When Cassius was driven out of his fortifications and no longer had any camp
to go to, he ascended the hill to Philippi and took a survey of the
situation. He could not see accurately on account of the dust, nor could he
see everything, but upon discovering that his own camp was captured he
ordered Pindarus, his shield-bearer, to draw his sword and kill him. While
Pindarus delayed a messenger ran up and said that Brutus had been victorious
on the other wing and was ravaging the enemy's camp. Cassius merely
answered, "Tell him that I pray his victory may be complete." Then, turning
to Pindarus, he said, "What are you waiting for? Why do you not deliver me
from my shame?" Then, as he presented his throat, Pindarus slew him. This is
one account of the death of Cassius. Others say that as some horsemen were
approaching, bringing the good news from Brutus, he took them for enemies
and sent Titinius to find out exactly; that the horsemen pressed around
Titinius joyfully as a friend of Cassius, and at the same time uttered loud
hurrahs; that Cassius, thinking that Titinius had fallen into the hands of
enemies, said, "Have I waited to see my friend torn from me?" and that then
he withdrew to a tent with Pindarus, and Pindarus was never seen afterward.
For this reason some persons think that he killed Cassius without orders.
Cassius ended his life on his birthday, on which also the battle was fought,
and Titinius killed himself because he had been too slow.
Brutus wept over the dead body of Cassius and called him the last of the Romans, meaning that his equal in virtue would never exist again. He reproached him for haste and precipitancy, but at the same time he esteemed him happy because he was freed from cares and troubles, "which," he said, "are leading Brutus, ah, whither?" He delivered the corpse to friends to be buried secretly lest the army should be moved to tears at the sight; and himself passed the whole night, without food and without care for his own person, restoring order in Cassius' army. In the morning the enemy drew up their army in order of battle, so that they might not seem to have been beaten. Brutus, perceiving their design, exclaimed, "Let us arm also and make believe that we have suffered no defeat." So he put his forces in line, and the enemy withdrew. Brutus said to his friends, jeeringly, "They challenged us when they thought we were tired, but they dared not put us to the test."
On the same day that witnessed the battle of Philippi another great calamity
took place in the Adriatic. Domitius Calvinus was bringing two legions of
infantry on transport ships to Octavius, one of which was known as the
Martian legion, a name which had been given to it as a distinction for
bravery. He led also a prætorian cohort of about 2000 men, four
squadrons of horse, and a considerable
Some of the soldiers, and especially the Martians, who excelled in bravery, were exasperated that they should lose their lives uselessly, and so killed themselves rather than be burned to death; others leaped on board the triremes of the enemy, giving and receiving blows. Vessels half burned floated a long time, containing men perishing by fire, by hunger, and by thirst. Others, clinging to masts or planks, were thrown upon barren rocks or promontories, and of these some were saved unexpectedly. Some of them were nourished for five days by licking pitch, or chewing sails or ropes, until the waves bore them to the land. The greater part, vanquished by their misfortunes, surrendered to the enemy. Seventeen triremes surrendered, and the men in them took the oath to Murcus. Their general, Calvinus, who was believed to have perished, returned to Brundusium on his ship five days later. Such was the catastrophe that befell in the Adriatic on the same day that the battle of Philippi was fought, whether it be more fitly called a shipwreck or a naval engagement. The coincidence of the two battles caused amazement when it became known later.