the less published edicts and had recourse to murders.
This, too, naturally resulted in a great disturbance
and many weapons were everywhere in evidence, although
the senators had commanded that no changes should
be made before Caesar’s arrival in the city,
and Antony that no private individual in the city
should carry arms. As they paid no attention themselves,
however, to these orders, but resorted to all kinds
of measures against each other and against the men
just mentioned, there arose a third dispute between
Antony and the senate. In order to have it thought
that that body had allowed him weapons and the authority
that resulted from them (which he had been overready
to usurp) he got the privilege of keeping soldiers
within the wall and of helping the tribunes in maintaining
a guard over the city. After this Antony did
whatever he desired with a kind of legal right, and
Dolabella and Trebellius were nominally guilty of violence:
but their effrontery and resources led them to resist
both each other and him as if they too had received
some position of command from the senate. [-30-] Meanwhile
Antony learned that the legions which Caesar after
the battle had sent ahead into Italy, as if to indicate
that he would follow them, were engaged in doubtful
proceedings; and in fear of some insurrection from
that quarter he turned over the charge of the city
to Lucius Caesar, appointing him praefectus urbi, an
office never before conferred by a master of the horse.
He himself set out to the soldiers. The tribunes
that were at variance with the two despised Lucius
because of his advanced age and inflicted many outrages
upon one another and on the rest until they learned
that Caesar, having settled the affairs of Egypt,
had started for Rome. They were carrying on the
quarrel under the assumption that he would never return
again but be killed somewhere abroad by the Egyptians,
as, indeed, they kept hearing. When his coming
was reported they moderated their conduct for a time,
but as soon as he set out against Pharnaces they relapsed
into factional differences once more.[-31-] Antony
was unable to restrain them, and finding that his
opposition to Dolabella was obnoxious to the populace
he at first joined his party and brought charges against
Trebellius,—one being to the effect that
he was appropriating the soldiers to his own use.
Later, when he perceived that he was not esteemed
at all by the multitude, which was attached only to
Dolabella, he became vexed and changed sides.
He was especially influenced in this course by the
fact that while not sharing popular favor with the
plebeian leader he received the greatest share of blame
from the senators. So nominally he adopted a
neutral attitude toward both, but really in secret
he chose the cause of Trebellius, and cooeperated with
him among other ways by allowing him to obtain soldiers.
From this time on he made himself a spectator and
director of their contests; and they fought, seized
in turn the most advantageous points in the city, and