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-and tell me where we can meet and to what place you wish me to come.

After my last conversation with Hirtius I decided to ask that we should be allowed to remain at Rome under the protection of a state guard. I don't think they will concede that; for we shall be casting a grave slur upon them. However, I thought I must not omit to make any demand which I considered equitable.

DCXCVIII (F VI, 16)

AULUS POMPEIUS BITHYNICUS' TO CICERO (AT ROME)

SICILY (MARCH)

IF I had not personally many valid causes for friendship with you, I would have referred to the origin of that friendship which began with our fathers. But that is, I think, only to be done by those who have not kept up a paternal friendship by any good offices themselves. I shall be content therefore with our own personal friendship, in reliance on which I beg you to protect me in my absence, with the assurance that no kindness on your part will ever fade from my mind. Good-bye.

1 Prætor of Sicily, and a partisan of Cæsar. He seems to think that Cæsar's death may put him in a dangerous position, in which Cicero may be of use to him. See Cicero's answer, Letter DCCVIII., p. 14.

DCXCIX (F XV, 20)

TO GAIUS TREBONIUS (ON HIS WAY TO ASIA)

(ROME OR TUSCULUM (?), APRIL)

MY ORATOR-for that is the title I have given it—I have handed to your Sabine servant. His nationality made me think that he was a proper person to whom to give it : unless he too has availed himself of the licence of candidates and has suddenly adopted this surname. However, the modesty of his look and the gravity of his conversation seemed to me to smack somewhat of Cures.' But enough about Sabinus.

Since at your departure, my dear Trebonius, while wishing to aid me to bear with greater patience my warm regret for your absence, you only poured a good deal of oil on the fire of my love for you, pray bombard me with frequent letters on the understanding that I will do the same to you. There are, however, two reasons why you should be more regular in performing that service than myself: First, that in old days those remaining at Rome were accustomed to write on public affairs to their friends in the provinces; whereas you are now bound to write to us: for the Republic is there. Secondly, because I have the opportunity of serving your during your absence in other ways, while I do not see how you can do that for me except by letters. But you must write on other matters to me afterwards; at present the first thing I desire to know is what sort of journey you are having; where you have seen our friend Brutus, how long you have been together. Presently, when you have got farther on your way, you must write to me about military affairs, and the whole business, that I may know how we

1 Cicero is referring to the primitive manners and morals of the Sabines -often celebrated by Horace. The reference to the possible assumption of a name after the manner of candidates is believed to refer to Ventidius Bassus having done so in his canvass this year for the prætorship.

stand.' I shall not look upon any information as certain except what I get from your letters. Take care of your health, and preserve your old supreme affection for me.

DCC (A XIV, 1)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

MATIUS'S SUBURBAN VILLA, 7 APRIL

2

I HAVE Come on a visit to the man, of whom I was talking to you this morning. His view is that "the state of things is perfectly shocking: that there is no way out of the embroglio. For if a man of Cæsar's genius failed, who can hope to succeed?" In short, he says that the ruin is complete. I am not sure that he is wrong; but then he rejoices in it, and declares that within twenty days there will be a rising in Gaul: that he has not had any conversation with anyone except Lepidus since the Ides of March: finally that these things can't pass off like this. What a wise man Oppius is, who regrets Cæsar quite as much, but yet says nothing that can offend any loyalist! But enough of this. Pray don't be idle about writing me word of anything new, for I expect a great deal. Among other things, whether we can rely on Sextus Pompeius; but above all about our friend Brutus, of whom my host says that Cæsar was in the habit of remarking: "It is of great import

