The Letters of Cicero Part 20

[Footnote 297: There is no direct means of dating these letters, as we have no other information as to the proconsuls.h.i.+p of Culleolus.

Illyric.u.m was not always a separate government, but was sometimes under the governor of Macedonia, sometimes under the governor of Gaul. The indications of date are (1) Pompey is at home and often seen by Cicero, therefore it is not between the spring of B.C. 67 and the end of 62; (2) it is not later than March, B.C. 58, because from that time for ten years Caesar was governor of Illyric.u.m, and before he ceased to be so Pompey had left Italy, never to return. Even if Culleolus was not governor of Illyric.u.m, but of Macedonia, the same argument holds good, for C. Antonius was in Macedonia B.C. 63-60, and Octavius from B.C. 60 to March, B.C. 59. That is, Culleolus could not have been in Macedonia while Pompey was in Italy till after March, B.C. 59.]

[Footnote 298: L. Lucceius, whom we have heard of before as a candidate for the consuls.h.i.+p with Caesar, and whom we shall hear of again as the author of a history of the social and civil wars (Sulla and Marius), and as being asked to write on Cicero's consuls.h.i.+p. He was a close friend of Pompey, and took his side in B.C. 49 (Caes. _B. C._ iii. 18). The people of Bullis owed Lucceius money, and Cicero asks for "mandatory letters"

from Culleolus to get it.]

LIV (F XIII, 41)

TO L. CULLEOLUS (IN ILLYRIc.u.m)

ROME

[Sidenote: B.C. 59, aeT. 47]

In what you have done for the sake of L. Lucceius, I wish you to be fully aware that you have obliged a man who will be exceedingly grateful; and that, while this is very much the case with Lucceius himself, so also Pompey as often as he sees me--and he sees me very often--thanks you in no common terms. I add also, what I know will be exceedingly gratifying to you, that I am myself immensely delighted with your kindness to Lucceius. For the rest, though I have no doubt that as you acted before for my sake, so now, for the sake of your own consistency, you will abide by your liberal intentions, yet I reiterate my request to you with all earnestness, that what you first gave us reason to hope, and then actually carried out, you would be so good as to see extended and brought to a final completion by your means. I a.s.sure you, and I pledge my credit to it, that such a course will be exceedingly gratifying to both Lucceius and Pompey, and that you will be making a most excellent investment with them. About politics, and about the business going on here, and what we are all thinking about, I wrote to you in full detail a few days ago, and delivered the letter to your servants. Farewell.

LETTERS IN EXILE

[Sidenote: B.C. 58. Coss., L. Piso, A. Gabinius.]

We have no record in Cicero's correspondence of the final measures taken by Clodius against him. We find him when the correspondence for this year opens on his way to exile: all his boasts of staying and fighting have been thrown to the winds. Clodius, indeed, had not simply done what Cicero expected at the worst--impeached him.

He had gone more systematically to work. Among other measures calculated to win popularity, he proposed a modification of the _lex aelia Fufia_, declaring it illegal for a magistrate to stop legislative _comitia_ by "watching the sky." Thus freed from one hindrance, he next proposed and carried a law for the prosecution of any magistrate who had put a citizen to death without trial (_qui indemnatos cives necavisset_). Cicero at once recognized his danger: if the people voted this law, a jury could scarcely fail to condemn. The triumvirs would do nothing. Pompey, after all his promises, avoided seeing Cicero as much as possible: Caesar offered him a _legatio_ again; and though he spoke against giving the law a retrospective effect, he could not consistently object to the law itself, and shewed no sign of desiring to shelter Cicero, except on his consenting to leave Rome. Cicero then adopted the course which was open to all citizens threatened with a prosecution--that of going away from Rome--and started apparently with the view of going to Malta. Whether it was wise or not, Cicero afterwards lamented having taken this course, and thought that he had better have braved the danger and stood his trial. It at any rate facilitated the next move of Clodius, who proposed and carried a bill forbidding Cicero "fire and water" within 500 (afterwards reduced to 400) miles of Italy, and confiscating his property. Accordingly, Cicero had to go much farther than he had intended. He crossed from Brundisium to Dyrrachium, and proceeded along the _via Egnatia_ to its terminus at Thessalonica, where he spent the autumn, B.C. 58.

