Cicero, to his regret, was not invited. The plan was simple, and
was rapidly arranged. Caesar would attend unarmed. The senators not in the
secret would be unarmed also. The party who intended to act were to
provide themselves with poniards, which could be easily concealed in their
paper boxes. So far all was simple; but a question rose whether Caesar
only was to be killed, or whether Antony and Lepidus were to be despatched
along with him. They decided that Caesar's death would be sufficient. To
spill blood without necessity would mar, it was thought, the sublimity of
their exploit. Some of them liked Antony. None supposed that either he or
Lepidus would be dangerous when Caesar was gone. In this resolution Cicero
thought that they made a fatal mistake;[21] fine emotions were good in
their place, in the perorations of speeches and such like; Antony, as
Cicero admitted, had been signally kind to him; but the killing Caesar was
a serious business, and his friends should have died along with him. It
was determined otherwise. Antony and Lepidus were not to be touched. For
the rest, the assassins had merely to be in their places in the Senate in
good time. When Caesar entered, Trebonius was to detain Antony in
conversation at the door. The others were to gather about Caesar's chair
on pretence of presenting a petition, and so could make an end.
Pages:
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635