Such was the course of events round Mutina.At Rome,in the absence of the consuls,Cicero took the lead by public speaking.He held frequent assemblies, procured arms by inducing the armourers to work without pay, collected money, and exacted heavy contributions from the Antonians.These paid without complaining in order to avoid calumny, until Publius Ventidius, who had served under Gaius Caesar and who was a friend of Antony, unable to endure the exactions of Cicero, betook himself to Caesar's colonies, where he was well known,and brought over two legions to Antony and hastened to Rome to seize Cicero. The consternation was extreme.They removed most of the women and children in a panic.When Ventidius learned this
Mutinaをめぐる情勢はこのような具合だった。ローマでは、執政官がいない間に、Ciceroがその話術によって主導権を握った。Ciceroはたびたび集会を開き、兵器製造者を無給で働かせることによって兵器を調達し、資金を集め、Antony派に莫大な出資を要求した。Antony派は流言を避けるため、不平も言わずに出資し、ついにGaius Caesarの下で仕えていたAntonyの友人Publius VentidiusがCiceroの強制的な取り立てに我慢できなくなり、自分の名がよく知られているCaesarの領地に赴き、2レギオンをAntonyに渡し、Ciceroを捕えるためにローマに急いだ。その狼狽ぶりは大変なものだった。彼らはほとんどの女性は子供をパニックから解放した。Ventidiusはこれを知り、
he turned his course towards Antony, but being intercepted by Octavian and Hirtius, he proceeded to Picenum, where he recruited another legion and waited to see what would happen.When Pansa was drawing near with his army, Octavian and Hirtius sent Carsuleius to him with Octavian's praetorian cohort to assist him. Antony had disdained to occupy the defile as it served no other purpose than to hinder the enemy; but, eager to fight, and having no chance to win distinction with his cavalry, because the ground was marshy and cut by ditches, he placed his two best legions in ambush in the marsh, where they were concealed by the reeds and where the road, which had been thrown up artificially, was narrow.
Antonyのところに行き先を変えたが、OctavianとHirtiusに行く手を遮られたため、Picenumに進軍し、そこで別のレギオンを徴兵し、事態の成り行きを見守った。Pansaが彼の軍隊に近づきつつあった時、OctavianとHirtiusはCarsuleiusに補佐役の近衛軍の歩兵をつけて彼のところに使いにやった。Antonyはそれは敵を妨げる以外に何の役にも立たなかったため行進に参加することを拒否したが、闘いたいという気持ちがあり、また葦で覆われた地面がぬかるみ溝で寸断されていて人工的に作られた道は狭かったため、彼の騎馬隊なくしてはかつチャンスはなかった。
Carsuleius and Pansa hurried through the defile by night. At daybreak, with only the Martian legion and five other cohorts, they entered upon the high road above mentioned, which was still free from enemies, and looked over the marsh on either side. There was a suspicious agitation of the rushes, then a gleam here and there of shield and helmet, and Antony's praetorian cohort suddenly shewed itself directly in their front. The Martian legion, surrounded on all sides and having no way to escape, ordered the new levies, if they came up, not to join in the fight lest they should cause confusion by their inexperience. The praetorians of Octavian confronted the praetorians of Antony.
CarsuleiusとPansaは狭い谷間を夜の間に急いで進んだ。明けがた、マルスのレギオンのみが5人の歩兵を従えて先に述べた高い公道に入った。そこにはまだ敵が入り込んでおらず、両側から湿地を見渡した。すると疑わしい襲撃の動きがあり、あちらこちらから盾や兜がきらりと光った。Antonyの近衛軍の歩兵は突然彼らの前に躍り出た。マルスのレギオンは四面を包囲されて逃げ場がなかったため、新兵に、君たちが来ればその未熟さから混乱が生じてはいけないから戦いに加わらないようにと命じた。Octavianの近衛兵はAntonyの近衛兵と対決した。