In November, B.C. 58, he returned to Dyrrachium, ready for the recall which he heard was imminent. Meanwhile his town house was destroyed, its site made a _templum_, and a statue of Liberty set up in it, and his villas at Tusculum and Antium dismantled. The dangers of his position are not exaggerated in his letters, and may account for much of their melancholy tone. He had lost the protection of the laws, and any one of his many enemies meeting him might have killed him with practical impunity. He seems to have left Rome in April.

LV (A III, 3)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

VIBO, APRIL

[Sidenote: B.C. 58, aeT. 48]

I hope I may see the day when I shall thank you for having compelled me to remain alive! At present I thoroughly repent it. But I beg you to come and see me at Vibo at once, to which town I have for several reasons directed my journey.[299] But if you will only come there, I shall be able to consult you about my entire journey and exile. If you don't do so, I shall be surprised, but I feel sure you will.

[Footnote 299: Mod. _Monte Leone_, on the road to Rhegium, from which at this time Cicero meant to cross to Sicily, and thence to Malta.]

LVI (A III, 2)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

NARES LUCANae,[300] APRIL

[Sidenote: B.C. 58, aeT. 48]

The reason for having come this journey is that there was no place where I could be independent except on Sica's estate,[301] especially till the bill is emended,[302] and at the same time because I find that from this spot I can reach Brundisium, if you were only with me, but without you I cannot stay in those parts owing to Autronius.[303] At present, as I said in my previous letter, if you will come to me, we shall be able to form a plan for the whole business. I know the journey is troublesome, but the whole calamity is full of troubles. I cannot write more, I am so heart-broken and dejected. Take care of your health.

From Nares Lucanae, 8 April.

[Footnote 300: Nares Lucanae (_Monte Nero_), near the River Silarus, and on the _via Popilia_ (south-western branch of the _Appia_). Cicero has therefore come north again from Vibo, having given up the idea of Rhegium and Sicily, and making for Beneventum, and so by the _via Appia_ for Brundisium.]

[Footnote 301: A friend of Cicero's, of whose death at Brundisium we afterwards hear (_Fam._ xiv. 4, -- 6).]

[Footnote 302: The bill originally named 500 miles as the distance from Italy. Before pa.s.sing it had to be put up in public three weeks (_trinundinae_), and meanwhile might be amended, and was amended to 400.]

[Footnote 303: P. Autronius Paetus, one of Catiline's confederates, who would injure Cicero if he could. Cicero would not be able to reach Epirus without coming within his reach; for he had been condemned for _ambitus_, and was in exile there or in Achaia. _Illas partes_=Epirus.]

LVII (A III, 4)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

NEAR VIBO, APRIL

[Sidenote: B.C. 58, aeT. 48]

I hope you will attribute my sudden departure from Vibo, whither I had asked you come, to my unhappiness rather than to fickleness. A copy of the bill for my ruin was brought to me, in which the correction of which I had been told was to the effect that I might legally remain anywhere beyond 400 miles. Since I was not allowed to go yonder,[304] I set out towards Brundisium before the day for carrying the bill had come, both to prevent Sica, in whose house I was staying, from being ruined,[305]

and because I was prevented from residing at Malta. So now make haste to catch me up, if only I shall find any welcome there.[306] At present I receive kind invitations. But about the rest of my journey I am nervous.

Truly, my dear Pomponius, I am very sorry I consented to live: in which matter you exercised the chief influence with me. But of these things when we meet. Only be sure and come.

[Footnote 304: To Malta. The propraetor of Sicily, C. Vergilius, opposed his going to Malta, which was in the province of Sicily, though it had a _primus_ of its own (_Planc._ 40; Plut. _Cic._ 32).]

[Footnote 305: Because of entertaining the condemned man, a special proviso in this law (Dio, x.x.xviii. 17).]

[Footnote 306: In Epirus, believing that Atticus will understand that his going to Brundisium means that he will go to Epirus: and as Atticus lives there, he naturally asks him to come to meet him. Epirus was, for certain purposes at least, in the province of Macedonia, and it depended on the governor, L. Appuleius Saturninus, what reception he would meet.

His friend Plancius was quaestor.]

LVIII (A III, 1)