Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
LV. By bringing these matters before the Senate, and often complaining
of them before the people, Cæsar excited the multitude against Antonius.
Antonius also sent and made recriminations against Cæsar. The chief
charges which Antonius made against him were, in the first place, that
though he had taken Sicily from Pompeius, he did not give him a part of
the island; second, that Cæsar had borrowed ships from him for the war
and had kept them; third, that after ejecting his colleague Lepidus from
his authority and degrading him, Cæsar kept the army and territory and
revenues that were assigned to Lepidus;[429] and, finally, that he had
distributed nearly all Italy in allotments among his own soldiers, and
had left nothing for the soldiers of Antonius. To these charges Cæsar
replied, that he had deprived Lepidus of his authority because he was
abusing it, and as to what he had acquired in war, he would share it
with Antonius, when Antonius should share Armenia with him. He further
said that the soldiers of Antonius had no claim to any share of Italy,
for that they had Media and Parthia, which they had added to the Roman
possessions by their brave conduct in war under their Imperator.
LVI. Antonius heard of this while he was tarrying in Armenia; and he
immediately gave orders to Canidius to take sixteen legions and to go
down to the sea. Himself taking Cleopatra with him went to Ephesus. Here
the navy collected from all quarters, eight hundred ships, including
merchant vessels, of which Cleopatra furnished two hundred, and twenty
thousand talents and supplies for the war for all the army. Antonius,
being persuaded by Domitius and some others, told Cleopatra to sail to
Egypt and there to wait the result of the war. But as Cleopatra feared
that there would again be a reconciliation through Octavia, she
persuaded Canidius by a large bribe to speak to Antonius about her, and
to say, that it was neither just for a woman to be kept away from the
war, who supplied so many large contributions, nor was it to the
interest of Antonius to dispirit the Egyptians, who composed a large
part of the naval force; and besides this, he did not see to which of
the kings who joined the expedition Cleopatra was inferior in
understanding, she who for a long time by herself had governed so large
a kingdom, and had long enjoyed his company, and had learned to manage
great affairs. These arguments prevailed, for it was fated that all the
power should come into Cæsar's hands; and after the forces had come
together, they sailed to Samos and enjoyed themselves there. For as
orders had been given to kings and rulers and tetrarchs and nations and
all the cities between Syria and the Mæotis and Armenia and the
Illyrians[430] to send and bring their supplies for the war, so all the
persons who assisted at theatrical entertainments were required to meet
Antonius at Samos; and while nearly all the world around was lamenting
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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