by
Antony's express orders, hewed off the head and hands and carried them
to Rome. Fulvia, the widow of Clodius and now the wife of Antony, drove
her hairpin through the tongue which had denounced the iniquities of
both her husbands. The head which had given birth to the _Second
Philippic_, and the hands which had written it, were nailed to the
Rostra, the home of their eloquence. The sight and the associations
raised feelings of horror and pity in every heart. Cicero died in his
sixty-fourth year.

Brutus and Cassius left Italy in the autumn of B.C. 44 and repaired to
the provinces which had been allotted to them, though by Antony's
influence the senate had transferred Macedonia from Brutus to his own
brother Caius, and Syria from Cassius to Dolabella. C. Antonius was
already in possession of parts of Macedonia; but Brutus succeeded in
dislodging him. Meanwhile Cassius, already well known in Syria for his
successful conduct of the Parthian War, had established himself in that
province before he heard of the approach of Dolabella. This worthless
man left Italy about the same time as Brutus and Cassius, and at the
head of several legions marched without opposition through Macedonia
into Asia Minor. Here C. Trebonius had already arrived. But he was
unable to cope with Dolabella; and the latter surprised him and took him
prisoner at Smyrna. He was put to death with unseemly contumely in
Dolabella's presence. This was in February, 43; and thus two of Caesar's
murderers, in less than a year's time, felt the blow of retributive
justice. When the news of this piece of butchery reached Rome, Cicero,
believing that Octavian was a puppet in his hands, was ruling Rome by
the eloquence of his _Philippics_. On his motion Dolabella was declared
a public enemy.[81] Cassius lost no time in marching his legions into
Asia, to execute the behest of the senate, though he had been
dispossessed of his province by the senate itself. Dolabella threw
himself into Laodicea, where he sought a voluntary death.

[Footnote 81: He had divorced Tullia, the orator's daughter, before he
left Italy.]

By the end of B.C. 43, therefore, the whole of the East was in the hands
of Brutus and Cassius. But instead of making preparations for war with
Antony, the two commanders spent the early part of the year 42 in
plundering the miserable cities of Asia Minor. Brutus demanded men and
money of the Lycians; and, when they refused, he laid siege to Xanthus,
th