Marcus Tullius Cicero→Gaius Cassius Longinus|c. 43 BC|Cicero|From Rome|To Syria|AI-assisted
I am very glad that my view and my speech have your approval. If I were allowed to speak that way more often, recovering liberty and the republic would be no difficult matter. But that mad and ruined man, far worse than the very man whom you said had been killed for his utter wickedness, is looking for a beginning to slaughter. He charges me with being the author of Caesar's killing for no other reason than to stir the veterans against me.
I do not greatly fear that danger, provided he links the glory of your deed with my good name. As things stand, neither Piso, who first attacked him when no one supported him, nor I, who did the same thirty days later, nor Publius Servilius, who followed me, can come safely to the Senate. That gladiator is looking for blood. He thought he would begin with me on September 19, and he came ready for it after rehearsing for several days at Metellus's villa. But what kind of rehearsal could there have been in dens of vice and wine? So, as I wrote to you before, everyone thought he was vomiting in his usual way, not speaking.
You write that you trust something can be achieved by my authority and eloquence. Some little progress has been made, at least amid such evils. The Roman people understands that three former consuls, because they have thought rightly about the republic and spoken freely, cannot safely enter the Senate.
Do not expect anything more. Your relative is delighted with his new family connection; he is no longer eager about the games and is bursting with envy at the endless applause for your brother. Your other relative by marriage has been soothed by Caesar's new memoranda. These things can still be endured. What cannot be endured is that someone thinks his son will be consul in your year and Brutus's, and for that reason openly parades his service to this bandit.
Lucius Cotta, my friend, now comes to the Senate less often, from what he calls a fatal despair. Lucius Caesar, an excellent and very brave citizen, is kept away by ill health. Servius Sulpicius, a man of the highest authority and the soundest judgment, is not present. As for the rest, apart from the consuls-elect, forgive me if I do not count them as former consuls.
These are the leaders of public counsel. Their number would be small even in good times; what do you think it is in desperate ones? So every hope rests on you. If you are away only to keep yourselves safe, then there is no hope even in you. But if you are planning something worthy of your glory, I hope we may live to see it. If that cannot be, then at least the republic, through you, will shortly recover its rights.
I do not fail your friends, and I shall not fail them. Whether they appeal to me or not, my goodwill and loyalty toward you will still be shown.
Farewell.
DCCLXXXVII (Fam. XII, 2) TO C. CASSIUS LONGINUS (NEAR PUTEOLI) ROME (SEPTEMBER) I am much delighted that my expression of opinion and my speech have your approval. If one might speak like that more often, there would be no trouble about recovering freedom and the constitution. But that infatuated and unprincipled fellow — much worse than the man whom you declared to have been put to death for his flagrant iniquity — is seeking an excuse for a massacre, and accuses me of being the instigator of Caesar 's assassination, with no other motive than that of inciting the veterans against me. I don't dread that danger, so long as he associates the glory of the deed which you and your fellows wrought with my reputation. Accordingly, we can none of us come to the senate in safety: neither Piso , who was the first to inveigh against him, without anyone to support him; nor I, who did the same a month afterwards; nor Publius Servilius , who followed me closely. For that gladiator is seeking for a chance of using the sword, and thought that he was going to begin with me on the 19th of September, on which day he came primed after studying his speech for many days in the villa of Metellus . But what sort of “study” was possible in brothels and drunken riots? The result was that in everybody's eyes, as I wrote you word before, he seemed to be but vomiting in his usual way, not speaking. Wherefore in reference to your remark that you felt confident that some good might be done by my influence and eloquence, I may say that some little good — considering the enormity of the evil — has been done. For the Roman people fully understand that there are three ex-consuls, who, because they have thought honestly on politics and ventured to speak freely, cannot come in safety to the senate. Nor can you expect anything more than that: for your relative is greatly delighted with his new marriage connexion; and so he no longer cares about the games, and is bursting with envy at the applause given to your brother. Your other brother-in-law has been smoothed down by the new hatch of Caesar 's minutes. Still these things are endurable. But the next is intolerable — that there is a man who thinks that his son is to be consul in the year of yourself and Brutus , and for that reason avows his subservience to this bandit. For my friend Lucius Cotta , yielding to some fatal despair, now. comes less frequently to the senate: Lucius Caesar , a most loyal and gallant citizen, is hindered by ill-health: Servius Sulpicius , a man of the greatest influence and the most excellent sentiments, is not in town. As for the rest, the consuls-designate excepted, pardon me if I do not reckon, them consulars. These are the leaders of our public policy. Few enough even if things were all going well — what think you in the present disastrous position? Wherefore our sole hope is in you. And if your motive for not coming to Rome is that you cannot do so safely — there is none in you either. But if you are meditating some stroke worthy of your glory, — I pray that I may live to see it. But if that cannot be, yet at least the Republic will shortly recover its legal rights by' your means. I am not failing to support your friends, nor shall I do so. If they refer to me for anything, my goodwill to you and my-good faith shall be made manifest.
