342

was so named, was the son of Caesar's sister who was married to Octavius of Velitrae of the Volscians, and having been left an orphan, he was raised by his mother. And when he grew up, he lived with Caesar, who was childless. For this reason he loved his nephew and had great hopes for him. For his mother Atia, while pregnant with him, dreamed that her entrails were being carried up to heaven and were stretched out over all the earth, and her husband on the same night seemed to see a sun rising from her womb. And just after the child was born, Nigidius Figulus, a senator, who was believed to be the best at discerning the movements of the stars, when Octavius arrived rather late at the senate, asked him the reason for his lateness. And when he said it was because of the birth of his son, he cried out that "You have begotten a master for us." And while the child was being raised in the country, an eagle, having snatched a loaf of bread from his hands, and having soared high, again returned it to him, flying down. And when he was a boy and was staying in Rome, Cicero dreamed that he saw him being let down from heaven to the Capitol by golden chains and being scourged by Jupiter. And Catulus himself also dreamed that Jupiter had cast an image of Rome into the lap of Octavius while he was still a boy. Therefore from these things Caesar, hoping for great things from him, both adopted the boy and left him his heir, and carefully educated him in rhetoric in both the Latin and the Greek language, and trained him for military campaigns and for the administration of political and governmental affairs. This Octavius, therefore, when Caesar was slain, happened to be in Apollonia, having been sent for his education. There, having learned what had happened, he crossed over to Brundisium. And having learned of Caesar's will and that the people were in turmoil, he both appropriated the name of Caesar and accepted the inheritance and took hold of affairs, being eighteen years old. And as he was entering Rome, a varied and great rainbow surrounded the entire sun, which portended the disturbance that was about to be. And having entered, he attempted to hold the office of tribune, but was prevented by Antony and his followers. But he did not keep quiet, but winning over the tribune and being brought before the people by him, he both addressed them and promised to pay immediately the donative left by Caesar, and held out to them hopes of certain other things. And so having won over the people, since a certain star then appeared from the north toward the west, which some said was a comet signifying such things as it usually does, but others attributed it to Caesar, as one enrolled in the number of the stars, taking courage, he who was formerly Octavius, but now called Caesar, and after these things, however, also Augustus, set up in the temple of Venus a bronze statue of Caesar bearing a star above its head. And as this was prevented by no one, for fear of the people, he also accomplished certain other things in honor of Caesar. But Antony was both treating this young Caesar with insolence and wronging him. Because of which things a rumor arose among the multitude, and almost everyone was exceedingly indignant. Therefore Antony, being afraid, came to a conference with him; and they seemed to have been reconciled, but again they were at variance from some suspicion. Antony therefore, seeing Caesar growing in power, attempted to draw the crowd to himself by granting them certain favors. For he was able to, being consul himself, with one of his brothers, namely Lucius, being tribune, and the other, Gaius, being praetor. And the affairs of the city were in a state of confusion. But Antony, since he was also consul, seemed to have the advantage. But Caesar was especially supported by the multitude, both on account of his father and on account of the promises he was making, but what was greater, was that they were vexed with the very powerful Antony and wished to humble him. And when Antony had departed for Brundisium to the soldiers who had crossed over from Macedonia, Caesar, on the one hand, sent friends there ahead with money, in order that they might win them over, and he himself, going as far as Campania, gathered a multitude from various

