Letter 9.15

I shall reply to two of your letters: one, which I had received four days earlier from Zethus, and the other, which the courier Phileros had brought. From your first letter I understood that it was very welcome to you... I am glad it is clear to you; but believe me, you could not perceive from the letter how things really are. For although I see that I am both respected and loved by quite a number of people -- for I cannot put it otherwise -- no one of them all is more agreeable to me than you. For the fact that you love me, and have done so both long and steadfastly, is indeed great, and perhaps the greatest thing, but this you share with many. What is peculiarly yours is that you yourself are so lovable, so sweet, and so agreeable in every way. Add to this not the Attic variety of wit, but a saltier kind, the old Roman and urbane sort. And I -- you may believe what you like -- am wonderfully captivated by humor, especially our native kind, particularly since I see that it was first forgotten in Latium when foreign influence was poured into our city, and now indeed with trousered and Transalpine nations, so that no trace of the old charm appears. And so when I see you, I seem to see all the Graniuses, all the Luciliuses, and -- to tell the truth -- the Crassi and the Laelii too. I would die if, besides you, I have anyone left in whom I can recognize the image of that ancient, homegrown festivity. When to these charms is added such great love for me, are you surprised that I was so gravely distressed by the serious disorder of your health? As for the fact that in your second letter you clear yourself of having been a dissuader of my Neapolitan purchase, saying you were rather an advocate of moderation -- very witty. And I did not take it otherwise; but I understood from it the same thing I understand from this letter: that you did not think I was free, as I supposed, to leave these affairs behind, not entirely indeed, but in large part. You tell me about Catulus and those times. What comparison is there? I myself did not approve then of being too long absent from the guardianship of the republic. For we were sitting at the helm and holding the tiller. But now there is hardly a place for us even in the bilge. Do you think there will be fewer decrees of the senate if I am in Naples? When I am in Rome and pressing upon the forum, senatorial decrees are written at the house of your admirer, my friend. And indeed, when it comes to mind, I am sat down to draft, and I hear of a senatorial decree having been conveyed to Armenia and Syria, said to have been passed on my motion, before any mention of the matter has been made at all. And do not think I am joking; for you should know that letters have already been brought to me from the most distant kings, thanking me because by my motion I had them styled kings -- men whom I did not know had been styled kings, or indeed had even been born. So what of it? Nevertheless, as long as our prefect of morals is here, I shall obey your authority. But when he is away, I shall betake myself to your mushrooms. If I have a house, I shall compress each ten-day period into a single sumptuary-law day. But if I cannot find anything that suits me, I have decided to stay with you; for I know I can do nothing more agreeable to you. I had given up on the Sullan house, as I wrote you recently, but I have not entirely abandoned the idea. I would like you, as you write, to inspect it with the builders; for if there is no defect in the walls or the roof, the rest will satisfy me.

CDLXXIX (Fam. IX, 15) TO L. PAPIRIUS PAETUS (AT NAPLES) ROME (SEPTEMBER) I will answer two letters of yours: one which I received four days ago from Zethus , a second which your letter-carrier Phileros brought. From your former letter I gathered that you were much gratified by my anxiety about your health, and I rejoice that you have been convinced of it. But, believe me, you will never see it in its full reality from a letter. For though I perceive that I am being sought out and liked by a considerable number of people — a thing it is impossible for me to deny — there is not one of them all nearer to my heart than yourself. For that you love me, and have done so for a long while and without interruption, is indeed a great thing, or rather the greatest, but it is shared with you by many: but that you are yourself so lovable, so gracious, and so delightful in every way — that you have all to yourself. Added to that is your wit, not Attic , but more pungent than that of the Attics, good Roman wit of the true old city style. Now I — think what you will of it — am astonishingly attracted by witticisms, above all of the native kind, especially when I see that they were first infected by Latinism, when the foreign element found its way into the city, and now-a-days by the breeched and Transalpine tribes also, so that no trace of the old-fashioned style of wit can be seen. Accordingly when I see you, I seem — to confess the truth — to see all the Granii, the Lucilii, as well as the Crassi and Laelii . Upon my life, I have no one left but you in whom I can recognize any likeness of the old racy cheerfulness. And when to these Graces of wit there is added your strong affection for me, do you wonder that I have been so severely alarmed at so grave a blow to your health? In your second letter you say in self-defence that you did not advise me against the purchase at Naples , but recommended caution. You put it politely, and I did not regard it in any other fight. However, I gathered the same idea as I do from this letter, that you did not think it open to me to take the course which I thought I might-namely, to abandon politics here, not indeed entirely, but to a great extent. You quote Catulus and all that period. Where is the analogy? I did not myself at that time desire to absent myself for any length of time from the guardianship of the constitution: for I was sitting at the helm and holding the rudder; whereas now I have scarcely a place in the hold. Do you suppose the number of senatorial decrees will be any the less if I am at Naples ? While I am at Rome and actually haunting the forum, senatorial decrees are written out in the house of your admirer, my intimate friend. And whenever it occurs to him, I am put down as backing a decree, and am informed of its having reached Armenia and Syria , professing to have been made in accordance with my vote, before any mention has been made of the business at all. And, indeed, I would not have you think that I am joking about this; for I assure you I have had letters from kings at the other end of the earth, thanking me for having voted for giving them the royal title, as to whom I was not only ignorant of their having been called kings, but of their very existence even. What, then, am I to do? After all, as long as this friend of ours — this guardian of morals — is here, I will follow your advice: but directly he goes away I am off to your mushrooms. If I have a house there, I will make the expenses allowed for a day by the sumptuary law last over ten days. But if I don't find anything to suit me, I have made up my mind to reside with you: for I know I could not please you more. I am beginning to despair of Sulla 's house, as I told you in my last, but I have not, after all, quite given it up. Pray do what you suggest, inspect it with some builders. If there is no defect in walls or roof, the rest will meet my views very well.

