Letter 177

[1] If you are well, it is well. [The opening formula, abbreviated as S.V.B.E. = si vales, bene est.] After I sent off to you the letter written jointly with Oppius, I received a letter from Caesar, a copy of which I have sent you. From it you will be able to see clearly how eager he is to restore the harmony between himself and Pompey, and how far he is from all cruelty; and I am very glad, as I ought to be, that he is of this mind. As for you, and your good faith and sense of duty, by Hercules I feel exactly as you do, my dear Cicero: that you cannot uphold your reputation and your obligation by bearing arms against the very man from whom you publicly declare you have received so great a kindness. [2] That Caesar will approve this same course I hold for certain, given his singular humanity, and I know for sure that you will satisfy him to the fullest, provided you take up no part in the war against him and are no ally to his adversaries. And he will be content with this not only in your case—a man of such quality and such standing—but he has even of his own free will granted to me that I should not be in any camp that would be ranged against Lentulus or Pompey, from whom I have received the greatest of kindnesses; and he said it was enough for him if, staying in civilian dress, I rendered him my civic services in the city—services which, if I wished, I could render to those men as well. And so now at Rome I attend to and uphold all of Lentulus's affairs, and to them I render my duty, my good faith, my devotion. But by Hercules I now think that the hope of a settlement, though already cast aside, is not utterly to be despaired of, since Caesar is of the very disposition we ought to wish for. In this matter it seems best to me, if you think it right, that you write to him and ask protection from him, just as you asked it from Pompey—with my full approval—in the days of Milo. I will guarantee, if I know Caesar well, that he will take account of your dignity sooner than of his own advantage. [3] How prudently I am writing this to you I do not know, but this I do know for certain: that whatever I write to you, I write out of singular love and goodwill, since—so may I die with Caesar safe and sound!—I value you so highly that I hold few as dear as you. When you have decided something on this matter, I should be glad if you would write to me. For I am working no little to bring it about that you may, as you wish, render your goodwill to both men—which, by Hercules, I am confident you will render. Take care of your health.

I got three letters from you on the 16th. They were dated the 12th, 13th and 14th. So I will take the earliest first. I agree with you that it is best for me to stay at Formiae. I also agree about the Adriatic. But as I wrote you before, I will strive to discover how I may be able with Caesar's goodwill to keep quite clear of politics. You praise me for saying that I forget Pompey's former misdeeds and ill-doings, but it is a fact. Nay, those very actions you call to mind, in which he did harm to me myself, have no place in my memory. I am so determined to feel gratitude for his kindness rather than resentment for injuries. Let me act then as you decree, and pull myself together. For I philosophize as I walk about my estate, and in my perambulations I do not cease to ponder my themes. But some of them are very difficult to decide. As for the loyalists, let it be as you wish. You know the old saying "Dionysius in Corinth." Titinius' son is with Caesar. You seem to fear that your advice irks me; but nothing indeed pleases me except your counsel and your letters. So do as you promise. Do not omit to write to me anything that comes into your mind; for nothing can delight me more. I turn now to your next letter. You are right not to believe the reports about the number of Pompey's soldiers. Clodia's letter made them just double. It was untrue also about the destruction of the vessels. You praise the consuls; so do I praise their courage, but I blame their policy. Their departure has destroyed the negotiations for peace, the very thing which I was contemplating. So after that I returned you Demetrius' book on Concord and gave it to Philotimus. And I have no doubt a disastrous war is imminent, which will be ushered in by famine. And here I am lamenting that I have no hand in the war, a war which will be so criminal, that though it is wicked not to support one's parents, yet our chiefs will not hesitate to destroy by starvation their country, that most reverend and holiest of parents! And my fears are not based on mere surmise. I have heard their talk. All this fleet from Alexandria, Colchis, Tyre, Sidon, Aradus, Cyprus, Pamphylia, Lycia, Rhodes, Chius, Constantinople, Lesbos, Smyrna, Miletus, Cos, is being got ready to cut off the supplies of Italy and to blockade the grain-producing provinces. And how angry Pompey will be when he comes, particularly with those who particularly desire his safety, as if he were abandoned by those whom he has abandoned! So in my doubt what I ought to do, I am greatly swayed by my good feeling towards Pompey. Without that it were better to perish in my country, than to destroy my country by saving it. As to the north wind, it is clearly as you write. I fear Epirus may be harassed, but do you suppose there is any part of Greece that will not be robbed? Pompey openly declares and shows his men that he will be more liberal even than Caesar in largesse. You do well to advise me, when I see Caesar, not to be too complacent, and to speak rather with dignity. Clearly I must do so. I am thinking of going to Arpinum after I have met him; for I do not want to be absent on his arrival, or to have to travel to and fro in the wretched condition of the roads. I hear, as you write, that Bibulus came and went back on the 14th. You say in your third letter that you were awaiting Philotimus. He set out from me on the 15th. That was why my reply to your letter, which I wrote immediately, was late in reaching you. I think you are right about Domitius, that he is in his place at Cosa; but what his plan is, is not known. That disgraceful mean blackguard M. Lepidus, who says that the consular elections may be held by a praetor, is playing his old part in politics. So that was the meaning of the passage in Caesar's letter of which I sent you a copy, that he wanted to enjoy my "advice" (well, that is a general expression), my "influence" (that is flattery, but I suppose he affects to want it with a view to the votes of certain senators), my "position" (perhaps he means my vote as an ex-consul). His last phrase is "help in every way." I have begun to suspect from your letter that that is the point, or something very like it. For it is highly important to him that there should not be an interregnum. That point is attained, if consuls are created by a praetor. But in our state books it is set down that it is illegal not only for consuls to be created by the praetors, but for the very praetors themselves, and that it has never been done; that it is illegal for consuls, because it is illegal for persons with greater powers to be proposed for election by those with less; for praetors, because they are proposed as colleagues of the consuls who have the greater powers. The next thing will be, he will want me to vote for it, and he will not be content with Galba, Scaevola, Cassius and Antonius, "then let the wide earth swallow me." But you see what a storm is coming. Which senators have crossed over to Pompey I will tell you as soon as I know. You are right about the corn supply: it cannot be done without taxation: and you have cause to fear the exorbitant demands of Pompey's associates and a wicked war. I should much like to see my friend Trebatius, although you tell me he is in despair. Do bid him hurry, for it will be convenient, if he comes before Caesar's arrival. As for that estate at Lanuvium, as soon as I heard of the death of Phamea, I longed, if the constitution was going to last, that one of my friends should buy it, and yet I did not think of you, my best friend of all. For I know that it is your custom to inquire in how many years you may recoup yourself of a purchase, and the value of fixtures, and I had seen your inventory not only at Rome but at Delos. But, though it is a pretty property, I rate it at a lower value than it was rated in Marcellinus' consulship, when I thought that, owing to the house I then had at Antium, those little gardens would please me better and cost less than the repair of my villa at Tusculum. I wanted the property for £4,500. I made an offer to that amount through a third party, when he was putting it up for sale: but he refused. Nowadays I suppose all such property is depreciated on account of the scarcity of money. It will suit me admirably, or rather us, if you buy it. Don't despise the late owner's folly: it is a most charming place. However, all these seats seem now to be doomed to destruction. I have answered three of your letters; but I await others. So far your letters have been my support. March 17.

