[-1-] So perished Brutus and Cassius, slain by the swords with which they
had despatched Caesar. The rest also who had shared in the plot against
him were all except a very few destroyed, some previously, some at this
time, and some subsequently. Justice and the Divine Will seemed to sweep
onward and lead forward to such a fate the men who had killed their
benefactor, one who had attained such eminence in both excellence and
good fortune. Caesar and Antony for the moment secured an advantage over
Lepidus, because he had not shared the victory with them; yet they
were destined ere long to turn their arms against each other. It is a
difficult matter for three men or two that are equal in rank and have
come into power over such vast interests as a result of war to be of one
accord. Hence, whatever they had gained for a time while in harmony for
the purpose of the overthrow of their adversaries they now began to
set up as prizes in their rivalry with each other. They immediately
redistributed the empire, so that Spain and Numidia fell to Caesar, Gaul
and Africa to Antony; they further agreed that in case Lepidus showed any
vexation at this Africa should be evacuated for him. [-2-] This was all
they could allot between them, since Sextus was still occupying Sardinia
and Sicily, and other regions outside of Italy were in a state of
turmoil. About the peninsula itself I need say nothing, for it has always
remained a kind of choice exception in such divisions: and not even now
did they talk as if they were struggling to obtain it, but to defend it.
So, leaving these other regions to be common property, Antony took it
upon himself to settle affairs of nations that had fought against them
and to collect the money which had been offered to the soldiers in
advance: Caesar was charged with curtailing the power of Lepidus, if he
should make any hostile move, with conducting the war against Sextus, and
with assigning to those of his campaigners who had passed the age limit
the land which he had promised them; and these he forthwith dismissed.