XV. Scr. Romae post VII. Kal. Sextiles a.u.c. 708. CICERO PAETO S. Duabus tuis epistulis respondebo: uni, uam quatriduo ante acceperam a Zetho; alteri, quam attulerat Phileros tabellarius. Ex prioribus tuis litteris intellexi pergratam *** tibi perspectum esse gaudeo; sed, mihi crede, non perinde, ut est reapse, ex litteris perspicere potuisti: nam, cum a satis multis—non enim possum aliter dicere—et coli me videam et diligi, nemo est illorum omnium mihi te iucundior; nam, quod me amas, quod id et iampridem et constanter facis, est id quidem magnum atque haud scio an maximum, sed tibi commune cum multis, quod tu ipse tam amandus es tamque dulcis tamque in omni genere iucundus, id est proprie tuum; accedunt non Attici, sed salsiores, quam illi Atticorum, Romani veteres atque urbani sales, ego autem—existimes licet quidlibet—mirifice capior facetiis, maxime nostratibus, praesertim cum eas videam primum oblitas Latio tum, cum in urbem nostram est infusa peregrinitas, nunc vero etiam bracatis et Transalpinis nationibus, ut nullum veteris leporis vestigium appareat. Itaque, te cum video, omnes mihi Granios, omnes Lucilios—vere ut dicam,—Crassos quoque et Laelios videre videor: moriar, si praeter te quemquam reliquum habeo, in quo possim imaginem antiquae et vernaculae festivitatis agnoscere. Ad hos lepores cum amor erga me tantus accedat, miraris me tanta perturbatione valetudinis tuae tam graviter exanimatum fuisse? Quod autem altera epistula purgas te non dissuasorem mihi emptionis Neapolitanae fuisse, sed auctorem moderationis, urbane, neque ego aliter accepi; intellexi tamen idem, quod his intelligo litteris, non existimasse te mihi licere id, quod ego arbitrabar, res has non omnino quidem, sed magnam partem relinquere. Catulum mihi narras et illa tempora: quid simile? ne mihi quidem ipsi tunc placebat diutius abesse ab rei publicae custodia; sedebamus enim in puppi et clavum tenebamus; nunc autem vix est in sentina locus. An minus multa senatus consulta futura putas, si ego sim Neapoli? Romae cum sum et urgeo forum, senatus consulta scribuntur apud amatorem tuum, familiarem meum; et quidem, cum in mentem venit, ponor ad scribendum et ante audio senatus consultum in Armeniam et Syriam esse perlatum, quod in meam sententiam factum esse dicatur, quam omnino mentionem ullam de ea re esse factam. Atque hoc nolim me iocari putes; nam mihi scito iam a regibus ultimis allatas esse litteras, quibus mihi gratias agant, quod se mea sententia reges appellaverim, quos ego non modo reges appellatos, sed omnino natos nesciebam. Quid ergo est? tamen, quamdiu hic erit noster hic praefectus moribus, parebo auctoritati tuae; cum vero aberit, ad fungos me tuos conferam. Domum si habebo, in denos dies singulos sumptuariae legis dies conferam; sin autem minus invenero, quod placeat, decrevi habitare apud te, scio enim me nihil tibi gratius facere posse. Domum Sullanam desperabam iam, ut tibi proxime scripsi, sed tamen non abieci: tu velim, ut scribis, cum fabris eam perspicias; si enim nihil est in parietibus aut in tecto vitii, cetera mihi probabuntur.