Octavian's Dilemma for the Liberators

As a part of antony's political shift, he exchanged the offer of clemency for the liberators with forced exile. But whatever personal slights were inflicted on him, octavian was satisfied with having divorced antony from the senate. In september, forty four b c, in retaliation for turning against the senate, cicero aimed his considerable rhetorical artillery directly at the consul and opened fire. Cicero succeeded in turning public opinion stantony, but the orations were probably the final nail in his coffin.