When he arrived at the city his mother and Philippus and the others who were interested in him were anxious about the estrangement of the Senate from Caesar, and the decree that his murderers should not be punished, and the contempt shown him by Antony, who was then all-powerful, and had neither gone to meet Caesar's son when he was coming nor sent anybody to him. Octavian quieted their fears, saying that he would call on Antony, as the younger man on the older and the private citizen on the consul, and that he would show proper respect for the Senate. As for the decree, he said that it had been passed because nobody had prosecuted the murderers; whenever anybody should have courage to prosecute,
the Senate would lend their aid to him as enforcing the law, and the gods would do so for the justice of the cause, and Antony himself equally. If Octavian should reject the adoption, he would be false to Caesar and would wrong the people who had a share in the will.As he was finishing his remarks he burst out that honour demanded that he should not only incur danger, but even death, after he had been preferred before all others in this way by Caesar, he would show himself worthy of one who had himself braved every danger. Then he repeated the words of Achilles, which were then fresh in his mind, turning to his mother as if she were Thetis;—"Would I might die this hour, who failed to save
My comrade slain!"
After saying this he added that these words of Achilles, and especially the deed that followed, had of all things given him immortal renown; and he invoked Caesar not as a friend, but a father; not as a fellow-soldier, but a commander-in‑chief; not as one who had fallen by the law of war, but as the victim of sacrilegious murder in the senate-house.Thereupon his mother's anxiety was changed to joy, and she embraced him as alone worthy of Caesar. She checked his speaking and urged him to prosecute his designs with the favour of fortune. She advised him, however, to use art and patience rather than open boldness.
