Letter 103.3

My lord Caesar, I was right to devote myself to you, and right to place all the profits of my life in you and your father. What could be more friendly, more delightful, more true? But please put away that talk of an "overbold boy" or a "rash adviser." Is there really any danger that you would advise anything childish or ill-considered? Believe me, if you will; if not, I shall believe myself: your judgment surpasses that of older men. In this business, in fact, I find your advice grey-haired and serious, while mine is childish. What is the use of providing a spectacle for fair-minded and unfair men alike? If this Herodes is honorable and decent, it is wrong for me to attack such a man with low abuse. If he is wicked and corrupt, my contest with him is unequal, and we do not risk the same loss. Any contact with filth stains a man, even if he wins. But the truer view is that the man whom you judge worthy of your protection is an upright man. If I had known that, may all the gods ruin me if I would ever have dared wound any friend of yours with a word. Now I would like you, by the love you bear me, in which I am most blessed, to help me with advice on this point too. I have no doubt that I must say nothing outside the case that harms Herodes. But the things that are in the case, and they are extremely harsh, are exactly what make me uncertain. I ask your advice about how to handle them. I must speak of free men cruelly beaten and robbed, one of them even killed. I must speak of a son undutiful and forgetful of his father's pleas. Cruelty and greed must be charged. In this case a kind of executioner named Herodes must be set before the court. If you think that on these charges, on which the case rests, I ought to press and crush my opponent with all my strength, make me certain of your advice, best of lords and sweetest to me. If you think I should soften even these points, I shall regard whatever you advise as the best course. Hold this firm, as I said: I shall say nothing outside the case about his character or the rest of his life. But if you think I must serve the case, I warn you now that I shall not use the case's opportunity without restraint. The charges are savage and must be spoken of sharply. The injuries and robberies done to free men will be described by me so that they taste of bitterness and anger. If somewhere I call him a little Greek and an uneducated man, that need not be a war to the death. Farewell, Caesar, and love me very much, as you do. I love even the little letters of your handwriting; so whenever you write anything to me, I want you to write it in your own hand.

? 140–143 A.D. to my Lord Caesar. Rightly have I devoted myself to you, rightly invested in you and your father all the gains of my life. What could be more friendly, what more delightful, what more true ? But I beseech you, away with your forward boys and rash counsellors! There is danger, forsooth, of anything you suggest being childishly conceived or ill-advised! Believe me, if you will—if not, I will for my part believe myself—that in good sense you leave your elders far behind. In fact, in this affair, I realise that your counsel is weighty and worthy of a greybeard, while mine is childish. For what is the good of providing a spectacle for friends and foes? If your Herodes be an honourable and moral man, it is not right that such a man should be assailed with invectives by me; if he is wicked and worthless, my fight with him is not on equal terms, nor do we stand to lose the same. For any contact with what is unclean contaminates a man, even though you come off best. But the former supposition is the truer, that he, whom you count worthy of your patronage, is a virtuous man. Had I had an inkling of the fact, may all the gods plague me if I should ever have ventured to say a word against any friend of yours. As it is I should wish you for the great love you bear me, wherein I am most blest, to help me with your advice on this point also. I quite admit that I ought not to say anything, which does not bear on the case, to damage H erodes, but those facts which do bear on it—and they are undoubtedly of a most savage character—how am I to deal with them? that is the very thing I am in doubt about, and I ask your advice. I shall have to tell of freemen cruelly beaten and robbed, of one even slain; I shall have to tell of a son unfilial and deaf to his father's prayers, cruelty and avarice will have to be denounced; there is one who must in this trial be made out a murderer. But if on those counts, on which the indictment is based, you think I ought to press and assail my opponent with might and main, assure me, best of Lords and sweetest to me, that such is your opinion. If, however, you think that I ought to let him off lightly in these also, I shall consider what you advise to be the best course. You may, indeed, as I said, rest assured of this, that I shall not go outside the case itself to speak of his character and the rest of his life. But if you think I must do the best for my case, I warn you herewith that I shall not even use in a disproportionate manner the opportunity my case gives me, for savage charges are made and must be savagely spoken of. Those in particular which concern the robbing and injuring of freemen shall be so told by me as to smack of gall and spleen: if I chance to call him a greekling and unlearned, it need not mean war to the knife. Farewell, Caesar, and love me, as you do, to the utmost. I, indeed, dote on the very characters of your writing: wherefore, whenever you write to me, I would have you write with your own hand.

ad M. Caesarem 3.3 [36 Hout; 1.62 Haines] 1 Merito ego me devovi tibi, merito fructus vitae meae omnis in te ac tuo parente constitui. Quid fieri amicius, quid jucundius, quid verius potest? Aufer ista, obsecro, ‘puerulum audacem’ aut ‘temerarium consultorem’. Periculum est plane, ne tu quicquam pueriliter aut inconsulte suadeas? Mihi crede, si tu vis (si minus, egomet mihi credam), seniorum a te prudentiam exsuperari. 2 Denique in isto negotio tuum consilium canum et grave, meum vero puerile deprendo. Quid enim opus est aequis et iniquis spectabulum praebere? Sive sit iste Herodes vir frugi et pudicus, proletarei conviciis talem a me virum non est verum; sive nequam et inprobus est, non aeua mihi cum eo certatio neque idem detrimenti capitur. Omnis enim cum polluto conplexus, tametsi superes, commaculat. Sed illud verius est, probum virum esse, quem tu dignum tutela tua judicas. Quod si umquam scissem, tum me di omnes male adflixint, si ego verbo laedere ausus fuissem quemquam amicum tibi. 3 Nunc me velim pro tuo erga me amore, quo sum beatissimus in hac etiam parte consilio juves. Quin nihil extra causam dicere debeam, quod Heroden laedat non dubito. Sed ea, quae in causa sunt (sunt autem atrocissima), quemadmodum tractem, id ipsum est, quod addubito et consilium posco: Dicendum est de hominibus liberis crudeliter verberatis et spoliatis, uno vero occiso; dicendum de filio impio et precum paternarum inmemore; saevitia et avaritia exprobanda; carnifex quidam Herodes in hac causa constituendus. Quodsi in istis criminibus quibus causa nititur putas debere me ex summis opibus adversarium urgere et premere, fac me, domine optime et mihi dulcissime, comsilii tui certiorem. Si vero in his quoque remittendum aliquid putas, quod tu suaseris id optimum factu ducam. Illud quidem, ut dixi, firmum et ratum habeto, nihil extra causam de moribus et cetera ejus vita me dicturum. Quodsi tibi videbitur servire me causae debere, jam nunc admoneo ne me inmoderate usurum quidem causae occasione: Atrocia enim sunt crimina et atrociter dicenda; illa ipsa de laesis et spoliatis hominibus ita a me dicentur, ut fel et vilem sapiant; sicubi Graeculum et indoctum dicero, non erit internecivum. 4 Vale, Caesar, et me, ut facis, ama plurimum. Ego vero etiam litterulas tuas δὶς amo, quare cupiam, ubi quid ad me scribes, tua manu scribas.