mmitted to the consuls the care
of the city, attaching to the decree the customary clause "to the end
that it suffer no harm." And since there was need of large funds for the
war, they all contributed the twenty-fifth part of the property they
owned and the senators also four asses[19] per tile of all the houses in
the city that they themselves owned or dwelt in belonging to others. The
very wealthy besides donated no little more, while many cities and
many individuals manufactured gratuitously weapons and other necessary
accoutrements for a campaign. The public treasury was at that time so
empty that not even the festivals which were due to fall during that
season were celebrated, except some small ones out of religious scruple.
[-32-] These subscriptions were given readily by those who favored Caesar
and hated Antony. The majority, however, being oppressed by the campaigns
and the taxes at once were irritated, particularly because it was
doubtful which of the two would conquer but quite evident that they would
be slaves of the conqueror. Many of those, therefore, that wished Antony
well, went straight to him, among them tribunes and a few praetors: others
remained in their places, one of whom was Calenus, but did all that they
could for him, some things secretly and other things with an open defence
of their conduct. Hence they did not change their costume immediately,
and persuaded the senate to send envoys again to Antony, among them
Cicero: in doing this they pretended that the latter might persuade him
to make terms, but their real purpose was that he should be removed from
their path. He too reflected on this possibility and becoming alarmed
would not venture to expose himself in the camp of Antony. As a result
none of the other envoys set out either.

[-33-] While this was being done portents of no small moment again
occurred, significant for the City, and for the consul Vibius himself.
In the last assembly before they set out for the war a man with the
so-called sacred disease[20] fell down while Vibius was speaking. Also a
bronze statue of him which stood at the porch of his house turned around
of itself on the day and at the hour that he started on the campaign, and
the sacrifices customary before war could not be interpreted by the seers
by reason of the quantity of blood. Likewise a man who was just then
bringing him a palm slipped in the blood which had been shed, fell, and
defiled the palm. These were the