so sorrowful, that he appeared to have been dragged back rather than to have returned, he despises him to such degree, as if he were interdicted from fire and water.  At times he says that that man who set the senate house on fire has no right to a place in the senate house.  For at this moment he is exceedingly in love with Trebellius.  He hated him some time ago, when he was opposing an abolition of debts, but now he delights in him, ever since he has seen that Trebellius himself cannot continue in safety without an abolition of debts.  For I think that you have heard, O Romans, what indeed you may possibly have seen, that the sureties and creditors of Lucius Trebellius meet every day.  Oh confidence! for I imagine that Trebellius has taken this surname, what can be greater confidence than defrauding one’s creditors? than flying from one’s house? than, because of one’s debts, being forced to go to war?  What has become of the applauses which he received on the occasion of Caesar’s triumph, and often at the games?  Where is the aedileship that was conferred on him by the zealous efforts of all good men? who is there who does not now think that he acted virtuously by accident?

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V However, I return to your love and especial delight, Lucius Antonius, who has admitted you all to swear allegiance to him.  Do you deny it? is there any one of you who does not belong to a tribe?  Certainly not.  But thirty five tribes have adopted him for their patron.  Do you again cry out against my statement?  Look at that gilt statue of him on the left what is the inscription upon it?  “The thirty five tribes to their patron.”  Is then Lucius Antonius the patron of the Roman people?  Plague take him!  For I fully assent to your outcry.  I won’t speak of this bandit whom no one would choose to have for a client, but was there ever a man possessed of such influence, or illustrious for mighty deeds, as to dare to call himself the patron of the whole Roman people, the conqueror and master of all nations?  We see in the forum a statue of Lucius Antonius, just as we see one of Quintus Tremulus, who conquered the Hernici, before the temple of Castor.  Oh the incredible impudence of the man!  Has he assumed all this credit to himself, because as a mumillo at Mylasa he slew the Thracian, his friend?  How should we be able to endure him, if he had fought in this forum before the eyes of you all?  But, however, this is but one statue.  He has another erected by the Roman knights who received horses from the state,[36] and they too inscribe on that, “To their patron”.  Who was ever before adopted by that order as its patron?  If it ever adopted any one as such, it ought to have adopted me.  What censor was ever so honoured? what imperator?  “But he distributed land among them”.  Shame on their sordid natures for accepting it! shame on his dishonesty for giving it!