t. The triumviral army lay upon the
open plain before them, in a position rendered unhealthy by marshes;
Antony, on the right, was opposed to Cassius; Octavian, on the left,
fronted Brutus. But they were ill-supplied with provisions and anxious
for a decisive battle. The republicans, however, kept to their
intrenchments, and the other party began to suffer severely from famine.

Determined to bring on an action, Antony began works for the purpose of
cutting off Cassius from the sea. Cassius had always opposed a general
action, but Brutus insisted on putting an end to the suspense, and his
colleague yielded. The day of the attack was probably in October. Brutus
attacked Octavian's army, while Cassius assaulted the working parties of
Antony. Cassius' assault was beaten back with loss, but he succeeded in
regaining his camp in safety. Meanwhile, Messalla, who commanded the
right wing of Brutus' army, had defeated the host of Octavian, who was
still too ill to appear on the field, and the republican soldiers
penetrated into the triumvirs' camp. Presently his litter was brought in
stained with blood, and the corpse of a young man found near it was
supposed to be Octavian's. But Brutus, not receiving any tidings of the
movements of Cassius, became so anxious for his fate that he sent off a
party of horse to make inquiries, and neglected to support the
successful assaults of Messalla.

Cassius, on his part, discouraged at his ill-success, was unable to
ascertain the progress of Brutus. When he saw the party of horse he
hastily concluded that they belonged to the enemy, and retired into his
tent with his freedman Pindarus. What passed there we know not for
certain. Cassius was found dead, with the head severed from the body.
Pindarus was never seen again. It was generally believed that Pindarus
slew his master in obedience to orders; but many thought that he had
dealt a felon blow. The intelligence of Cassius' death was a heavy blow
to Brutus. He forgot his own success, and pronounced the elegy of
Cassius in the well-known words, "There lies the last of the Romans."
The praise was ill-deserved. Except in his conduct of the war against
the Parthians, Cassius had never played a worthy part.

After the first battle of Philippi it would have still been politic in
Brutus to abstain from battle. The triumviral armies were in great
distress, and every day increased their losses. Reinforcements coming to
their aid by sea were interce