He gave a sketch of Roman political history. He went
back to the secession to Mount Aventine. He spoke of the Gracchi, of
Saturninus and Glaucia, of Marius and Sylla, of Sertorius and Pompey, of
Caesar and the still unforgotten Clodius. He described the fate of Athens
and of other Grecian states into which faction had penetrated. If Rome
continued divided, the conquerors would rule over its ruins; therefore he
appealed to the two factions to forget their rivalries and to return to
peace and concord. But they must decide at once, for the signs were
already visible of a fresh conflict.
"Caesar is slain," he said. "The Capitol is occupied by the optimates, the
Forum by soldiers, and the people are full of terror. Is violence to be
again answered by more violence? These many years we have lived less like
men than like wild beasts in cycles of recurring revenge. Let us forget
the past. Let us draw a veil over all that has been done, not looking too
curiously into the acts of any man. Much may be said to show that Caesar
deserved his death, and much against those who have killed him. But to
raise the question will breed fresh quarrels; and if we are wise we shall
regard the scene which we have witnessed as a convulsion of nature which
is now at an end. Let Caesar's ordinances, let Caesar's appointments be
maintained.
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