[
3]
After the battle of Philippi Octavius and Antony offered a magnificent
sacrifice and awarded praise to their army. In order to provide the rewards
of victory Octavius went to Italy to divide the land among the soldiers and
to settle the colonies. He was chosen for this purpose on account of his
illness. Antony went to the nations beyond the Ægean to collect
the money that had been promised to the soldiers. They divided the provinces
among themselves as before and took those of Lepidus besides. It was
decided, at the instance of Octavius, to make Cisalpine Gaul free,
1 as the elder Cæsar had intended. Lepidus
had been accused of betraying the affairs of the triumvirate to Pompeius. It
was decided that if Octavius should find that this accusation was false
other provinces should be given to Lepidus. They dismissed from the military
service the soldiers who had served their full time, except 8000 who had
asked to remain. These they took back and divided between themselves and
formed them in prætorian cohorts. There remained to them,
including those who had come over from Brutus, eleven legions of infantry
and 14,000 horse. Of these Antony took, for his foreign expedition, six
legions and 10,000 horse. Octavius had five legions and 4000 horse, but of
these he gave two legions to Antony in exchange for others that Antony had
left in Italy under the command of Calenus. Then Octavius proceeded
toward the
Adriatic.
