What did Antony say to the people at the funeral in his now famous "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" speech?

Antony called the men who had murdered Julius Caesar as "honorable men", and did not try to openly criticize or lessen the people's love and respect for Brutus and the other conspirators.

Explanation:

William Shakespeare's tragedy play "Julius Caesar" revolves around the murder of Caesar and the events that follow afterwards, the fight for power of Rome and the eventual death of the murderers themselves.

When mark Antony requested to speak to the people after the death of Julius Caesar, he was told by Brutus not to badmouth them nor instigate them in doing anything rash to the conspirators. So, when he took to the stage and addressed the people, he called the murderers "honorable men", calling Brutus "noble" and imploring to them why they feel so much love for their dead leader. He kept on repeating the words "Yet Brutus says he was ambitious", emphasizing on the very act and decision of Brutus for the fate of Caesar.