Letter 112

I am very glad that you have arrived safely in Epirus and, as you write, made the crossing to your satisfaction; but I am rather put out that you are not in Rome at this moment when I so very much need you. Yet I console myself with this one thought: I hope you will spend the winter there pleasantly and rest in comfort. [2] Gaius Cassius, the brother of your friend Quintus Cassius, had sent that more cautious letter about which you ask me what it was meant to convey, before the one he sent afterward, in which he writes that the Parthian war has been finished off by his own doing. They had indeed withdrawn from Antioch before the arrival of Bibulus, but not because of any feat of arms on our side [euemeremati = a fortunate stroke of success]; today, in fact, they are wintering in Cyrrhestica, and a very great war is hanging over us. For the son of Orodes, king of the Parthians, is in our province, and Deiotarus, to whose son the daughter of Artavasdes is betrothed, and who therefore can be relied on to know, has no doubt that the king himself will cross the Euphrates with all his forces at the beginning of the summer. Now on the very day on which Cassius' victorious dispatch was read out in the Senate, dated the Nones of October [October 7], on that same day mine was read, announcing the disturbance. Our friend Axius says that mine were thought to carry full authority, and denies that theirs were believed. Bibulus' had not yet been brought; and I know for certain that they will be full of alarm. [3] From all this I am afraid of the following: that since Pompey, because of the fear of revolution, is to be sent away nowhere, and no honor is to be granted to Caesar by the Senate while this knot is being untied, the Senate may think that we ought not to leave before a successor has come, and that in such a great upheaval of affairs single legates ought not to be set over such great provinces. I shudder at the thought that my command here may be prolonged, something which not even a tribune's veto could prevent, and all the more because you are away, you who would have come to my aid in many matters by your counsel, your influence, your zeal. But you will say that I am building up worry for myself. I am forced to wish it may be so; but I fear everything. And yet that letter of yours, which you sent off while seasick at Buthrotum, has a fine coda [akroteleution = the closing flourish]: 'as far as I can see and hope, there will be no delay for you in leaving.' I would rather you had stopped at 'as far as I can see'; there was no need for 'as I hope.' [4] I had received, fairly quickly, at Iconium, through the tax-farmers' couriers, a letter sent off just after the triumph of Lentulus. In it you confirm that bittersweet point [glukupikron = bittersweet], that there will be no delay for me; then you add that, if anything goes otherwise, you will come to me. Your hesitations distress me; and at the same time you see which letters I have received. For the one you yourself write that you handed to the servant of Hermo the centurion, I have not received. You had often written to me that you had given letters to the slaves of Laenius. Those, dated the tenth day before the Kalends of October [September 22], Laenius at last delivered to me at Laodicea, the third day before the Ides of February [February 11], when I had arrived there. I will prove the worth of your recommendations to Laenius, at once in words and from now on in deed. That letter contained nothing but old matters except this one new item, about the panthers of Cibyra. I am very fond of you for having answered Marcus Octavius that you did not think it likely. But hereafter give a flat 'no' to everything that is not proper. For I myself, both firmly resolved of my own accord and, by Hercules, fired up by your authority, have surpassed everyone (this you will find to be so) in self-restraint, and likewise in justice, in approachability, in clemency. Do not suppose that people have ever marveled at anything more than that, while I hold the province, not a farthing has been spent, either on the public account or on any of my staff, except on the legate Lucius Tullius. [5] He is in other respects abstemious, but as he travels through under the Julian law he does take something once a day, though not, as others used to, at every village (apart from him, no one has taken anything once). This makes it necessary for me to make an exception of him when I say that not a farthing has been spent. Apart from him no one has taken anything. This particular blemish I owe to our friend Quintus Titinius. [6] When the summer campaigns were over, I put my brother Quintus in charge of the winter quarters and of Cilicia. Quintus Volusius, the son-in-law of your friend Tiberius, a reliable man and also wonderfully abstemious, I sent to Cyprus, so that he might be there for a few days, lest the handful of Roman citizens who do business there should complain that justice was denied them; for it is not permitted to summon the Cypriots out of the island. [7] I myself set out for Asia from Tarsus on the Nones of January [January 5], with such admiration, by Hercules, on the part of the communities of Cilicia, and especially the people of Tarsus, as cannot be described. After that, once I had crossed the Taurus, there was extraordinary expectation in Asia for our districts, which in the six months of my command had received no letters from me and had never seen a guest billeted on them. Before my time that season had every year been devoted to this kind of profit. Wealthy communities used to pay large sums of money to avoid taking soldiers into winter quarters, the Cypriots two hundred Attic talents; from which island (I speak not with exaggeration [huperbolikos = hyperbolically], but in the strictest truth) not a single coin will be exacted while I hold office. In return for these benefits, at which they are astounded, I allow no honors to be decreed to me except