He had crossed to Brundisium and had been informed about Caesar's will and the people's second thought, he made no delay, particularly as he had large sums of money and numerous soldiers who had been sent ahead under his charge, but immediately assumed the name of Caesar, succeeded to his estate, and began to busy himself with public affairs. At the time he seemed to some to have acted recklessly and daringly in this, but later, thanks to his good fortune and the successes he achieved, he acquired a reputation for bravery for this act. For it has often happened that men who were wrong in undertaking some project have gained a reputation for good judgment, because they had the luck to gain their ends.
彼はBrundisiumへ渡り、Caesarの意思と人々の心変わりについて知らされると、躊躇せず、彼に多額のお金があり彼が指揮する多数の兵士が先遣されていたこともあり、すぐにCaesarの名の下でその意思を継ぎ、公務に精を出した。その頃彼は向こう見ずに大胆に行動しているようであったが、その後は彼の強運と達成した成功のおかげで、この行為の勇敢さについて名声を得た。プロジェクトの着手を間違った人でも結果的に目標を達成したために、良い判断のおかげで名声を得たというケースはよくあることだからからだ。
while others, who made the best possible choice, have been charged with folly because they were not fortunate enough to attain their objects.He, too, acted in a precarious and hazardous fashion; for he was only just past boyhood, being eighteen years of age, and saw that his succession to the inheritance and the family was sure to provoke jealousy and censure; yet he set out in pursuit of objects such as had led to Caesar's murder, which had not been avenged, and he feared neither the assassins nor Sulla and Antony. Nevertheless, he was not thought to have planned badly, because he proved to be successful. Heaven, however, indicated in no obscure manner all the confusion that would result to the Romans from it.
一方、できる限りの最善の選択をしたのに、運がなく目的を十分に達成できなくて愚行の責任を負わされる人もいる。彼もまた、あやふやで危険な形で行動した；その時彼は少年期を過ぎたばかりのわずか18歳の少年で、彼の遺産相続と家族が確実に嫉妬と非難を浴びるであろうことを見ていた；それにCaesarの暗殺につながった目的の達成に着手したにもかかわらず復讐されず、暗殺される心配をすることなく、SullaとAntonyを恐れることもなかった。それでも、彼の計画がまずかったと人々から考えられることはなかった。なぜなら彼は結果的に成功に導いたからだ。ああ、それにしても、ローマはうすぼんやりしたものに導かれてそうなったのではなく、全ての混乱がそう成るべくして成ったのである。
