38.5
and Roman forces of such size had never before encountered one another. In numbers the army of Brutus was much inferior to that of Octavius, but in the splendid decoration of its arms it presented a wonderful sight.
38.6
For most of their armour was covered with gold and silver, with which Brutus had lavishly supplied them, although in other matters he accustomed his officers to adopt a temperate and restricted regimen.
38.7
But he thought that the wealth which they held in their hands and wore upon their persons gave additional spirit to the more ambitious, and made the covetous even more warlike, since they clung to their armour as so much treasure.
39.1
Octavius and Antony now made a lustrationA solemn review, with ceremonies of purification. of their armies in their camps, and then distributed a little meal and five drachmas to every man for a sacrifice;
39.2
but Brutus and Cassius, despising their enemies’ poverty or parsimony, first made lustration of their armies in the open field, as the custom is, and then distributed great numbers of cattle for sacrifice among their cohorts, and fifty drachmas to every soldier, and thus, in the goodwill and zeal of their forces, they were at an advantage.
39.3
However, it was thought that Cassius had a baleful sign during the lustration; for the lictor brought him his wreath turned upside down.