II. Scr. Romae exeunte mense Septembri a.u.c. 710. CICERO CASSIO SAL.
Vehementer laetor tibi probari sententiam et orationem meam; qua si saepius uti liceret, nihil esset negotii libertatem et rem publicam reciperare; sed homo amens et perditus multoque nequior quam ille ipse, quem tu nequissimum occisum esse dixisti, caedis initium quaerit, nullamque aliam ob causam me auctorem fuisse Caesaris interficiendi criminatur, nisi ut in me veterani incitentur: quod ego periculum non extimesco, modo vestri facti gloriam cum mea laude communicet. Ita nec Pisoni, qui in eum primus invectus est nullo assentiente, nec mihi, qui idem tricesimo post die feci, nec P. Servilio, qui me est consecutus, tuto in senatum venire licet; caedem enim gladiator quaerit eiusque initium a. d. XIII. Kal. Octobr. a me se facturum putavit, ad quem paratus venerat, quum in villa Metelli complures dies commentatus esset; quae autem in lustris et in vino commentatio potuit esse? itaque omnibus est visus, ut ad te antea scripsi, vomere suo more, non dicere. Quare, quod scribis te confidere auctoritate et eloquentia nostra aliquid profici posse, nonnihil, ut in tantis malis, est profectum; intelligit enim populus Romanus tres esse consulares, qui, quia, quae de re publica bene senserit, libere locuti sint, tuto in senatum venire non possint. Nec est praeterea, quod quidquam exspectes; tuus enim necessarius affinitate nova delectatur: itque iam non est studiosus ludorum infinitoque fratris tui plausu dirumpitur; alter item affinis novis commentariis Caesaris delenitus est. Sed haec tolerabilia: illud non ferendum, quod est, qui vestro anno filium suum consulem futurum putet ob eamque causam se huic latroni deservire prae se ferat. Nam L. Cotta, familiaris meus, fatali quadam desperatione, ut ait, minus in senatum venit; L. Caesar, optimus et fortissimus civis, valetudine impeditur; Ser. Sulpicius et summa auctoritate et optime sentiens non adest; reliquos exceptis designatis ignosce mihi si non numero consulares. Habes auctores consilii publici: qui numerus etiam bonis rebus exiguus esset, quid censes perditis? quare spes est omnis in vobis, qui si idcirco abestis, ut sitis in tuto, ne in vobis quidem: sin aliquid dignum vestra gloria cogitatis, velim salvis nobis; sin id minus, res tamen publica per vos brevi tempore ius suum reciperabit. Ego tuis neque desum neque deero: qui sive ad me referent sive non referent, mea tibi tamen benevolentia fidesque praestabitur. Vale.
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I am very glad that my view and my speech have your approval. If I were allowed to speak that way more often, recovering liberty and the republic would be no difficult matter. But that mad and ruined man, far worse than the very man whom you said had been killed for his utter wickedness, is looking for a beginning to slaughter. He charges me with being the author of Caesar's killing for no other reason than to stir the veterans against me.
I do not greatly fear that danger, provided he links the glory of your deed with my good name. As things stand, neither Piso, who first attacked him when no one supported him, nor I, who did the same thirty days later, nor Publius Servilius, who followed me, can come safely to the Senate. That gladiator is looking for blood. He thought he would begin with me on September 19, and he came ready for it after rehearsing for several days at Metellus's villa. But what kind of rehearsal could there have been in dens of vice and wine? So, as I wrote to you before, everyone thought he was vomiting in his usual way, not speaking.
