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DCCCLXIV (BRUT. I, 7)

M. IUNIUS BRUTUS TO CICERO (AT ROME)

(MACEDONIA, LATTER PART OF MAY)

No one can better judge than you how dear Lucius Bibulus ought to be to me, considering his great struggles and anxieties on behalf of the Republic. Accordingly, his own excellence as well as our intimacy ought to make him your friend. I think myself therefore obliged to write at the less length for a wish of mine ought to influence you, provided that it is equitable and is conceived in fulfilment of a necessary duty. He has resolved to stand for the place of Pansa.1 I beg you therefore to nominate him. You cannot do a favour to any man more closely attached than we are to you, nor can you nominate a more deserving man than Bibulus. What need to write about Domitius and Appuleius, seeing that they are most warmly recommended to you by their own merits? To Appuleius certainly you are bound to lend the protection of your influence-but Appuleius's praises shall be sung in the special letter he brings with him. Do not fail to take Bibulus to your bosoma man, believe me, who may develop into the sort of character to deserve your most select praises.

1 Two of the sons of Bibulus perished in a mutiny at Alexandria, and in B.C. 50 we find him trying in vain to get a third surviving son elected augur. This L. Calpurnius Bibulus may be a son of Porcia, and therefore stepson to Brutus, of whom he lived to write a memoir (vol. ii., p. 184).

2 To the augurship.

DCCCLXV (F X, 34, §§ 1, 2)

M. ÆMILIUS LEPIDUS TO CICERO (AT

ROME)

PONS ARGENTEUS (18 MAY)

If you are well, I am glad. I am well. Having been informed that Antony, after sending Lucius Antonius in advance with a detachment of his cavalry, was coming with his forces into my province, I moved with my army from the confluence of the Rhone' and determined to oppose them. Accordingly, I have come by daily marches to Forum Voconii,' and to the east of that town I have pitched a camp on the river Argens opposite the Antonians. Publius Ventidius has united his three legions with him and has pitched a camp still farther to the east. Antony had before this junction the fifth legion, and a large number of men drawn from the other legions, but without arms. He has a large force of cavalry: for it got away after the battle without loss, so that there are more than five thousand troopers. A large number of infantry and cavalry have deserted to me from him, and his force is shrinking every day. Silanus and Culleo have abandoned him. Although they had done me a serious wrong in hav

1 The confluence of the Rhone and the Durance, near Avignon.

2 A station on the via Aurelia, but its exact site is uncertain. Mr. Hall (The Romans on the Riviera, p. 183) places it in the territory of le Luc, twenty-four Roman miles west of Fréjus.

'M. Iunius Šilanus was a son of Servilia by her second husband, D. Iunius Silanus, and therefore half-brother of Marcus Brutus and brotherin-law of Lepidus. He commanded the prætorian cohort in Antony's army, and fought at Mutina. He survived to be consul in B. C. 25. His connexion with Lepidus no doubt caused his present move. According to Dio (46, 38), he had been sent by Lepidus to assist Decimus at Mutina with the secret understanding that he was to do nothing. Q. Terentius Culleo-mentioned once or twice before-must have been a rather lukewarm Cæsarian (see vol. i., p. 162; vol. ii., p. 301). Lepidus had, however, stationed him on the pass over the Maritime Alps-the Riviera-but probably by connivance of Lepidus himself he

ing joined Antony contrary to my wish, yet for kindness' sake, and in view of our close connexion, I have granted them their lives, but I am not employing them, nor allowing them to remain in camp, and I have not given them any command. As far as this war is concerned, I shall not be wanting in my duty to the senate nor to the Republic. I will keep you acquainted with my future proceedings.'

DCCCLXVI (F X, 18)

L. MUNATIUS PLANCUS TO CICERO (AT

ROME)

GAUL, 18 MAY

WHAT I had in my mind when Lævus and Nerva quitted me you have been able to ascertain by the letter which I forwarded by them and from these men personally, who have taken part in all my actions and consultations. There has

happened to me what usually does happen to a man of honour and one who is desirous of doing his duty to the state, in fact to all good men, that I preferred to pursue a dangerous course with an approving conscience, rather than a safe one which might lay me open to some reproach.

