The soldiery took a hand--Caesarian veterans from Ancona, old soldiers of Antonius, sent a deputation and arranged a meeting of the adversaries at Gabii, half-way between Rome and Praeneste. It was arrested by mutual distrust and an interchange of missiles. Manius produced or invented a letter from M. Antonius sanctioning war, if in defence of his dignitas. The consul marched on Rome, easily routing Lepidus. He was welcomed by the populace and by the Senate with a sincere fervor such as can have attended none of his more recent predecessors when they had liberated Rome from the domination of a faction. But L. Antonius did not hold the city for long. He advanced northward in the hope of effecting a junction.
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