You write that you trust something can be achieved by my authority and eloquence. Some little progress has been made, at least amid such evils. The Roman people understands that three former consuls, because they have thought rightly about the republic and spoken freely, cannot safely enter the Senate.
Do not expect anything more. Your relative is delighted with his new family connection; he is no longer eager about the games and is bursting with envy at the endless applause for your brother. Your other relative by marriage has been soothed by Caesar's new memoranda. These things can still be endured. What cannot be endured is that someone thinks his son will be consul in your year and Brutus's, and for that reason openly parades his service to this bandit.
Lucius Cotta, my friend, now comes to the Senate less often, from what he calls a fatal despair. Lucius Caesar, an excellent and very brave citizen, is kept away by ill health. Servius Sulpicius, a man of the highest authority and the soundest judgment, is not present. As for the rest, apart from the consuls-elect, forgive me if I do not count them as former consuls.
These are the leaders of public counsel. Their number would be small even in good times; what do you think it is in desperate ones? So every hope rests on you. If you are away only to keep yourselves safe, then there is no hope even in you. But if you are planning something worthy of your glory, I hope we may live to see it. If that cannot be, then at least the republic, through you, will shortly recover its rights.
I do not fail your friends, and I shall not fail them. Whether they appeal to me or not, my goodwill and loyalty toward you will still be shown.
Farewell.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
II. Scr. Romae exeunte mense Septembri a.u.c. 710. CICERO CASSIO SAL.
Vehementer laetor tibi probari sententiam et orationem meam; qua si saepius uti liceret, nihil esset negotii libertatem et rem publicam reciperare; sed homo amens et perditus multoque nequior quam ille ipse, quem tu nequissimum occisum esse dixisti, caedis initium quaerit, nullamque aliam ob causam me auctorem fuisse Caesaris interficiendi criminatur, nisi ut in me veterani incitentur: quod ego periculum non extimesco, modo vestri facti gloriam cum mea laude communicet. Ita nec Pisoni, qui in eum primus invectus est nullo assentiente, nec mihi, qui idem tricesimo post die feci, nec P. Servilio, qui me est consecutus, tuto in senatum venire licet; caedem enim gladiator quaerit eiusque initium a. d. XIII. Kal. Octobr. a me se facturum putavit, ad quem paratus venerat, quum in villa Metelli complures dies commentatus esset; quae autem in lustris et in vino commentatio potuit esse? itaque omnibus est visus, ut ad te antea scripsi, vomere suo more, non dicere. Quare, quod scribis te confidere auctoritate et eloquentia nostra aliquid profici posse, nonnihil, ut in tantis malis, est profectum; intelligit enim populus Romanus tres esse consulares, qui, quia, quae de re publica bene senserit, libere locuti sint, tuto in senatum venire non possint. Nec est praeterea, quod quidquam exspectes; tuus enim necessarius affinitate nova delectatur: itque iam non est studiosus ludorum infinitoque fratris tui plausu dirumpitur; alter item affinis novis commentariis Caesaris delenitus est. Sed haec tolerabilia: illud non ferendum, quod est, qui vestro anno filium suum consulem futurum putet ob eamque causam se huic latroni deservire prae se ferat. Nam L. Cotta, familiaris meus, fatali quadam desperatione, ut ait, minus in senatum venit; L. Caesar, optimus et fortissimus civis, valetudine impeditur; Ser. Sulpicius et summa auctoritate et optime sentiens non adest; reliquos exceptis designatis ignosce mihi si non numero consulares. Habes auctores consilii publici: qui numerus etiam bonis rebus exiguus esset, quid censes perditis? quare spes est omnis in vobis, qui si idcirco abestis, ut sitis in tuto, ne in vobis quidem: sin aliquid dignum vestra gloria cogitatis, velim salvis nobis; sin id minus, res tamen publica per vos brevi tempore ius suum reciperabit. Ego tuis neque desum neque deero: qui sive ad me referent sive non referent, mea tibi tamen benevolentia fidesque praestabitur. Vale.