Antony, to be sure, hindered at that time some measures adverse to Caesar
from being passed: and Cicero hindered practically everything that was
known to be favorable to Caesar. 'But Antony obstructed,' he replies, 'the
public judgment of the senate.' Well, now, in the first place, how could
one man have had so much power? Second, if he had been condemned for
this, as is said, how could he have escaped punishment? 'Oh, he fled, he
fled to Caesar and got out of the way.' Of course you, Cicero, did not
'leave town' just now, but you fled, as in your former exile.[16] Don't
be so ready to apply your own shame to all of us. To flee is what you
did, in fear of the court, and pronouncing condemnation on yourself
beforehand. Yes, to be sure, an ordinance was passed for your recall; how
and for what reasons I do not say, but at any rate it was passed, and you
did not set foot in Italy before the recall was granted. But Antony both
went away to Caesar to inform him what had been done and returned, without
asking for any decree, and finally effected peace and friendship with him
for all those that were found in Italy. And the rest, too, would have had
a share in it, if they had not taken your advice and fled. [-12-] Now in
view of those circumstances do you dare to say he led Caesar against his
country and stirred up the civil war and became more than any one else
responsible for the subsequent evils that befell us? Not so, but you,
who gave Pompey legions that belonged to others and the command, and
undertook to deprive Caesar even of those that had been given him: it was
you, who agreed with Pompey and the consuls not to accept the offers made
by Caesar, but to abandon the city and the whole of Italy: you, who did
not see Caesar even when he entered Rome, but had run off to Pompey
and into Macedonia. Not even to him, however, did you prove of any
assistance, but you neglected what was going on, and then, when he met
with misfortune, you abandoned him. Therefore you did not aid him at the
outset on the ground that he had the juster cause, but after setting
in motion the dispute and embroiling affairs you lay in wait at a safe