Letter 13.7

When you came to my house before setting out for Gaul, in accordance with our bond and your supreme respect for me, I spoke with you about the tax-revenue lands of the municipality of Atella located in Gaul, and showed you how hard I was working for that municipality's sake. After your departure, since the greatest interests of a most honorable municipality closely connected with me and my supreme duty were at stake, I thought I ought to write to you more carefully, given your singular goodwill toward me. I am well aware both of the circumstances of the times and the extent of your power, and I clearly understand that you have been given an assignment by Gaius Caesar, not a judicial decision. Therefore I ask of you only what I think you can do and will gladly do for my sake. First, I would have you understand what is the fact: that all the fortunes of the municipality rest in that revenue, and that in these times this municipality, burdened by the greatest expenses, has been affected by the most severe difficulties. Although this may seem shared with many, still believe me that singular calamities have befallen this municipality, which I do not mention lest in complaining about the miseries of my connections I seem to offend people I would rather not. If I did not have great hope that we shall be able to prove the municipality's case to Gaius Caesar, there would be no reason for me to press anything upon you at this time. But because I am confident and have persuaded myself that he will take account of the municipality's dignity, the justice of the case, and even their goodwill toward him, I have not hesitated to ask you to keep this case intact for him. Although I would ask this no less even if I had heard nothing of your doing such a thing, I gained a greater hope of obtaining it after I was told that the people of Regium obtained the same favor from you. Even though they touch you through some connection, yet your love for me compels me to hope that what you granted to your connections you will grant also to mine, especially since I am asking on behalf of this one municipality alone, though I have many connections in a similar situation. I would have you believe, though I think you already do, that I am not doing this without reason nor pressing you from some slight ambition, but I would have you take my word when I affirm that I owe the most to this municipality: there has never been a time, whether of my honors or my labors, in which the enthusiasm of this municipality toward me has not been singular. Therefore I ask you again and again, in the name of our supreme bond and your perpetual and greatest goodwill toward me, most earnestly that, since you understand that the fortunes of a municipality are at stake which is most closely connected with me by ties, services, and goodwill, you grant me this: which will be of such a nature that, if we obtain from Caesar what we hope, we shall judge that we achieved it through your kindness; but if not, we shall still count it as such, since you made the effort on our behalf.

DCLXXI (Fam. XIII, 7) TO GAIUS CLUVIUS (IN CISALPINE GAUL) ROME (AUTUMN) WHEN on your departure for Gaul you called at my house, as was natural from our close connexion and the great courtesy you have always shown to me, I spoke to you about the land in Gaul which paid rent to the municipal town of Atella ; and I indicated to you how warmly interested I was in the welfare of that town. Since your departure, however; as a question has arisen as to a matter of great importance to this most respectable town — very closely connected with me — and as to the performance of a duty on my part, I thought I ought to write to you in more explicit terms. I am quite aware, however, of the nature of the circumstances' and the limits of your power, and clearly understand that what Caesar has assigned to you is the transaction of a certain business, not the exercise of judicial powers. Therefore I only ask of you as much as I think that you have both the power and the will to do for my sake. And to begin with I would have you consider — what is the fact — that the whole wealth of the town consists of that rent, while in the present state of affairs it is hard-pressed by very serious burdens, and is labouring under the greatest difficulties. Although this seems to be a misfortune common to many others, I assure you that certain special calamities have befallen this particular municipality, which I don't specify for fear that, while bewailing the miseries of my own connexions. I should seem to be casting a reflexion upon certain persons upon whom I have no wish to do so. Accordingly, if I had' not had a strong hope of our being able to secure the approval of Gaius Caesar for the plea of this town, there would have been no reason for my making an effort at this time to secure any favour from you. But because I feel sure that he will take into consideration both the respectability of the town and the justice of its case, and also its good disposition towards himself, I have not hesitated to urge upon you to reserve this cause for his decision. This request I should nevertheless have made to you if I had never heard of your having done anything of the sort; yet I did conceive a stronger hope of gaining my request when I was told that the people of Regium had obtained the same favour from you. Although these latter have a certain connexion with you, yet your affection for me compels me to hope that the indulgence you extend to your own friends you will also extend to mine: especially as these are the only ones for whom I prefer the request, whereas I have a considerable number of connexions who are in a similarly hard case. Though I think you believe that I am not doing this without good reason, and am not influenced by a frivolous and selfish motive in preferring this request, yet I would have you believe my definite assertion, that I owe a very great deal to this municipality, and that there has been no time either of my prosperity or adversity in which its zeal for my service has not been displayed in a remarkable manner. Wherefore again and again, in the name of our close union and of your unbroken and eminent affection for me, I ask and implore this of you with no common earnestness. Since you understand that the fortunes of a town are involved, which is very closely connected with me by ties of relationship, interchange of services and affection, do, if we obtain from Caesar what we hope, allow us to consider that we have obtained it by your kindness. But if we do not,. instead of that allow us to consider that at least you have done your best to enable us to obtain it. By doing this you will not only have greatly obliged me, but by a signal service you will have bound to yourself and your family men of the highest character, a number of the most honourable as well as the most grateful people, eminently worthy of being connected with you.

