THE ARGUMENT

This second speech was not actually spoken at all. Antonius was greatly enraged at the first speech, and summoned another meeting of the Senate for the nineteenth day of the month, giving Cicero especial notice to be present, and he employed the interval in preparing an invective against Cicero, and a reply to the first Philippic. The Senate met in the temple of Concord, but Cicero himself was persuaded not to attend by his friends, who were afraid of Antonius proceeding to actual violence against him (and indeed he brought a strong guard of armed men with him to the Senate). He spoke with the greatest fury against Cicero, charging him with having been the principal author and contriver of Caesar’s murder, hoping by this to inflame the soldiers, whom he had posted within hearing of his harangue.

Soon after this Cicero removed to a villa near Naples for greater safety, and here he composed this second Philippic, which he did not publish immediately, but contented himself at first with sending a copy to Brutus and Cassius, who were much pleased with it.