B.C. 45, ÆT. 61 would have you shew wisdom and courage, in order that the moderation and dignity of your bearing may throw discredit on the unfair treatment you have met with from others.[1]
DCLXXVIII (A XIII, 42)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
Tusculum (end of December)
He[2] has been to see me and with a very dejected air.
Said I to him: "Why so gloomy?" "Can you ask," said
he, "when I am about to start on a journey, and a journey
to the seat of war—a journey, too, that is not only dangerous,
but discreditable as well?"[3] "What is the compulsion,
then?" said I. "Debt," said he, "and yet I haven't even
money enough for the journey." At this point I took a hint
from your kind of eloquence. I held my tongue. He went
on: "But what gives me most pain is my uncle."[4] "Why
is that?" said I. "Because he is angry with me," said he.
"Why do you allow him to be so," said I—for I prefer
using that word to "Why do you incur it?" "I won't
allow it," said he, "for I will remove the reason." "Excellent!"
said I; "but if it won't be disagreeable to you,
I should like to know what the reason is." "Because, while
hesitating as to whom to marry, I vexed my mother, and
consequently him too. However, nothing can make up for
doing that in my eyes. I will do what they wish." "I
wish you good luck," I said, "and I commend your resolution.
But when is it to be?" "Oh, I don't care about the
time," he said, "since I accept the thing." "Well, my
- ↑ Cicero means to refer to Antony, who had opposed Dolabella's consulship, for which Dolabella inveighed against him in the senate on the next Kalends of January. See the passage of the second Philippic quoted in the note to the previous letter.
- ↑ Cicero's nephew Quintus.
- ↑ Quintus is going with Cæsar to the wars against the Getæ and the Parthians. He seems to call the journey dishonourable to himself, not on its own account, but because of his motive in undertaking the service, i.e., to avoid his creditors.
- ↑ Atticus.