VII. Scr. Romae mense Octobri a.u.c. 709. CICERO CLUVIO SAL. Quum in Galliam proficiscens pro nostra necessitudine pro que tua suuma in me observantia ad me domum venisses, locutus sum tecum de agro vectigali municipii Atellani, qui esset in Gallia, quantoque opere eius municipii causa laborarem, tibi ostendi; post tuam autem profectionem quum et maxima res municipii honestissimi mihique coniunctissimi et summum meum officium ageretur, pro tuo animo in me singulari existimavi me oportere ad te accuratius scribere, etsi non sum nescius, et quae temporum ratio et quae tua potestas sit, tibique negotium datum esse a C. Caesare, non iudicium, praeclare intelligo: quare a te tantum peto, quantum et te facere posse et libenter mea causa facturum esse arbitror. Et primum velim existimes, quod res est, municipii fortunas omnes in isto vectigali consistere, his autem temporibus hoc municipium, maximis oneribus pressum, summis affectum esse difficultatibus. Hoc etsi commune videtur esse cum multis, tamen mihi crede singulares huic municipio calamitates accidisse, quas idcirco non commemoro, ne de miseriis meorum necessariorum conquerens homines, quos nolo, videar offendere. Itaque, nisi magnam spem haberem C. Caesari nos causam municpii probaturos, non erat causa, cur a te hoc tempore aliquid contenderem; sed, quia confido mihique persuasi illum et dignitatis municipii et aequitatis et etiam voluntatis erga se habiturum esse rationem, ideo a te non dubitavi contendere, ut hanc causam illi integram conservares: quod etsi nihilo minus a te peterem, si nihil audivissem te tale fecisse, tamen maiorem spem impetrandi nactus sum, posteaquam mihi dictum est, hoc idem a te Regienses impetravisse, qui etsi te aliqua necessitudine attingunt, tamen tuus amor in me sperare me cogit te, quod tuis necessariis tribueris, idem esse tributurum meis, praesertim quum ego pro his unis petam, habeam autem, qui simili causa laborent, complures necessarios. Hoc me non sine causa facere neque aliqua levi ambitione commotum a te contendere etsi te existimare arbitror, tamen mihi affirmanti credas velim, me huic municipio debere plurimum, nullum umquam fuisse tempus neque honorum nec laborum meorum, in quo non huius municipii studium in me exstiterit singulare. Quapropter a te etiam atque etiam pro nostra summa coniunctione proque tua in me perpetua et maxima benevolentia maiorem in modum peto atque contendo, ut, quum fortunas agi eius municpii intelligas, quod sit mihi necessitudine, officiis, benevolentia coniunctissimum, id mihi des, quod eris huiusmodi, ut, si a Caesare, quod speramus, impetrarimus, tuo beneficio nos id consecutos esse iudicemus, sin minus, pro eo tamen id habeamus, quoniam a te data sit opera, ut impetraremus. Hoc quum mihi gratissimum feceris, tum viros optimos, homines honestissimos eosdemque gratissimos et tua necessitudine dignissimos summo beneficio in perpetuum tibi tuisque devinxeris.