Letter 8.11

Your supplications did not torment us for long, but they did torment us keenly. For we had run into a difficult knot: Curio, who is most eager to serve you, and from whom by every means days for holding assemblies were being taken away, said he could in no way allow supplications to be decreed, lest it seem that what he had gained of good by Paullus's fury he had lost by his own fault, and lest he be considered a traitor to the public cause. And so we came down to a bargain, and the consuls confirmed that they would not use these supplications in the current year. You clearly have reason to thank both consuls. You owe more certainly to Paullus; for Marcellus replied to Curio that he placed no hope in these supplications, while Paullus said he would not issue the edict at all this year. We had been told that Hirrus would speak at greater length; we caught hold of him, and he not only did not do so, but when the matter of the sacrificial victims was being discussed and he could have obstructed the proceedings by demanding a count, he remained silent. He merely agreed with Cato, who spoke honorably about you but did not vote for supplications. Favonius was a third to join them. Therefore thanks are due according to each man's nature and principle: to these, because they only showed their inclination and, when they could have obstructed, did not fight against the motion; to Curio, because he swerved from the course of his own proceedings for your sake. For Furnius and Lentulus, as was their duty, as though the matter were their own, canvassed and labored alongside us. I can also praise the effort and diligence of Balbus Cornelius; for he spoke vigorously with Curio and told him that if he acted otherwise he would be doing Caesar an injury, and then called his loyalty into question. Certain men had voted to decree them who neither *** nor wished to have the matter settled, the Domitii and the Scipiones. When these men tried to provoke a veto by their interruptions, Curio replied most wittily that he was all the more willing not to veto since he saw that some who were voting for the decree did not want the matter concluded. As for public affairs, all the contest is focused on one issue: the provinces. In this matter Pompey so far appears to have sided with the senate, that Caesar should leave on the Ides of November. Curio has resolved to endure anything rather than permit this, and has abandoned all his other measures. Our party, whom you know well, do not dare to push the matter to the final showdown. The setting of the whole drama is this: Pompey, as though he is not attacking Caesar but settling what he thinks is fair for him, says that Curio is looking for trouble. But he very much does not want and plainly fears that Caesar should be elected consul before he hands over his army and provinces. He is being treated rather badly by Curio, and his whole second consulship is being attacked. This I tell you: if they press Curio with everything, Caesar will defend the vetoer; if, as they seem likely to do, they shrink back, Caesar will stay as long as he wishes. What each person said in his speech is in the gazette of urban affairs. From it you should select what is noteworthy; skip over many things, especially the boos at the games and funerals and other trivia. It contains more that is useful. In the end, I would rather err on the side of having you hear things you do not need than have anything necessary be passed over. I am glad you have taken care of the Sittian business; but since you suspect those whom I sent you are not entirely trustworthy, I ask you to handle it as if you were the agent yourself.

CCLXVI (Fam. VIII, 11) M. CAELIUS RUFUS TO CICERO (IN CILICIA) ROME, JUNE: Your “thanksgiving” has given us some sharp twinges, though they have not lasted long: for we came to a serious deadlock. The fact is, Curio , who is very fond of you, finding that every device was being employed to deprive him of comitial days, declared that nothing would induce him to allow the thanksgiving to pass the senate, lest he should appear to have thrown away by his own blundering the advantage he had obtained by the infatuation of Paullus , and should be regarded as having sold the cause of the Republic. Accordingly, we have had to adopt a compromise, and the consuls have pledged themselves not to hold the thanksgiving this year. Plainly you have reason to thank both consuls: Paullus certainly the rather of the two. For Marcellus answered him that he did not build much on those thanksgivings; Paullus said that in any case he would not hold them this year. I was told that Hirrus meant to talk out the decree. I got hold of him: he not only did not do so, but when the vote for the victims was brought forward, and he could have put a spoke in our wheel, if he had called for a count, he held his tongue. He merely signified his agreement with Cato , who, while speaking of you in complimentary terms, voted against the thanksgiving. Favonius made a third with them. Wherefore you must thank everybody according to his peculiar idiosyncrasy and principles: these three, because they only showed their wishes instead of making speeches, and because when they might have hindered they showed no fight; and Curio , because he deviated from his own line of obstructive policy for your sake. For Furnius and Lentulus , as in duty bound, just as though they were personally affected, went round with me and took trouble in the matter. I can also speak in high terms of the exertions and earnestness of Cornelius Balbus . For he both spoke in strong terms to Curio , saying that, if he acted otherwise, he would be inflicting an injury on Caesar , and also managed to create a feeling of mistrust as to Curio 's sincerity. Some voted for the decree who really wished for a decision unfavourable to you — such as the Domitii , the Scipios ; and when they interposed in this matter with the design of provoking his veto, Curio made a very neat reply. “He was all the more happy,” he said, “not to veto the decree, because he saw that certain persons who voted for it did not wish it carried.” As for politics, every controversy centres on one point — the provinces. In this matter Pompey as yet seems to have thrown all his weight on the side of the senate's wish that Caesar should leave his province on the 13th of November. when it was held, or whether it was held at all, and he would be influenced by the convenience of public business. Curio is resolved to submit to anything rather than allow this: he has given up all his other proposals. Our people, whom you know so well, do not venture to push matters to extremes. The situation turns entirely on this: Pompey , professing not to be attacking Caesar , but to be making an arrangement which he considers fair to him, says that Curio is deliberately seeking pretexts for strife. However, he is strongly against, and evidently alarmed at, the idea of Caesar becoming consul-designate before handing over his army and province. He is being attacked with some violence, and his whole second consulship is being roughly criticised by Curio . Mark my words — if they push their suppression of Curio to extremes, Caesar will interpose in favour of the vetoing tribune; if, as it seems they will do, they shrink from this, Caesar will stay in his province as long as he chooses. The vote given by each is in the memorandum of city events from which pick out what is worth reading: skip much, especially the hissing at the games and accounts of funerals and other unimportant gossip. It has a good deal worth knowing. The fact is, I prefer erring on the side of telling what you don't want, to passing over anything necessary. I am glad that you have interested yourself in the business of Sittius . But since you suspect the men I sent to you of being of doubtful fidelity, please act as my agent yourself.

