[-38-] “This Augustus, then, whom you deemed worthy of this title for the very reasons just cited, as soon as he had freed himself from the civil wars after acting and enduring (not in a way that pleased himself) as Heaven approved, first of all preserved the lives of most of his opponents, who were survivors of the army, and thus he in no way imitated Sulla, called the Fortunate.  Not to give you a list of all of them, who does not know about Sosius, about Scaurus the brother of Sextus, and particularly about Lepidus, who lived so long a time after his defeat and continued to be high priest his whole life through?  Next he honored his companions in conflict with many great gifts, but did not allow them to act in any arrogant way or to be wanton.  You know thoroughly among others in this category both Maecenas and Agrippa, so that there is no need of my enumerating the names.  Augustus had two qualities, too, which were never united in any one else.  Some conquerors, I know, have spared their enemies and others have refused to allow their companions to give way to license.  But both sorts of behavior at once, continually without any exception, were never found in the same man.  Here is evidence.  Sulla and Marius treated as enemies even the children of those who fought against them.  Why need I cite the other less important men?  Pompey and Caesar were in general guiltless of this conduct, but permitted their friends to do not a few things that were contrary to their own principles.  But this man had each of the two virtues so fused and intermingled that to his adversaries he made defeat look like victory and to his comrades he showed a happiness in excellence.

[-39-] “After doing this and quieting by kindness all that remained of factional disputes and imposing temperance by his benefits upon the victorious military, he might as a result of this and the weapons and the money at his command have been indisputably the sole lord of everything, as, indeed, he had been made by the very course of events.  Yet he refused, and like a good physician, who takes in hand a disease-ridden body and heals it, he restored everything to you after making it well.  And to what this action amounted you can best realize from the fact that our fathers spoke in praise of Pompey and Metellus, who was formerly prominent, because they voluntarily disbanded the forces with which they had been engaged in war.  Now if they, who had but a small force and a merely temporary one and besides saw opponents who would not allow them to do otherwise,—­if they received praise for doing this,—­how could one speak fittingly of the magnanimity of Augustus?  He held all your forces, however great, he was master of all your funds, vast in amount, had no one to fear or suspect:  but whereas he might have ruled alone with the approval of all, he would not accept such a course, but laid the arms, the provinces, the money at your feet.  Wherefore you with wise insistence and proper prudence