[1] S. V. B. <E.> postea quam litteras communis cum Oppio ad te dedi, ab Caesare epistulam accepi cuius exemplum tibi misi; ex qua perspicere poteris quam cupiat concordiam <suam> et Pompei reconciliare et quam remotus sit ab omni crudelitate; quod eum sentire, ut debeo, valde gaudeo. de te et tua fide et pietate idem me hercule, mi Cicero, sentio quod tu, non posse tuam famam et officium sustinere ut contra eum arma feras a quo tantum beneficium te accepisse praedices. [2] Caesarem hoc idem probaturum exploratum pro singulari eius humanitate habeo eique cumulatissime satis facturum te certo scio cum nullam partem belli contra eum suscipias neque socius eius adversariis fueris. atque hoc non solum in te, tali et tanto viro, satis habebit, sed etiam mihi ipse sua concessit voluntate ne in iis castris essem quae contra Lentulum aut Pompeium futura essent quorum beneficia maxima haberem, sibique satis esse dixit si togatus urbana officia sibi praestitissem quae etiam illis, si vellem, praestare possem. itaque nunc Romae omnia negotia Lentuli procuro sustineo meumque officium, fidem, pietatem iis praesto. sed me hercule rursus iam abiectam compositionis spem non desperatissimam esse puto, quoniam Caesar est ea mente quam optare debemus. hac re mihi placet, si tibi videtur, te ad eum scribere et ab eo praesidium petere, ut petiisti a Pompeio me quidem adprobante temporibus Milonianis. praestabo, si Caesarem bene novi, eum prius tuae dignitatis quam suae utilitatis rationem habiturum. [3] haec quam prudenter tibi scribam nescio, sed illud certe scio, me ab singulari amore ac benevolentia quaecumque scribo tibi scribere, quod te (ita incolumi Caesare moriar!) tanti facio ut paucos aeque ac te caros habeam. de hac re cum aliquid constitueris, velim mihi scribas. nam non mediocriter laboro <ut> utrique, ut vis, tuam benevolentiam praestare possis quam me hercule te praestaturum confido. fac valeas.