ies to his
murderers. He gave his magnificent gardens beyond the Tiber to the
public, and to every Roman citizen he bequeathed the sum of 300
sesterces (between L2 and L8 sterling). When this became known a deep
feeling of sorrow for the untimely fate of their benefactor seized the
minds of the people. Their feelings were raised to the highest point two
or three days afterward, when the funeral took place. The body was to be
burned in the Campus Martius, but it was previously carried to the
forum, where Antony, according to custom, pronounced the funeral oration
over it. After relating the exploits of the great Dictator, reciting his
will, and describing his terrible death, he lifted up the blood-stained
robe which Caesar had worn in the Senate-house, and which had hitherto
covered the corpse, and pointed out the numerous wounds which disfigured
the body. At this sight a yell of indignation was raised, and the mob
rushed in every direction to tear the murderers to pieces. The
conspirators fled for their lives from the city. The poet Helvius Cinna,
being mistaken for the Praetor Cinna, one of the assassins, was
sacrificed on the spot before the mistake could be explained.

Antony was now master of Rome. Being in possession of Caesar's papers, he
was able to plead the authority of the Dictator for every thing which he
pleased. The conspirators hastened to take possession of the provinces
which Caesar had assigned to them. Dec. Brutus repaired to Cisalpine
Gaul, M. Brutus to Macedonia, and Cassius to Syria. Antony now made a
disposition of the provinces, taking Cisalpine Gaul for himself, and
giving Macedonia to his brother C. Antonius, and Syria to Dolabella.

Meantime a new actor appeared upon the stage. Octavius was at Apollonia,
a town on the coast of Illyricum, at the time of his uncle's death.
Caesar had determined to take his nephew with him in his expedition
against the Parthians, and had accordingly sent him to Apollonia, where
a camp had been formed, that he might pursue his military studies. The
soldiers now offered to follow him to Italy and avenge their leader's
death, but he did not yet venture to take this decisive step. He
determined, however, to sail at once to Italy, accompanied by only a few
friends. Upon arriving at Brundusium he heard of the will of the
Dictator, and was saluted by the soldiers as Caesar. As the adopted heir
of his uncle his proper name was now C. Julius Caesar Octavianus, and by
the