B.C. 46, ÆT. 60
often minute, I will look out for every chance, and will
not pass over any opportunity of helping and relieving
you. Accordingly, that second style of letter which I
mentioned will daily, I hope, become easier to adopt—enabling
me to make promises also. That I should prefer
doing practically rather than in mere words. I would have
you be convinced of this—that you have more friends than
others who are and have been in the same misfortune as
yourself, as far at least as I have been able to ascertain;
and that I yield to no one of them. Be sure you keep up
a brave and lofty spirit. That depends on yourself alone:
what depends on fortune will be guided by circumstances
and provided for by prudent measures on our part.
CCCCXC (F VI, 10, §§ 1-3)
TO TREBIANUS (IN EXILE)
Rome (September)
Of the value I feel and always have felt for you, and of the
value which I know you feel for me, I am myself the witness.
Two things cause me as much anxiety as my misfortunes
always caused you. The first is your policy, or perhaps I
should say your misfortune, in remaining too long in the prosecution
of a civil war; the second, that the recovery of your
property and position is slower than is fair and than I could
have wished. Accordingly, I have opened my whole heart
to Postumulenus, Sestius, and (most frequently) to our friend
Atticus, and recently to your freedman Theudas, and have
repeated to them separately on several occasions, that by
whatever means I could I desired to do all that you and
your sons could wish. And I would have you write and
tell your family that, as far at least as it lies in my power,
they should regard my efforts, advice, property, and fidelity
as at their service for all purposes. If my influence and
favour were as great as they ought to be in a state which
I have served so well, you too would now be what you