XI. Scr. Romae inter Non. Maias et Non. Iunias a.u.c. 704. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL. Non diu, sed acriter nos tuae supplicationes torserunt; incideramus enim in difficilem nodum: nam Curio tui cupidissimus, cui omnibus rationibus comitiales dies eripiebantur, negabat se ullo modo pati posse decerni supplicationes, ne, quod furore Paulli adeptus esset boni, sua culpa videretur amisisse et praevaricator causae publicae existimaretur; itaque ad pactionem descendimus, et confirmarunt consules se his supplicationibus in hunc annum non usuros. Plane, quod utriusque consulibus gratias agas, est; Paullo magis certe; nam Marcellus sic respondit ei, se spem in istis supplicationibus non habere, Paullus, se omnino in hunc annum non edicturum. Renuntiatum nobis erat Hirrum diutius dicturum: prehendimus eum, non modo non fecit, sed, cum de hostiis ageretur et posset rem impedire, si, ut numeraretur, postularet, tacuit; tantum Catoni assensus est, qui de te locutus honorifice non decrerat supplicationes; tertius ad hos Favonius accessit. Quare pro cuiusque natura et instituto gratiae sunt agendae: his, quod tantum voluntatem ostenderunt, pro sententia, cum impedire possent, non pugnarunt; Curioni vero, quod de suarum actionum cursu tua causa deflexit. Nam Furnius et Lentulus, ut debuerunt, quasi eorum res esset, una nobiscum circumierunt et laborarunt Balbi quoque Cornelii operam et sedulitatem laudare possum; nam cum Curione vehementer locutus est et eum, si aliter fecisset, iniuriam Caesari facturum dixit, tum eius fidem in suspicionem adduxit. Decrerant quidam, qui *** neque transigi volebant, Domitii, Scipiones; quibus hac re ad intercessionem evocandam interpellantibus venustissime Curio respondit se eo libentius non intercedere, quod quosdam, qui decernerent, videret confici nolle. Quod ad rem publicam attinet, in unam causam omnis contentio coniecta est, de provinciis: in qua adhuc incubuisse cum senatu Pompeius videtur, ut Caesar Id. Novembr. decedat; Curio omnia potius subire constituit quam id pati, ceteras suas abiecit actiones. Nostri porro, quos tu bene nosti, ad extremum certamen rem deducere non audent. Scena rei totius haec: Pompeius, tamquam Caesarem non impugnet, sed, quod illi aequum putet, constituat, ait Curionem quaerere discordias, valde autem non vult et plane timet Caesarem consulem designari prius, quam exercitum et provincias tradiderit; accipitur satis male a Curione, et totus eius secundus consulatus exagitatur. Hoc tibi dico: si omnibus rebus prement Curionem, Caesar defendet intercessorem; si—quod videntur—reformidarint, Caesar, quoad volet, manebit. Quam quisque sententiam dixerit, in commentario est rerum urbanarum: ex quo tu, quae digna sunt, selige; multa transi, in primis ludorum explosiones et funerum et ineptiarum ceterarum, plura habet utilia; denique malo in hanc partem errare, ut, quae non desideres, audias quam quidquam, quod opus sit, praetermittatur. Tibi curae fuisse de Sittiano negotio gaudeo; sed, quoniam suspicaris minus certa fide eos esse, quos tibi misi, tamquam procurator, sic agas, rogo.