88
M. ANTONY AND OCTAVIAN.
Antony seriously endeavoured to deter the young man from
accepting the inheritance, on the ground that he was yet too
young; and Atia, his mother, and L. Marcius Philippus, his
step-father, intimidated as they were, advised him to withdraw
his claims.4 But Agrippa, whose subsequent conduct is very
praiseworthy, had already become the adviser of C. Octavius,
or, as he was called henceforth, C. Julius Caesar Octavianus.
His connexion with Octavian, however, was at this time a mis-
fortune for the republic; for, had it not been for Agrippa,
Octavian would have acted quite a different part; he would
have allowed himself to be intimidated, affairs would have
taken a different turn, and Brutus would perhaps have been
obliged in the end to undertake the dictatorship, but probably
under some other name, and then have placed himself at the
head of the republic; for soon after Caesar’s death the dictator-
ship was abolished for ever.5
As Octavian discovered in Antony his principal enemy, he
attached himself to the party of his opponents, especially to
Cicero, who was perfectly pure. He could not, of course, form
any connexions with Brutus and the other murderers of his
uncle. Cicero had confidence in him, which the murderers
could not have had ; and he, in fact, allowed himself to be im-
posed upon by the deep cunning of the youth, as he was always
longing to see what he wished, and what he thought should be.
He was thus willing to see in Octavian such sentiments as he
thought salutary to the republic, and formed a friendship with
him. Octavian compelled Antony to surrender Caesar’s will,
and put himself in possession of his inheritance so far as it had
not been already disposed of by Antony, who had secreted the
greater part of the money which Caesar had collected. The
exasperation between Octavian and Antony rose very high
about this time, and each suspected the other, perhaps not
unjustly, of attempts at assassination.
The ferment at Rome had, in the meantime, increased to
such a point, that Cicero resolved to go to Greece, and spend
his time at Athens till the beginning of the following year,
when Hirtius and Pansa were to enter on their consulship, for
Hirtius was a worthy, able, and well-meaning man and a friend
4 Veil. Paterc. ii. 60; Sueton. Aug. 8, foil.
5 Cicero, Philip, i. 1. 13, ii. 36; Livy, Epit. 116; Λppian, De Bell. Civil
iii. 25; Dion Cassius, xliv. 51.
GREAT INDUSTRY OF CICERO.
89
to Cicero; Pansa was of much less consequence, and not better
than an ordinary soldier. There is no other period in Cicero’s
life in which he shewed such intellectual activity as during
that summer. He began his work De Officiis during the
greatest convulsions of the republic, which is a proof of prodi-
gious strength and self-possession: he wrote his works De
Divinatione, De Fato, the Topica, and the lost work, De
Gloria, all of which, and an enormous number of letters,
many of which are lost, were produced in that summer. I know
no other man who, at any time of his life, was so intensely
active as Ciccro then was. His activity was a consolation to
him in his grief ; and the fact of his being able to throw him-
self so completely into intellectual pursuits, is a convincing
proof of the extraordinary power of his mind : any other man
would have been crushed under the weight of his sorrows, and
the terrors of the time. Cicero, on the other hand, although
he knew all that was going on, did not allow himself to be
overpowered by it. His intention to go to Greece had not been
carried into effect, for contrary winds kept him at Ehegium.
Antony, by forced decrees of the senate, had caused the
province of Macedonia to be given to his brother Caius Anton-
ius, and that of Syria to Dolabella, who had been appointed
with him to the consulship after Caesar’s death. For himself,
Antony had reserved Cisalpine Gaul; but he, nevertheless, now
turned round, and declared himself in favour of the optimates.
He seemed all at once to have become a different man : he was
quite willing to bring about a reconciliation, and carried several
laws which breathed that spirit. Every one who knew him
was struck with amazement. Cicero, who was informed of the
change, was urgently requested by his friends to return and
become reconciled with Antony. But here he was influenced
by an unfortunate timidity. Idad he appeared in the senate at
the risk of being murdered there, and had he ventured to ad-
dress Antony as if he had confidence in him, he might have
prevented great misfortunes. Antony felt a bitter enmity to-
wards him, and hated him; but I believe that he would, not-
withstanding, have consented to a reconciliation. Cicero here
erred in allowing himself to be overcome by the just horror and
disgust he felt for Antony, by whose really detestable and pro-
fligate character he is sufficiently excused; although Antony
was not altogether without any good quality, as Cicero