[-31-] Antony made these offers knowing well that neither of them would
be acted upon. Caesar would never have endured that the murderers of his
father should become consuls or that Antony's soldiers by receiving the
same as his own should feel still more kindly toward his rival. Nor, as a
matter of fact, were his offers ratified, but they again declared war
on Antony and gave notice to his associates to leave him, appointing a
different day. All, even such as were not to take the field, arrayed
themselves in military cloaks, and they committed to the consuls the care
of the city, attaching to the decree the customary clause "to the end
that it suffer no harm." And since there was need of large funds for the
war, they all contributed the twenty-fifth part of the property they
owned and the senators also four asses[19] per tile of all the houses in
the city that they themselves owned or dwelt in belonging to others. The
very wealthy besides donated no little more, while many cities and
many individuals manufactured gratuitously weapons and other necessary
accoutrements for a campaign. The public treasury was at that time so
empty that not even the festivals which were due to fall during that
season were celebrated, except some small ones out of religious scruple.
[-32-] These subscriptions were given readily by those who favored Caesar
and hated Antony. The majority, however, being oppressed by the campaigns
and the taxes at once were irritated, particularly because it was
doubtful which of the two would conquer but quite evident that they would
be slaves of the conqueror. Many of those, therefore, that wished Antony
well, went straight to him, among them tribunes and a few praetors: others
remained in their places, one of whom was Calenus, but did all that they
could for him, some things secretly and other things with an open defence
of their conduct. Hence they did not change their costume immediately,
and persuaded the senate to send envoys again to Antony, among them
Cicero: in doing this they pretended that the latter might persuade him