342

ὠνόμαστο, ἀδελφῆς τοῦ Καίσαρος ην υἱὸς συνοικούσης ̓Οκταβίῳ τῷ ἐκ Βελιτρῶν τῶν Οὐολουσκίδων, ἐτράφη δὲ παρὰ τῇ μητρὶ καταλειφθεὶς ὀρφανός. αὐξηθεὶς δὲ διῆγε παρὰ τῷ Καίσαρι απαιδι οντι. διὸ καὶ εστεργε τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν καὶ μεγάλας ειχεν ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὰς ἐλπίδας. η τε γὰρ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ̓Αττία ἐγκυμονοῦσα αὐτὸν εδοξε κατ' οναρ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναφέρεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἐκτετάσθαι τὴν γῆν, καὶ ὁ ἐκείνης ἀνὴρ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν νύκτα ἐδόκει ὁρᾶν ηλιον ἐκ τῆς νηδύος αὐτῆς ἀνατέλλοντα. αρτι δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς τεχθέντος, Νιγίδιος Φίγουλος βουλευτής, διαγινώσκειν τὰς τῶν ἀστέρων κινήσεις αριστα πιστευόμενος, βραδύτερον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον τοῦ ̓Οκταβίου ἀπηντηκότος, ηρετο αὐτὸν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς βραδυτῆτος. ὡς δὲ διὰ τὸν τοῦ παιδὸς τόκον ἐκεῖνος εφη, ἀνεβόησεν οτι "δεσπότην ἡμῖν ἐγέννησας." τρεφομένου δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς ἐν ἀγρῷ, ἀετὸς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἐξαρπάσας αρτον, καὶ μετεωρισθείς, αυθις ἀπέδωκεν αὐτὸν καταπτάς. παιδίσκου τε αὐτοῦ οντος καὶ ἐν ̔Ρώμῃ διατρίβοντος, εδοξεν ὁ Κικέρων καθ' υπνους ὁρᾶν αὐτὸν ἁλύσεσι χρυσαῖς ἐκ τοῦ πόλου πρὸς τὸ Καπιτώλιον καθιμώμενον καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ∆ιὸς μαστιζόμενον. Κάτουλος δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν υπνοις ἐδόκει τὸν ∆ία τῆς ̔Ρώμης εἰκόνα εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ ̓Οκτα2.376 βίου παιδὸς ετι οντος ἐμβεβληκέναι. ἐκ τούτων τοίνυν ὁ Καῖσαρ μεγάλα ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐπελπίσας εἰσεποιήσατό τε τὸν παῖδα καὶ κληρονόμον κατέλιπε, καὶ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπαίδευε λόγοις ῥητορικοῖς τῇ τε τῶν Λατίνων καὶ τῇ ̔Ελληνίδι φωνῇ, καὶ ησκει πρός τε τὰς στρατείας καὶ πρὸς πραγμάτων διοίκησιν πολιτικῶν τε καὶ ἀρχικῶν. Ουτος ουν ὁ ̓Οκτάβιος, οτε ὁ Καῖσαρ ἐσφάγη, ἐν ̓Απολλωνίᾳ ετυχεν ων, ἐπὶ παιδείᾳ σταλείς. ενθα μαθὼν τὸ συμβεβηκὸς ἐπεραιώθη πρὸς τὸ Βρεντέσιον. καὶ τάς τε διαθήκας τοῦ Καίσαρος γνοὺς καὶ ὡς ὁ δῆμος τετάρακται, τὸ ονομά τε τοῦ Καίσαρος ᾠκειώσατο καὶ τὸν κλῆρον ἐδέξατο καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ειχετο, ὀκτωκαιδεκέτης ων. εἰσιόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ̔Ρώμην ιρις πάντα τὸν ηλιον ποικίλη καὶ πολλὴ περιέσχεν, η προεδήλου τὴν μέλλουσαν εσεσθαι ταραχήν. εἰσελθὼν δὲ δημαρχῆσαι μὲν ἐπεχείρησεν, ἀλλ' ἐκωλύθη ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀντώνιον. ὁ δ' οὐχ ἡσύχασεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν δήμαρχον ὑπελθὼν καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐς τὸν δῆμον εἰσαχθεὶς ἐδημηγόρησέ τε καὶ τὴν καταλειφθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ Καίσαρος δωρεὰν εὐθὺς ἐκτίσειν ὑπέσχετο, αλλων τέ τινων αὐτοῖς ἐλπίδας ὑπέτεινε. καὶ ουτω τὸν δῆμον ἐφελκυσάμενος, ἐπεί τις ἀστὴρ τότε ἐφάνη ἐξ αρκτου πρὸς ἑσπέραν, ον οἱ μὲν κομήτην ελεγον προσημαίνοντα οιά που ειωθεν, οἱ δὲ τῷ Καίσαρι αὐτὸν ἀνετίθεσαν ὡς ἐς τὸν τῶν ἀστέρων ἀριθμὸν ἐγκατειλεγμένῳ, θαρσήσας ὁ πρῴην μὲν ̓Οκτάβιος, ηδη δὲ Καῖσαρ κληθείς, μετὰ ταῦτα μέντοι καὶ Αυγουστος, χάλκεον ἀνδριάντα τοῦ Καίσαρος ἀστέρα φέροντα ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς εἰς τὸ ̓Αφροδίσιον εστησεν. ὡς δὲ παρ' οὐδενὸς τοῦτο κεκώλυτο, φόβῳ τοῦ δήμου, καὶ αλλα τινὰ εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος διεπράξατο. 2.377 ̓Αντώνιος δὲ τὸν νέον Καίσαρα τοῦτον περιύβριζέ τε καὶ ἀδικῶν ην. δι' α ποτε θροῦς πρὸς τοῦ πλήθους ἐγένετο, καὶ σφόδρα πάντες σχεδὸν ἠγανάκτησαν. φοβηθεὶς ουν ὁ ̓Αντώνιος εἰς λόγους ηλθεν αὐτῷ· καὶ εδοξαν κατηλλάχθαι, ἀλλ' αυθις ἐξ ὑποψίας τινὸς διηνέχθησαν. ὁρῶν ουν ὁ ̓Αντώνιος τὸν Καίσαρα αὐξανόμενον, ἐπεχείρησεν εἰς ἑαυτὸν τὸν ομιλον ἐπισπάσασθαι τινὰ αὐτοῖς χαριζόμενος. ἠδύνατο γὰρ αὐτὸς ὑπατεύων, θατέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ δημαρχοῦντος, τοῦ Λουκίου δηλαδή, τοῦ δέ γε λοιποῦ τοῦ Γαΐου στρατηγοῦντος. τὰ δέ γε τῆς πόλεως ἐν ἀκαταστασίᾳ ησαν. ἐδόκει δὲ ὁ ̓Αντώνιος, ατε καὶ ὑπατεύων, πλεονεκτεῖν. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους μάλιστα ἐσπουδάζετο, καὶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα καὶ διὰ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ας ἐποιεῖτο, τὸ δὲ μεῖζον, οτι πολὺ δυναμένῳ τῷ ̓Αντωνίῳ ηχθοντο καὶ ταπεινῶσαι αὐτὸν ἐβούλοντο. ̓Αντωνίου δὲ εἰς τὸ Βρεντέσιον ἀπελθόντος πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ Μακεδονίας περαιωθέντας στρατιώτας, ὁ Καῖσαρ ἐκεῖ μὲν φίλους μετὰ χρημάτων, ινα σφᾶς σφετερίσωνται, προαπέστειλεν, αὐτὸς δὲ μέχρι Καμπανίας ἐλθὼν πλῆθος συνέλεξεν ἐκ διαφόρων