ABSTRACT
As we have seen, the initiative, after Caesar’s murder, did not long remain with the conspirators. Whilst they took refuge from popular anger, the surviving consul, Marcus Antonius, who, despite a frankly undistinguished early career, had been well enough regarded by Caesar to be treated as his ‘deputy’, took full advantage of the confusion to assert the continuing domination of the Caesarian faction with himself as its new leader; other Caesarians, such as Marcus Lepidus, were persuaded to support Antonius. Claiming to use Caesar’s will, Antonius made himself the centre of patronage, offered some concessions to republican sentiment, including an amnesty for the conspirators in return for the survival of Caesar’s legislative measures (acta), and thus claimed responsibility for the return of ordered government. He also ensured that after his consulship he would receive the lucrative province of Macedonia, thus inheriting the military plans that Caesar had laid in the east. Republicans, like Cicero, might rail at this, but with little political, and less military, muscle, there was little that they could do about it; Antonius had gambled, and apparently succeeded.
