The statement was reported to the other, they held a conference, and some thought they had become reconciled. For they understood each other's feeling accurately, and, thinking it inopportune at that time to put them to the test, they tried to come to terms by making a few mutual concessions.And for some days they kept quiet; then they began to suspect each other afresh, as a result either of some actual treachery or some false calumny, as regularly happens under such conditions, and fell out again. For when men become reconciled after some great enmity they are suspicious of acts that have no significance and of many chance occurrences; in brief, they regard everything, as done on purpose and for an evil end.
その陳述は相手方へ報告され、会議が開かれ、彼らはすでに和解したのだと考えた者もいた。彼らは互いの感じていることを正確に理解し、その時点でお互いを試すようなことするのは不適切であると考えたので、お互いに少しだけ譲歩し合うことで妥協しようと試みた。そして数日間は静かに過ごした；その後、彼らはまたお互いに疑いを持ち始めた。そういう状況ではよく起こりがちなことだが、実際に裏切り行為をしたり偽りの中傷を行うという結果になり、再び仲違いした。男たちが強い反目の後に仲直りするときには、とるに足らない行為や思いがけない出来事にも疑いを抱くものだ；手短に言うと、全ての事が故意と悪意によって行われたと考えてしまうというわけだ。
Those who are neutral aggravate the trouble between them by bearing reports back and forth under the pretence of good-will and thus exasperating them still further. For there is a element which is anxious to see all those who have power at variance with one another, an element which takes delight in their enmity and joins in plots against them. And the one who has suffered from calumny is easy to deceive with words adapted to the purpose by friends whose attachment is free from suspicion. Thus it was that these men, who even before this had not trusted each other, became more estranged than ever.So Antony attempted to attract the populace to see if he could detach them from his rival and win them to himself.
中立的な立場の人たちは、好意を装って報告を送ったり返したりすることで、彼らの間のトラブルを悪化させ、さらに彼らをいらだたせた。そこには権力者たちが互いに敵対するのを見たくてたまらないという要素、権力者たちの反目を見て喜び、陰謀に加担したいという要素があるからだ。そして中傷を受けて苦しんだ人は、疑いとは何の縁もない友人からの言葉でも意図的に脚色すれば容易に騙されてしまうものだ。この男たちはまさにそういう状況だった。これより前でさえお互いに信頼し合ってはいなかったが、さらに仲が悪化していった。そしてAntonyは、ライバルから民衆を引き離して自分の方へ惹きつけ、我がものにしようと試みた。
