[Following Octavian's proposal to name Brutus and Cassius enemies of the state]
OOctavian
My father died on this floor. Right there. Stabbed 27 times, butchered by men he called his friends. Who will tell me that is not murder? [Several soldiers enter the Senate hall as the Senators mutter angrily] Who will tell my legions, who love Caesar as I do, that that is not murder?! [the soldiers draw their swords. Silence falls] Who will speak against the motion?
[Atia has informed Octavian she has engaged a tutor for him: one of the soldiers who rescued him.]
AJAtia of the Julii
Is that it? Not the sullen Catonian one, I don't like him. The cheerful, brutish one.
OOctavian
[turning to go] Pullo.
What extraordinary names these plebs have. Pullo.
OOctavian
What's happening? Do you know?
No idea. On my command, forward!
OOctavian
Where are you going?
[The cavalry charges with Antony at their head. Agrippa looks after them longingly.]
AAgrippa
Thank you. (to troopers) You two, on me!
[Rides after Antony.]
[In the aftermath of the Battle of Phillipi]
MAMark Anthony
Breathe deep, boy. The smell of victory.
OOctavian
[disdainful] Smoke, shit and rotting flesh.
MAMark Anthony
Beautiful, isn't it?
[Regarding Mark Antony's affair with Atia and Octavia's affair with Agrippa]
So what? What if it is true, huh? What are you going to do about it? There is nothing you can do about it.
OOctavian
I shall send my women to their house... [Antony scoffs] ...where they shall remain, in seclusion, under guard until I say otherwise.
OOctavian
Silence. [to Antony] You. You shall leave this city.
OOctavian
You shall go east to your provinces, and you shall not come back.
[scoffs] Or else what, boy?
OOctavian
You shall leave this city or I shall declare that our alliance is broken. I shall have this sad story told in the Forum, I shall have it posted in every city in Italy, and you know the people are not so liberal with their wives as you are. They will say you wear cuckold's horns. They will say your wife betrayed you with a low-born pleb on my staff. You will be a figure of fun. The proles will laugh at you in the street. Your soldiers will mock you behind your back.
[By this point trembling with fury, Antony grabs Octavian's throat to throttle him but hesitates. Octavian does not flinch.]
OOctavian
[whispers] Go on, strike me. See what happens.
[Slowly, Antony releases his grip, and departs.]
Rome · 93 quotes
