To L. Papirius Paetus
editCicero, imperator, to Paetus
Your letter made me out to be the greatest leader. I was completely unaware that you were so familiar with military matters; I see you have often read the books of Pyrrhus and of Cineas. Accordingly, I am considering obeying your commands; this in addition, having some little ships on the coast. They say that, against a Parthian horseman, no better weapon can be found. But why are we messing around? You don’t know what imperator you’re dealing with. The education of Cyrus, which I had worn out in reading it, I unrolled all of it during this command. But we shall joke around at another time, not long from now in person, I hope.
Now you are here for ordering, or rather for obeying; indeed, the ancients used to speak so. I have the greatest enjoyment with M. Fabius, which I think you know, and like him very much, not only for his greatest honesty and excellent modesty, but also because, in the disputes which I have with your fellow Epicurean drinkers, I am accustomed to use his most excellent service. When he had come to me at Laodicea and I wanted him to be with me, he was suddenly struck by the most dreadful letter, in which it had been written that the farm at Herculaneum had been confiscated by his brother Q. Fabius, which farm was shared with him. M. Fabius took this very seriously and thought that his brother, a man not wise, had come to this point at the instigation of Marcus’s enemies.
Now please, my Paetus, undertake the entire affair, free Fabius from this annoyance. I have need of your authority and wisdom, and even your goodwill. Don’t allow the brothers to go to court and be ruined by shameful cases. Fabius has Mato and Pollio as his enemies. What else? By Hercules, I am unable to write how happy you will have made me if you return Fabius at peace. He thinks this has been placed upon you, and prompts me to ask.