should　be　sent　into　Syria　to　reinforce　Bibulus；　who　was　making　war　with　the　Parthians；　and　that　no　one　should　give　in　his　name　to　serve　under　Pompey。　Next；　when　the　senators　would　not　suffer　Caesar's　letters　to　be　received　or　read　in　the　senate；　by　virtue　of　his　office　he　read　them　publicly；　and　succeeded　so　well；　that　many　were　brought　to　change　their　mind；　Caesar's　demands；　as　they　appeared　in　what　he　wrote；　being　but　just　and　reasonable。　At　length；　two　questions　being　put　in　the　senate；　the　one；　whether　Pompey　should　dismiss　his　army；　the　other；　if　Caesar　his；　some　were　for　the　former；　for　the　latter　all；　except　some　few；　when　Antony　stood　up　and　put　the　question；　if　it　would　be　agreeable　to　them　that　both　Pompey　and　Caesar　should　dismiss　their　armies。　This　proposal　met　with　the　greatest　approval；　they　gave　him　loud　acclamations；　and　called　for　it　to　be　put　to　the　vote。　But　when　the　consuls　would　not　have　it　so；　Caesar's　friends　again　made　some　few　offers；　very　fair　and　equitable；　but　were　strongly　opposed　by　Cato；　and　Antony　himself　was　commanded　to　leave　the　senate　by　the　consul　Lentulus。　So；　leaving　them　with　execrations；　and　disguising　himself　in　a　servant's　dress；　hiring　a　carriage　with　Quintus　Cassius；　he　went　straight　away　to　Caesar；　declaring　at　once；　when　they　reached　the　camp；　that　affairs　at　Rome　were　conducted　without　any　order　or　justice；　that　the　privilege　of　speaking　in　the　senate　was　denied　the　tribunes；　and　that　he　who　spoke　for　common　fair　dealing　was　driven　out　and　in　danger　of　his　life。　　　Upon　this；　Caesar　set　his　army　in　motion；　and　marched　into　Italy；　and　for　this　reason　it　is　that　Cicero　writes　in　his　Philippics　that　Antony　was　as　much　the　cause　of　the　civil　war　as　Helen　was　of　the　Trojan。　But　this　is　but　a　calumny。　For　Caesar　was　not　of　so　slight　or　weak　a　temper　as　to　suffer　himself　to　be　carried　away；　by　the　indignation　of　the　moment；　into　a　civil　war　with　his　country；　upon　the　sight　of　Antony　and　Cassius　seeking　refuge　in　his　camp　meanly　dressed　and　in　a　hired　carriage；　without　ever　having　thought　of　it　or　taken　any　such　resolution　long　before。　This　was　to　him；　who　wanted　a　pretence　of　declaring　war；　a　fair　and　plausible　occasion；　but　the　true　motive　that　led　him　was　the　same　that　formerly　led　Alexander　and　Cyrus　against　all　mankind；　the　unquenchable　thirst　of　empire；　and　the　distracted　ambition　of　being　the　greatest　man　in　the　world；　which　was　impracticable　for　him；　unless　Pompey　were　put　down。　So　soon；　then；　as　he　had　advanced　and　occupied　Rome；　and　driven　Pompey　out　of　Italy；　he　proposed　first　to　go　against　the　legions　that　Pompey　had　in　Spain；　and　then　cross　over　and　follow　him　with　the　fleet　that　should　be　prepared　during　his　absence；　in　the　meantime　leaving　the　government　of　Rome　to　Lepidus；　as　praetor；　and　the　command　of　the　troops　and　of　Italy　to　Antony；　as　tribune　of　the　people。　Antony　was　not　long　in　getting　the　hearts　of　the　soldiers；　joining　with　them　in　their　exercises；　and　for　the　most　part　living　amongst　them　and　making　them　presents　to　the　utmost　of　his　abilities；　but　with　all　others　he　was　unpopular　enough。　He　was　too　lazy　to　pay　attention　to　the　complaints　of　persons　who　were　injured；　he　listened　impatiently　to　petitions；　and　he　had　an　ill　name　for　familiarity　with　other　people's　wives。　In　short；　the　government　of　Caesar　（which；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned　himself；　had　the　appearance　of　anything　rather　than　a　tyranny）　got　a　bad　repute　through　his　friends。　And　of　these　friends；　Antony；　as　he　had　the　largest　trust；　and　committed　the　greatest　errors；　was　thought　the　most　deeply　in　fault。　　　Caesar；　however；　at　his　return　from　Spain；　overlooked　the　charges　against　him；　and　had　no　reason　ever　to　complain；　in　the　employments　he　gave　him　in　the　war；　of　any　want　of　courage；　energy；　or　military　skill。　He　himself；　going　aboard　at　Brundusium；　sailed　over　the　Ionian　Sea　with　a　few　troops　and　sent　back　the　vessels　with　orders　to　Antony　and　Gabinius　to　embark　the　army；　and　come　over　with　all　speed　to　Macedonia。　