coming after them will have wider sources of information
than their own. Octavian marched into Rome with his legions, and had
himself chosen Consul in conjunction with Quintius Pedius, who had also
been one of the coheirs to Caesar's will. This happened in September.
Previous to this Cicero had sent to Africa for troops; but the troops
when they came all took part with the young Caesar.

A story is told which appears to have been true, and to have assisted in
creating that enmity which at last induced Octavian to assent to
Cicero's death. He was told that Cicero had said that "the young man was
to be praised, and rewarded, and elevated!"[230] The last word,
"tollendum," has a double meaning; might be elevated to the skies--or to
the "gallows." In English, if meaning the latter, we should say that
such a man must be "put out of the way." Decimus Brutus told this to
Cicero as having been repeated by Sigulius, and Cicero answers him,
heaping all maledictions upon Sigulius. But he does not deny the words,
or their intention--and though he is angry, he is angry half in joke. He
had probably allowed himself to use the witticism, meaning little or
nothing--choosing the phrase without a moment's thought, because it
contained a double meaning. No one can conceive that he meant to imply
that young Caesar should be murdered. "Let us reward him, but for the
moment let us be rid of him." And then, too, he had in the same sentence
called him a boy. As far as evidence goes, we know that the words were
spoken. We can trust the letter from Decimus to Cicero, and the answer
from Cicero to Decimus. And we know that, a short time afterward,
Octavian, sitting in the island near Bologna with Antony, consented that
Cicero's name should be inserted in the fatal list as one of those
doomed to be murdered.

In the mean time Lepidus had taken his troops over to Antony, and Pollio
joined them soon afterward with his from Spain. After that it was hardly
to be expected that Plancus should hesitate. There has always been a
doubt whether Plancus should or should not be regarded as a traitor. He
held out longer than the others, and is supposed to have been true in
those assurances which he made to Cicero of Republican fervor. Why was
he bound to obey Cicero, who was then at Rome, sending out his orders
without official authority? While the Consuls had been alive he could
obey the Consuls; and at the Consuls' death he could for a while follow
the spir