But when some began to be displeased at the killing of Caesar, they
withdrew, pretending to be in haste to reach the governorships abroad to
which they had been appointed. Cassius, who was praetor urbanus,[29] had
not yet finished his duties in connection with the Ludi Apollinares.
However, though absent he accomplished that task most brilliantly through
the medium of his fellow-praetor Antony, and did not himself sail away
from Italy at once, but lingered with Brutus in Campania, to watch the
course of events. And in their capacity as praetors they sent a certain
number of letters to Rome to the people, until such time as Caesar
Octavianus began to aspire to public position and to win the affections
of the populace. Then, in despair of the republic and fear of him, they
set sail. The Athenians gave them a splendid reception; for though they
were indeed honored by nearly everybody else for what they had done, the
inhabitants of this city voted them bronze images beside that of
Harmodius and that of Aristogeiton, as having emulated them. [-21-]
Meanwhile, learning that Caesar was making progress they neglected the
Cretans and Bithynians, to whom they were directing their course, for
among them they saw no aid forthcoming worthy the name: but they turned
to Syria and to Macedonia, which did not, to be sure, appertain to them
in the least, because they were teeming with money and troops for
the occasion. Cassius proceeded to the Syrian country, because its
inhabitants were acquainted with him and friendly as a result of his
campaign with Crassus, while Brutus united Greece and Macedonia. The
inhabitants would have followed him anywhere because of the glory of his
deeds and in the hope of similar achievements, and they were further
influenced by the fact that he had acquired numerous soldiers, some
survivors of the battle of Pharsalus, who were still at this time
wandering about in that region, and others who either by reason of
disease or because of want of discipline had been left behind from the
contingent that took the field with Dolabella. Money came to him, too,