XLIII.  And are you then diligent in doing honour to Caesar’s memory?  Do you love him even now that he is dead?  What greater honour had he obtained than that of having a holy cushion, an image, a temple, and a priest?  As then Jupiter, and Mars, and Quirinus have priests, so Marcus Antonius is the priest of the god Julius.  Why then do you delay? why are not you inaugurated?  Choose a day; select some one to inaugurate you; we are colleagues; no one will refuse O you detestable man, whether you are the priest of a tyrant, or of a dead man!  I ask you then, whether you are ignorant what day this is?  Are you ignorant that yesterday was the fourth day of the Roman games in the Circus? and that you yourself submitted a motion to the people, that a fifth day should be added besides, in honour of Caesar?  Why are we not all clad in the praetexta?  Why are we permitting the honour which by your law was appointed for Caesar to be deserted?  Had you no objection to so holy a day being polluted by the addition of supplications, while you did not choose it to be so by the addition of ceremonies connected with a sacred cushion?  Either take away religion in every case, or preserve it in every case.

You will ask whether I approve of his having a sacred cushion, a temple and a priest?  I approve of none of those things.  But you, who are defending the acts of Caesar, what reason can you give for defending some, and disregarding others? unless, indeed, you choose to admit that you measure everything by your own gain, and not by his dignity.  What will you now reply to these arguments?—­(for I am waiting to witness your eloquence; I knew your grandfather, who was a most eloquent man, but I know you to be a more undisguised speaker than he was; he never harangued the people naked; but we have seen your breast, man, without disguise as you are.) Will you make any reply to these statements? will you dare to open your mouth at all?  Can you find one single article in this long speech of mine, to which you trust that you can make any answer?  However, we will say no more of what is past.

XLIV.  But this single day, this very day that now is, this very moment while I am speaking, defend your conduct during this very moment, if you can.  Why has the senate been surrounded with a belt of armed men?  Why are your satellites listening to me sword in hand?  Why are not the folding-doors of the temple of Concord open?  Why do you bring men of all nations the most barbarous, Ityreans, armed with arrows, into the forum?  He says, that he does so as a guard.  Is it not then better to perish a thousand times than to be unable to live in one’s own city without a guard of armed men?  But believe me, there is no protection in that;—­a man must be defended by the affection and good-will of his fellow citizens, not by arms.  The Roman people will take them from you, will wrest them from your hands, I wish that they may do so while we are still safe.  But however you treat us, as long