C. 44 (_a. u_. 710)]

[-26-] Brutus besides doing this had stamped upon the coins which were
being minted his own likeness and a helmet and two daggers, indicating by
this and by the inscription that in company with Cassius he had liberated
his country. At that same period Cassius had crossed over to Trebonius in
Asia ahead of Dolabella, and after securing money from him and a number
of the cavalry whom Dolabella had sent before him into Syria attached
to his cause many others of the Asiatics and Cilicians. As a result he
brought Tarcondimotus[30] and the people of Tarsus into the alliance,
though they were reluctant. For the Tarsians were so devoted to the
former Caesar (and out of regard for him to the second also) that they
had changed the name of their city to Juliopolis after him. This done,
Cassius went to Syria, and without striking a blow assumed entire
direction of the nations and the legions.

[B.C. 43 (_a. u_. 710)]

The situation in Syria at that time was this. Caecilius Bassus, a knight,
who had made the campaign with Pompey and in the retreat had arrived
at Tyre, continued to spend his time there, incognito. On 'Change. Now
Sextus was governing the Syrians, for Caesar, since he was quaestor and
also a relative of his, had entrusted to his care all Roman interests
in that quarter on the occasion of his own march from Egypt against
Pharnaces. So Bassus at first remained quiet, satisfied to be allowed to
live: when, however, some similar persons had associated themselves with
him and he had attracted to his enterprise various soldiers of Sextus
who at various times came there to garrison the city, and likewise many
alarming reports kept coming in from Africa about Caesar, he was no longer
pleased with existing circumstances but raised a rebellion, his aim being
either to help the followers of Scipio and Cato and the Pompeians or to
clothe himself in some authority. Sextus discovered him before he had
finished his preparations, but he explained that he was collecting this
body as an auxiliary force for Mithridates of Pergamum against Bosporus;
his story was believed, and he was released. So after this he forged an
epistle, which he pretended had been sent to him by Scipio, in which he
announced that Caesar had been defeated and had perished in Africa and
stated that the governorship of Syria had been assigned to him. His next
step was to use the forces he had in readiness for occupying Tyre and
from there he