Gabinius；　having　no　mind　to　put　to　sea　in　the　rough；　dangerous　weather　of　the　winter　season；　was　for　marching　the　army　round　by　the　long　land　route；　but　Antony；　being　more　afraid　lest　Caesar　might　suffer　from　the　number　of　his　enemies；　who　pressed　him　hard；　beat　back　Libo；　who　was　watching　with　a　fleet　at　the　mouth　of　the　haven　of　Brundusium；　by　attacking　his　galleys　with　a　number　of　small　boats；　and　gaining　thus　an　opportunity；　put　on　board　twenty　thousand　foot　and　eight　hundred　horse；　and　so　set　out　to　sea。　And；　being　espied　by　the　enemy　and　pursued；　from　this　danger　he　was　rescued　by　a　strong　south　wind；　which　sprang　up　and　raised　so　high　a　sea　that　the　enemy's　galleys　could　make　little　way。　But　his　own　ships　were　driving　before　it　upon　a　lee　shore　of　cliffs　and　rocks　running　sheer　to　the　water；　where　there　was　no　hope　of　escape；　when　all　of　a　sudden　the　wind　turned　about　to　south…west；　and　blew　from　land　to　the　main　sea；　where　Antony；　now　sailing　in　security；　saw　the　coast　all　covered　with　the　wreck　of　the　enemy's　fleet。　For　hither　the　galleys　in　pursuit　had　been　carried　by　the　gale；　and　not　a　few　of　them　dashed　to　pieces。　Many　men　and　much　property　fell　into　Antony's　hands；　he　took　also　the　town　of　Lissus；　and；　by　the　seasonable　arrival　of　so　large　a　reinforcement；　gave　Caesar　great　encouragement。　　　There　was　not　one　of　the　many　engagements　that　now　took　place　one　after　another　in　which　he　did　not　signalize　himself；　twice　he　stopped　the　army　in　its　full　flight；　led　them　back　to　a　charge；　and　gained　the　victory。　So　that　now　without　reason　his　reputation；　next　to　Caesar's；　was　greatest　in　the　army。　And　what　opinion　Caesar　himself　had　of　him　well　appeared　when；　for　the　final　battle　in　Pharsalia；　which　was　to　determine　everything；　he　himself　chose　to　lead　the　right　wing；　committing　the　charge　of　the　left　to　Antony；　as　to　the　best　officer　of　all　that　served　under　him。　After　the　battle；　Caesar；　being　created　dictator；　went　in　pursuit　of　Pompey；　and　sent　Antony　to　Rome；　with　the　character　of　Master　of　the　Horse；　who　is　in　office　and　power　next　to　the　dictator；　when　present；　and　in　his　absence　the　first；　and　pretty　nearly　indeed　the　sole　magistrate。　For　on　the　appointment　of　a　dictator；　with　the　one　exception　of　the　tribunes；　all　other　magistrates　cease　to　exercise　any　authority　in　Rome。　　　Dolabella；　however；　who　was　tribune；　being　a　young　man　and　eager　for　change；　was　now　for　bringing　in　a　general　measure　for　cancelling　debts；　and　wanted　Antony；　who　was　his　friend；　and　forward　enough　to　promote　any　popular　project；　to　take　part　with　him　in　this　step。　Asinius　and　Trebellius　were　of　the　contrary　opinion；　and　it　so　happened；　at　the　same　time；　Antony　was　crossed　by　a　terrible　suspicion　that　Dolabella　was　too　familiar　with　his　wife；　and　in　great　trouble　at　this；　he　parted　with　her　（she　being　his　cousin；　and　daughter　to　Caius　Antonius；　colleague　of　Cicero）；　and；　taking　part　with　Asinius；　came　to　open　hostilities　with　Dolabella；　who　had　seized　on　the　forum；　intending　to　pass　his　law　by　force。　Antony；　backed　by　a　vote　of　the　senate　that　Dolabella　should　be　put　down　by　force　of　arms；　went　down　and　attacked　him；　killing　some　of　his；　and　losing　some　of　his　own　men；　and　by　this　action　lost　his　favour　with　the　commonalty；　while　with　the　better　class　and　with　all　well…conducted　people　his　general　course　of　life　made　him；　as　Cicero　says　absolutely　odious；　utter　disgust　being　excited　by　his　drinking　bouts　at　all　hours；　his　wild　expenses；　his　gross　amours；　the　day　spent　in　sleeping　or　walking　off　his　debauches；　and　the　night　in　banquets　and　at　theatres；　and　in　celebrating　the　nuptials　of　some　comedian　or　buffoon。　It　is　related　that；　drinking　all　night　at　the　wedding　of　Hippias；　the　comedian；　on　the　morning；　having　to　harangue　the　people；　he　came　forward；　overcharged　as　he　was；　and　vomited　before　them　all；　one　of　his　friends　holding　his　gown　for　him。　Sergius；　the　player；　was　one　of　the　friends　who　could　do　most　with　him；　also　Cytheris；　a　woman　of　the　same　trade；　whom　he　made　much　of；　and　who；　when　he　wen