B.C. 46, ÆT. 60
of our friendship, than which nothing could be more grateful
to my feelings. For the future you will oblige me still more
if you will write to me in a friendly way about public affairs,
that is, the state of your province, and the details of your
administration. Although I shall be sure to hear of these
things from many people, considering your distinguished
position, nevertheless I should be extremely glad to learn
them from a letter of your own. For my part, I shall not
often write to you my sentiments on imperial politics owing
to the risk of a letter of that kind; but of what is actually
being done I will frequently inform you. Still I seem to
hope that our colleague[1] Cæsar will be careful to see that
we have a constitution of some kind. It was of great
importance that you should take part in his deliberations:
but if it is more for your interests, that is, better for your
reputation, that you should govern Asia and protect a part
of the empire which has suffered from misgovernment,[2]
I also am bound to prefer that course which will best
serve you and your glory. For my part, I will attend with
the greatest zeal and activity to whatever I think likely to be
of importance to your position; and first and foremost I will
guard with every kind of respectful attention your most illustrious
father,[3] as I am bound to do in view of our long standing
friendship, of the kindnesses received by me from your
family, and of his own noble character.
- [Footnote: years, among other honours, this year after the news of Thapsus (Dio,
43. 14).]
- ↑ Cæsar had become an augur, in virtue of a decree of B.C. 47 making him a member of all the sacred colleges (Dio, 42, 51). We do not know the date of the election of Isauricus—Cæsar's colleague in the consulship of B.C. 48—but it was probably in B.C. 47, when there were two death vacancies (Q. Cassius and Appius Claudius). He was now proconsul of Asia. For Cicero's election in B.C. 53, see vol. ii., p. 107 (note); cp. vol. i., p. 90.
- ↑ The sort of injuries inflicted on Asia may be gathered from vol. i., p. 73; cp. de imper. Pomp. § 64.
- ↑ P. Servilius Vatia, consul B.C. 79, who has received the cognomen of Isauricus from his victory over the Isaurian robber tribes (B.C. 78), for which he celebrated a triumph in B.C. 74. He died in B.C. 44.
