| GRECIANS AND ROMANS | |
| | |
| and alwayes followed the souldiers, which gave them meate, | MARCUS |
| and fedde them, untill they came neare to the citie of | BRUTUS |
| Philippes: and there one daye onely before the battell, | |
| they bothe flewe awaye. Now Brutus had conquered the | |
| moste parte of all the people, and nations of that contry: | |
| but if there were any other citie or Captaine to overcome, | |
| then they made all cleere before them, and so drewe towards | |
| the coasts of Thassos. There Norbanus lying in campe in a | |
| certaine place called the straights, by another place called | |
| Symbolon: (which is a port of the sea) Cassius and Brutus | |
| compassed him in in such sort, that he was driven to forsake | |
| the place which was of great strength for him, and he was | |
| also in daunger beside to have lost all his armye. For, | |
| Octavius Caesar could not followe him bicause of his sicknes, | |
| and therefore stayed behind: whereuppon they had taken | |
| his army, had not Antonius ayde bene, which made such | |
| wonderful speede, that Brutus could scant beleve it. So | Brutus and |
| Caesar came not thether of ten daies after: and Antonius | Cassius camps |
| camped against Cassius, and Brutus on thother side against | before the |
| Caesar. The Romanes called the valley betweene both campes, | citie of Phil- |
| the Philippian fields: and there were never seene two so | ippes: against |
| great armies of the Romanes, one before the other, ready | Octavius |
| to fight. In truth, Brutus army was inferior to Octavius | Caesar, and |
| Caesars, in number of men: but for bravery and rich fumi- | Antonius. |
| ture, Brutus army farre excelled Caesars. For the most part | |
| of their armors were silver and gilt, which Brutus had boun- | Brutus soul- |
| tifully given them: although in all other things he taught | diers bravely |
| his Captaines to live in order without excesse. But for the | armed. |
| bravery of armor, and weapon, which souldiers should cary | |
| in their hands, or otherwise weare upon their backes: he thought | Brutus |
| that it was an encoragement unto them that by nature are | opinion for |
| greedy of honor, and that it maketh them also fight like | the bravery |
| devills that love to get, and be affrayd to lose: bicause | of soldiers, |
| they fight to keepe their armor and weapon, as also their | in their armor |
| goods and lands. Now when they came to muster their | and weapons. |
| armies, Octavius Caesar tooke the muster of his army | |
| within the trenches of his campe, and gave his men onely | |
| a litle corne, and five silver Drachmas to every man to | |
| sacrifice to the gods, and to pray for victory. But Brutus | |
| 219 | |