1 Recent editors-except Tyrrell and Purser-place this letter at the end of B.C. 46 or the beginning of B. C. 45. It is no doubt strange that, writing to one of the assassins, Cicero should not refer to Cæsar's death or the change it had made. But there are reasons against thinking that the journey referred to was that which Trebonius took to Narbo, for that was in B. C. 45, about the time of the battle of Munda (2 Phil. § 34), and Cicero would hardly have said that he relied entirely on Trebonius for authentic information as to the Spanish campaign; whereas he went to Asia with a full understanding with the Anti-Cæsarians that he was to organize a force in Asia to aid Brutus and Cassius. The Orator was no doubt now a year and a half old; but Trebonius may have asked for a copy on his journey, for he was in Spain when it first appeared. 2 Gaius Matius (Calvena), as shewn in the letters following.

ance what that man wishes; at any rate, whatever he wishes he wishes strongly": and that he noticed, when he was pleading for Deiotarus at Nicæa,' that he seemed to speak with great spirit and freedom. Also-for I like to jot down things as they occur to me-that when on the request of Sestius I went to Cæsar's house, and was sitting waiting till I was called in, he remarked: "Can I doubt that I am exceedingly disliked, when Marcus Cicero has to sit waiting and cannot see me at his own convenience? And yet if there is a good-natured man in the world it is he; still I feel no doubt that he heartily dislikes me." This and a good deal of the same sort. But to my purpose. Whatever the news, small as well as great, write and tell me of it. I will on my side let nothing pass.

DCCI (A XIV, 2)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

TUSCULUM, 8 APRIL

I RECEIVED two letters from you yesterday. The first informed me of the scene in the theatre and at Publilius's mime-a good sign of the unanimous feeling of the people at large. Indeed the applause given to Lucius Cassius appeared to me even a trifle effusive.3

Your second letter was about our friend Bald-pate.* He

1 In B.C. 47, when Cæsar was on his way home from the Pontic campaign. Deiotarus had been Pompeian, and was afterwards accused of having attempted to poison Cæsar, but the subject of Brutus' pleading was whether he was to retain his dominions.

2 At the representation of a mime of Publilius Sura, during which the people, as usual, had cheered their favourites.

3 L. Cassius (brother of C. Cassius) had been a Cæsarian, but had in some way shewn sympathy with the assassins, and though tribune had been threatened with death by Antony if he came into the senate (3 Phil. $35). Cicero thinks applause given to him shews popular feeling for the party of the assassins.

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4 Madaro padapy=" Baldhead," a pun on the cognomen of Cicero's host, C. Matius Calvena. The next sentence is almost desperate. The

has no tendency to savage measures, as you imagine. For he has advanced, though not very far.

I have been detained rather a long time by his talk: but as to what I told you in my last, perhaps I did put it obscurely. It was this. He said Cæsar remarked to him, on the occasion of my calling on him at the request of Sestius and having to sit waiting: "Do you suppose I am such a fool as to think that this man, good-natured as he is, can like me, when he has to sit all this time waiting on my convenience?" 1

Well then, there's your Bald-pate bitterly opposed to the public peace, that is, to Brutus.

I go to Tusculum to-day; to-morrow at Lanuvium; thence I think of staying at Astura. I shall be glad to see Pilia, but I could have wished for Attica also. However, I forgive you. Kind regards to both.

DCCII (A XIV, 3)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

TUSCULUM (9 APRIL)

YOUR letter has a peaceful tone. I hope it may last! for Matius declared it impossible. Here are my builders who went to Rome to purchase corn, and returning emptyhanded, bring a loud report that at Rome all corn is being

MSS. have paλákwμa, which means nothing. I think that Atticus from Cicero's last letter gathered that Matius-a strong Cæsarian-was for violent measures; that Cicero means here to modify it, and to say that he has moved somewhat in the direction of conciliation, though not far enough, for he is still bitterly opposed to Brutus. I therefore propose for the unintelligible paλákwμa a word used by Atticus before (vii. 12), nullus φαλαρισμός.

1 It is very likely that Cicero wrote this letter in his carriage on the way to Tusculum. He explains that he is late, having been detained by the talk of Matius, but he has just time to repeat the story that follows more clearly than in his last letter. It comes in parenthetically in the middle of his observations about Matius, just as a man might jot down things on a journey.

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