y had levied a considerable force. Meantime four of the Epirote
legions had just landed at Brundusium, and Antony hastened to attach
them to his cause. But the largess which he offered them was only a
hundred _denaries_ a man, and the soldiers laughed in his face. Antony,
enraged at their conduct, seized the ringleaders and decimated them. But
this severity only served to change their open insolence into sullen
anger, and emissaries from Octavius were ready to draw them over to the
side of their young master. They had so far obeyed Antony as to march
northward to Ariminum, while he repaired to Rome. But as he entered the
senate house he heard that two of the four legions had deserted to his
rival, and in great alarm he hastened to the camp just in time to keep
the remainder of the troops under his standard by distributing to every
man five hundred denaries.

The persons to hold the consulship for the next year had been designated
by Caesar. They were both old officers of the Gallic army, C. Vibius
Pansa and Au. Hirtius, the reputed author of the Eighth Book of the
_History of the Gallic War_. Cicero was ready to believe that they had
become patriots, because, disgusted with the arrogance of Antony, they
had declared for Octavius and the senate. Antony began to fear that all
parties might combine to crush him. He determined, therefore, no longer
to remain inactive; and about the end of November, having now collected
all his troops at Ariminum, he marched along the AEmilian road to drive
Dec. Brutus out of Cisalpine Gaul. Decimus was obliged to throw himself
into Mutina (Modena), and Antony blockaded the place. As soon as his
back was turned, Cicero published the famous _Second Philippic_, in
which he lashed the consul with the most unsparing hand, going through
the history of his past life, exaggerating the debaucheries, which were
common to Antony with great part of the Roman youth, and painting in the
strongest colors the profligate use he had made of Caesar's papers. Its
effect was great, and Cicero followed up the blow by the following
twelve _Philippics_, which were speeches delivered in the senate house
and Forum, at intervals from December (44) to April in the next year.

Cicero was anxious to break with Antony at once, by declaring him a
public enemy. But the latter was still regarded by many senators as the
head of the Caesarean party, and it was resolved to treat with him. But
the demands of Antony were so extr