SCENE I. A plain in Syria. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 1 

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 Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS,  and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead body of PACORUS borne before him  VENTIDIUS  Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now 

 Pleased fortune does of Marcus Crassus' death 

 Make me revenger. Bear the king's son's body 

 Before our army. Thy Pacorus, Orodes, 

 Pays this for Marcus Crassus. 

 SILIUS  Noble Ventidius, 

 Whilst yet with Parthian blood thy sword is warm, 

 The fugitive Parthians follow; spur through Media, 

 Mesopotamia, and the shelters whither 

 The routed fly: so thy grand captain Antony 

 Shall set thee on triumphant chariots and 

 Put garlands on thy head. 

 VENTIDIUS  O Silius, Silius, 

 I have done enough; a lower place, note well, 

 May make too great an act: for learn this, Silius; 

 Better to leave undone, than by our deed 

 Acquire too high a fame when him we serve's away. 

 Caesar and Antony have ever won 

 More in their officer than person: Sossius, 

 One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant, 

 For quick accumulation of renown, 

 Which he achieved by the minute, lost his favour. 

 Who does i' the wars more than his captain can 

 Becomes his captain's captain: and ambition, 

 The soldier's virtue, rather makes choice of loss, 

 Than gain which darkens him. 

 I could do more to do Antonius good, 

 But 'twould offend him; and in his offence 

 Should my performance perish. 

 SILIUS  Thou hast, Ventidius, 

 that 

 Without the which a soldier, and his sword, 

 Grants scarce distinction. Thou wilt write to Antony! 

 VENTIDIUS  I'll humbly signify what in his name, 

 That magical word of war, we have effected; 

 How, with his banners and his well-paid ranks, 

 The ne'er-yet-beaten horse of Parthia 

 We have jaded out o' the field. 

 SILIUS  Where is he now? 

 VENTIDIUS  He purposeth to Athens: whither, with what haste 

 The weight we must convey with's will permit, 

 We shall appear before him. On there; pass along! 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 1 

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