Editing Marcus Junius Brutus (section)

=== Preparations in the East ===
The senate assigned Brutus to Crete (and Cassius to Cyrene) in early August, both small and insignificant provinces with few troops.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=140}} Later in the month, Brutus left Italy for the east.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=142}} He was acclaimed in Greece by the younger Romans there and recruited many supporters from the young Roman aristocrats being educated in Athens.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|pp=144–146}} He discussed with the governor of Macedonia handing the province over to him; while Antony in Rome allocated the province to his brother Gaius, Brutus travelled north with an army to Macedonia, buoyed by funds collected by two outgoing ''quaestores'' at the end of the year.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=243}}

In January 43, Brutus entered Macedonia with his army, and took Antony's brother Gaius captive. At the same time, the political situation in Rome turned against Antony, as Cicero was delivering his [[Phillipics]]. Over the next few months, Brutus spent his time in Greece building strength. In Italy, the senate at Cicero's urging fought against Antony at the battle of Mutina, where both consuls ([[Aulus Hirtius|Hirtius]] and [[Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus|Pansa]]) were killed.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=243}} During this time, the republicans enjoyed the support of the senate, which confirmed Brutus and Cassius' commands in Macedonia and Syria, respectively.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=150}}{{efn|Cicero made the proposal, "referring to Brutus by his official name", {{quote|"that as proconsul Quintus Caepio Brutus shall protect, defend, guard, and keep safe Macedonia, Illyricum, and the whole of Greece; that he will command the army which he himself has established and raised... and see to it that, together with his army, he be as close as possible to Italy".}}
{{harvnb|Tempest|2017|p=150}}.}}

Dolabella switched sides in 43, killing Trebonius in Syria and raising an army against Cassius.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=243}} Brutus decamped for Syria in early May, writing letters to Cicero criticising Cicero's policy to support Octavian against Antony;{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=161}} at the same time, the senate had declared Antony an enemy of the state.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|pp=243–244}} In late May, Lepidus (married to Brutus' half-sister) – possibly forced by his own troops – joined Antony against Cicero, Octavian, and the senate, leading Brutus to write to Cicero asking him to protect both his own and Lepidus' family.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=244}} The next month, Brutus' wife Porcia died.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=244}}

Cicero's policy of attempting to unify Octavian with the senate against Antony and Lepidus started to fail in May; he requested Brutus to take his forces and march to his aid in Italy in mid-June.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=166}} It seems that Brutus and Cassius in the east had substantial communications delays and failed to recognise that Antony had not been defeated, contra earlier assurances after Mutina.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=166}}{{efn|"Evidently there was little understanding in the east of the effect of Lepidus' defection [by 30 May 43] and the potential crisis awaiting Rome; likewise, in the west, the problem of Dolabella [who was posing an immediate threat to Cassius and Brutus' forces] was remote and incomprehensible". {{harvnb|Tempest|2017|p=168}}.}} Over the next few months from June to 19 August, Octavian marched on Rome and forced his election as consul.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|pp=244–245}} Shortly afterwards, Octavian and his colleague, [[Quintus Pedius]], passed the ''[[lex Pedia]]'' making the murder of a dictator retroactively illegal, and convicting Brutus and the assassins ''in absentia''.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=169}} The new consuls also lifted the senate's decrees against Lepidus and Antony, clearing the way for a general Caesarian rapprochement.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=170}} Under that law, Decimus was killed in the west some time in autumn, defeating the republican cause in the west;{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=169}} by 27 November 43, the Caesarians had fully settled their differences and passed the ''[[lex Titia]]'', forming the [[Second Triumvirate]] and instituting a series of brutal proscriptions.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=245}} The proscriptions claimed many lives, including that of Cicero.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=171}}

When news of the triumvirate and their proscriptions reached Brutus in the east, he marched across the Hellespont into Macedonia to quell rebellion and conquered a number of cities in Thrace.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=177}} After meeting Cassius in Smyrna in January 42,{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=178}} both generals also went on a campaign through southern Asia minor sacking cities which had aided their enemies.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=179}}

Brutus' depiction among certain authors, like Appian, suffered considerably from this eastern campaign, in which Brutus marched into cities like [[Xanthos|Xanthus]] enslaving their populations and plundering their wealth.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=182}} Other ancient historians, including Plutarch, take a more apologetic tone, having Brutus regret with tears the violence done; this was common ancient literary device to excuse and praise morally condemnable actions, such as pillaging.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|pp=183–184}} The campaign continued with less sacking but more coerced payments; the ancient tradition on this turn also is divided, with Appian seeing eastern willingness to surrender emerging from stories of Xanthus' destruction contra Cassius Dio and Plutarch viewing the later portions of the campaign as emblematic of Brutus' virtues of moderation, justice, and honour.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|pp=189–191}}

By the end of the campaign in Asia minor, both Brutus and Cassius were tremendously rich.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=191}} They reconvened at Sardis and marched into Thrace in August 42.{{sfn|Tempest|2017|p=193}}