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53These were the actions of the consuls and of the others at that time. I say consuls, for Antony, fearing that Dolabella would head a revolt, took him as his colleague in the consulship, although he was at first not disposed to do so, on the ground that the office did not yet belong to him. 2When, however, the excitement subsided, and Antony himself was charged with the duty of investigating the acts of Caesar’s administration and carrying out all his behests, he no longer acted with moderation, but as soon as he had got hold of the dead man’s papers, made many erasures and many substitutions, inserting laws as well as other matters. 3Moreover, he deprived some of money and offices, which in turn he gave to others, pretending that in doing so he was carrying out Caesar’s directions. Next he seized large sums of money there in Rome, and collected large sums also from private persons, communities, and kings, selling to some land, to others freedom, to others citizenship, to others exemption from taxes. 4And this was in spite of the fact that the senate had voted at first that no tablet should be set up on account of any law alleged to have been framed by Caesar (all such matters were inscribed upon bronze tablets), and that later, when he persisted, declaring that many urgent matters had been provided for by Caesar, it had ordered that all the foremost citizens should jointly determine them. 5Antony, however, paid no attention to them, and, in a word, despised Octavius, who, as a stripling and inexperienced in business, had declined the inheritance because it was troublesome and hard to manage; and thus he himself, claiming to be the heir not only of the property but also of the power of Caesar, managed everything. One of his acts was to restore some exiles. 6And since Lepidus had great power and was causing him considerable fear, he gave his daughter in marriage to this leader’s son and made arrangements to have Lepidus himself appointed high priest, so as to prevent his meddling with what he himself was doing. 7In fact, in order to carry out this plan with ease, he transferred the election of the high priest from the people back to the priests, and in company with the latter he consecrated him, performing few or none of the accustomed rites; and yet he might have secured the priesthood for himself.
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