4 August 44 BCE: To Mark Antony (at Rome) from Brutus and Cassius (at Naples)
Brutus and Cassius respond to Mark Antony's threats with implied threats of their own
The praetors Brutus and Cassius greet the consul Antonius.1 If you are well, good.
We have read your letter. It is very similar to your edict—insulting, threatening, not at all worthy of being sent by you to us. We, Antony, have not provoked or harmed you at all, nor did we believe that you would be surprised if, as praetors, and as men of our worth, we demanded something from the consul in an edict.2 But if you don’t think us worthy of daring to do this, allow us to be upset that not even this has been granted by you to Brutus and Cassius.
For you say that you have not complained about us holding levies and collecting money, stirring up armies and sending messengers across the sea—we even believe that you have had the best intentions in doing this—but nevertheless, we do not acknowledge any of these allegations, and we are surprised that, while you refrained from mentioning these things, you could not control your temper without throwing the death of Caesar in our faces.
However, you should consider how far it can be tolerated that it is not permissible for the praetors—for the sake of concord and freedom—to yield their rights through an edict, without the consul threatening them with armed force. Do not rely on that scaring us. It is neither right nor appropriate for us to lose spirit in the face of any danger, nor should Antony demand to have any authority over those by whose service he is a free man. If other matters encouraged us to stir up civil war, your letter would have accomplished nothing. Threats have no influence over free men. But you know well that we cannot be forced in any direction, and perhaps you are acting threateningly over this so that our considered judgement seems like fear.
We are of the opinion that we wish for you to be a great and honourable man in a free Republic. We do not provoke you towards any unfriendliness. But nevertheless, we value our freedom far above your friendship. Think hard on what you are beginning, and what you are able to sustain. Make sure to consider not how long Caesar lived, but how long he reigned. We pray to the gods that your plans are beneficial to the Republic and to yourself; if not, we hope that, while the Republic remains safe and honoured, they do you as little harm as possible.
August 4th.
Read Ad Familiares 11.3 in Latin here | Check the glossary here
Footnote borrowed from Shackleton Bailey: ‘[Brutus] and Cassius put out an edict to the effect that they we precluded from carrying out their duties as Praetors and declaring themselves ready to retire into voluntary exile. This provoked a violent counter-edict and letter from Antony, to which the Praetors replied with another edict and this letter.’
‘The terms of the initial request Brutus and Cassius made of Antony are not clear in our sources. Some scholars have suggested that the Liberators requested dispensation from their duties to go into voluntary exile: thus Gelzer, RE 10.1 (1917), 998; Shackleton Bailey (1977), 475–6. On the contrary, Ramsey (2003), 260–1, commenting on a reference to this earlier edict at Cic. Phil. 1.8, prefers to follow Denniston (1926), 76, who believed the Liberators were rather stating their intentions not to take up the grain commission. This last suggestion seems to make better sense because, as we shall see, Brutus seems to have retained his imperium and the grain commission does not seem, at this stage, to have been removed from the decree.’ (Kathryn Tempest, Brutus: The Noble Conspirator.)