Accordingly, after the departure of his legates, as Lepidus in two successive letters begged me to join him, and Laterensis still more strongly begged me to do so in terms almost of entreaty-shewing no dread of anything except what causes me also some alarm, the fickleness and untrustworthy temper of his army-I thought I ought not to hesitate about hurrying to his assistance and confronting the common danger. Now the safe course for me was to wait on the Isère till Dec. Brutus got his army across the mountains, and to go to meet the enemy with a colleague in sympathy with my views and an army in full accord and well-affected to the had not opposed Antony's passage, and indeed seems to have joined him (App. B. C. iii. 83).

On the 29th of May Lepidus joined Antony.

Republic, as his soldiers are. Nevertheless I knew that if Lepidus while entertaining loyal ideas came to any harm, it would all be laid to the charge either of my obstinacy or my timidity. I saw plainly that this would be so, if I either failed to relieve a man closely united with the Republic, though on bad terms with myself, or had myself withdrawn from the struggle in a war of such moment. So I preferred to run the risk, and to see whether my presence might afford Lepidus protection and render his army better-affected, rather than appear over-cautious. At any rate I think there never was anyone more anxious, without any fault of his own, than myself. For the very situation which was causing me no hesitation, supposing Lepidus's army away, in the present state of things brings me great anxiety and involves great risk. For if it had been my fortune to encounter Antony first, he would not, by heaven, have held his ground an hour. So confident do I feel in myself and so completely do I despise his demoralized forces and the division of Ventidius the mule-man.' But I cannot but shudder at the idea of some hidden wound, which may cause mischief before it can be known and treated. But certainly unless I had remained on the same ground Lepidus himself and the wellaffected part of his army would have incurred great danger. The unscrupulous enemy also would have secured a great accession of force, if they had withdrawn any of his troops from Lepidus. And if my arrival has stopped these things occurring I shall thank my stars and my own firmness, which incited me to make this experiment. Therefore on the 20th of May I broke up my camp on the Isère: I left the bridge standing, however, which I had constructed over that river, with a fort placed at each end of it; and in them I stationed strong garrisons, that there might be a means of crossing without delay ready for Brutus and his army when he came. I shall myself, I hope, in eight days from the despatch of this letter effect a junction with the forces of Lepidus.

1 P. Ventidius Bassus had in earlier life contracted for the supply of mules to Cæsar's army. It was in that capacity that he seems to have attracted Cæsar's notice and confidence.

2 Decimus Brutus was at Eporedia (Ivrée), ready to cross by the Little St. Bernard pass, which would bring him into Provence, and in his march south he would have to cross the Isère.

DCCCLXVII (F XI, 18)

TO DECIMUS BRUTUS (NEAR VERCELLA)

ROME, 19 MAY

THOUGH from the message which you gave to Galba and Volumnius for the senate I have a good guess as to what you thought was the danger ahead, yet the message seemed to me to be less confident than suited the victory gained by yourself and the Roman people. The senate, however, my dear Brutus, is resolute and has resolute leaders. It was therefore somewhat hurt that it should be considered timid and spiritless by you, whom it considered the bravest of men. For considering that even when you were invested everybody retained the most confident hope in your valour, though Antony was in full vigour, who could be afraid of anything after he had been defeated and you released? Nor, indeed, are we afraid of Lepidus. For who in the world could expect him to be such a madman as, after saying in the midst of a most formidable war that he desired peace, to proclaim war against the Republic after the ardently desired peace had been obtained? And I do not doubt your seeing farther ahead than we can. But nevertheless a renewal of alarm so soon after the thanksgiving which we offered at all the temples in your name does cause bitter disappointment. Therefore, for my part, my wish is as it is my hope-that Antony has been entirely ruined and crushed: but if he has by chance collected some forces, he shall feel that the senate is not without wisdom, nor the Roman people without valour, nor the Republic— as long as you are alive-without a general.

19 May.

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