DLXXXIII (A XII, 40)
TO ATTICUS (IN HIS SUBURBAN VILLA)
Astura (9 May)
What the nature of Cæsar's invective in answer to my panegyric[1]
is likely to be, I have seen clearly from the book,
which Hirtius has sent me, in which he collects Cato's
faults, but combined with very warm praise of myself. Accordingly,
I have sent the book to Musca with directions to
give it to your copyists. As I wish it to be made public:
to facilitate that please give orders to your men. I often
try my hand at an "essay of advice."[2] I can't hit upon
anything to say: and yet I have by me Aristotle and
Theopompus "to Alexander." But where is the analogy?
They were writing what was at once honourable to themselves
and acceptable to Alexander. Can you find any
similar circumstance in my case? For my part nothing
occurs to me. You say in your letter that you fear that
both our popularity and influence will suffer by such mourning
as mine. I don't know what people object to or expect.
That I should not grieve? How can that be? That I should
not be prostrated? Who was ever less so? While I was
finding consolation in your house, who was ever refused admittance
to me? Who ever came to see me who felt any
awkwardness? I came to Astura from your house. Those
cheerful friends of yours who find fault with me cannot read
as much as I have written. Well or ill is not the question:
but the substance of my writings was such as no one could
have composed who was broken down in spirit. I have been. Theopompus
(b. B.C. 378) wrote among his orations ([Greek: symbouleutikoi logoi]) one addressed
to Alexander on the state of his native Chios.]
- ↑ That is, an answer to Cicero's Cato. Hirtius—under Cæsar's direction —appears to have published an answer, which was meant to be a prologue to a fuller one by Cæsar himself, which appeared afterwards in two books (Suet. Iul. 56).
- ↑ Addressed to Cæsar, on the resettlement of the constitution. Aristotle addressed a treatise to Alexander [Greek: peri Basileias
