confluence.
Therefore they submitted, and founded the so-called Lugudunum, now known
as Lugdunum. They might have entered Italy with their arms, had they
wished, for the decrees by this time exerted a very weak influence upon
such as had troops, but, with an eye to the outcome of the war Antony was
conducting, they wished to appear to have yielded obedience to the senate
and incidentally to strengthen their position. [-51-] Indeed, Lepidus
censured Silanus severely for making an alliance with Antony, and when
the latter himself came would not hold conversation with him immediately,
but sent a despatch to the senate containing an accusation of his own
against him, and for this stand he received praise and command of the
war against Antony. Hence the first part of the time he neither admitted
Antony nor repelled him, but allowed him to be near and to associate with
his followers; he would not, however, hold a conference with him. But
when he ascertained Antony's agreement with Caesar, he then came to terms
with both of them himself. Marcus Juventius,[24] his lieutenant, learned
what was being done and at first tried to alter his purpose; then, when
he did not succeed in persuading him, he made away with himself in the
sight of the soldiers. For this the senate voted eulogies and a statue to
Juventius and a public funeral, but Lepidus they deprived of his image
which stood upon the rostra and made him an enemy. They also set a
certain day for his comrades and threatened them with war if they should
not abandon him before that day. Furthermore they changed their
clothing again,--they had resumed citizen's apparel in honor of Caesar's
consulship,--and summoned Marcus Brutus and Cassius and Sextus to proceed
against them. When the latter seemed likely to be too slow in responding,
they committed the war to Caesar, being ignorant of the conspiracy
existing. [-52-] He nominally received it, in spite of having made
his soldiers give voice to a sentiment previously mentioned,[25] but
accomplished no corresponding results. This was not because he had
formed a compact with Antony and through him with Lepidus,--little he
cared for that fact,--but because he saw they were powerful and knew
their purposes were linked by the bands of kinship, and he could not use
force with them; and besides he cherished hopes of bringing about
through them the downfall of Cassius and Brutus, who were already very
influential, and subsequently of wearin