verbal ones; statues, shrines, four-horse chariots [tethrippa] I forbid, nor am I in any other respect a burden to the communities — but perhaps I am a burden to you in proclaiming these things about myself. Bear with it, if you love me; for you yourself wished me to act this way. [8] I made my journey through Asia, then, in such a way that even the famine, than which nothing is more wretched, which was then in this Asia of mine (for there had been no harvest), turned out to be something I could welcome. Wherever I traveled, by no force, no legal process, no harsh word, but by my authority and exhortation, I brought it about that both the Greeks and the Roman citizens who had hoarded grain promised a great quantity to the populations. [9] On the Ides of February [February 13], the day on which I am sending off this letter, I had arranged to hold the assize at Laodicea for the districts of Cibyra and Apamea; from the Ides of March, in the same place, the assize for Synnada, Pamphylia (then I shall keep an eye out for a horn for Phemius) [Phemio dispiciam keras = look out for a horn for Phemius; an obscure private joke], Lycaonia, Isauria; from the Ides of May into Cilicia, so that June may be spent there, peacefully I hope, as far as the Parthians allow. July, if things go as we wish, is to be spent on the journey, as we return through the province. For we came into the province at Laodicea in the consulship of Sulpicius and Marcellus, on the day before the Kalends of Sextilis [July 31]. From there we ought to leave on the third day before the Kalends of Sextilis [July 30]. First I shall press my brother Quintus to allow himself to be put in charge, which will happen much against his will and mine. But it cannot be done honorably otherwise, especially since I cannot retain even now that excellent man Pomptinus. For Postumius is hurrying the man off to Rome, perhaps Postumia too. [10] There you have my plans; now learn about Brutus. Your friend Brutus has, among his intimates, certain creditors of the people of Salamis in Cyprus, Marcus Scaptius and Publius Matinius, whom he has recommended to me most warmly. Matinius I do not know; Scaptius came to me in my camp. I promised that, for Brutus' sake, I would see to it that the Salaminians paid him the money. He gave thanks. He asked for a prefecture. I said that I do not give one to any businessman (a policy which I had also made plain to you, and of which I convinced Gnaeus Pompeius when he requested it — what shall I say about Torquatus regarding your friend Marcus Laenius, or about many others?); but that if he wished to be prefect on account of the bond, I would see to it that he collected. He gave thanks and departed. Our friend Appius had given this Scaptius several squadrons of cavalry with which to coerce the Salaminians, and had also made him a prefect; he was harassing the Salaminians. I ordered the cavalry to leave Cyprus. Scaptius was annoyed at it. [11] In short — to keep my word to him, when the Salaminians had come to me at Tarsus, and Scaptius among them, I ordered them to pay the money. There was much talk about the bond, about Scaptius' injuries. I said I would not listen; I urged them, I even begged them, in consideration of my benefits to their community, to settle the business; finally I said I would compel them. The men not only did not refuse but even said this, that they would be paying out of my pocket; for since I had not accepted what they used to give to the governor, in a sense they were paying it out of my money, and indeed the sum on Scaptius' account was somewhat less than the governor's revenue. I praised the men. 'Right,' said Scaptius, 'but let us total it up.' Meanwhile, whereas in my standard edict I had stated that I would observe twelve percent interest with annual compounding [anatocismo anniversario], he was demanding four times that under the bond. 'What do you say?' I said. 'Can I act against my own edict?' But he produced a decree of the Senate, passed in the consulship of Lentulus and Philippus, THAT WHOEVER GOVERNED CILICIA SHOULD GIVE JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO THAT BOND. [12] At first I shuddered, for it meant the destruction of the community. I find two decrees of the Senate, under the same consuls, concerning the same bond. When the Salaminians wished to take out a loan to pay off another at Rome, they could not, because the Gabinian law forbade it. Then these intimates of Brutus, relying on Brutus' influence, were willing to lend at four times the rate, if they were protected by a decree of the Senate. By Brutus' influence a decree of the Senate is passed, THAT NEITHER THE SALAMINIANS NOR WHOEVER HAD LENT TO THEM SHOULD SUFFER PENALTY. They paid out the money. But afterward it occurred to the moneylenders that that decree of the Senate did nothing to help them, because the Gabinian law forbade judgment being given according to the bond. Then a decree of the Senate is passed, THAT JUDGMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN ACCORDING TO THAT BOND — not that the bond should have any other legal standing than the rest, but that it should have the same. When I had set all this out, Scaptius took me aside; he said he had no objection, but that they thought they owed two hundred talents; that he was willing to accept this; but that they actually owed somewhat less. He asks me to bring them up to two hundred. 'Very well,' I said. I summon them to me, with Scaptius removed. 'Well,' I said, 'how much do you owe?' They answer one hundred and six. I refer it back to Scaptius. The man started shouting. 'Well,' I said, 'you must compare the accounts.' They sit down, they total it up; it agrees to the coin. They wished to pay, and pressed him to accept. Scaptius again takes me aside, asks me to leave the matter as it stood. I granted the request, though he made it shamelessly; the Greeks protested, demanding to deposit the sum in a temple, but I did not allow it. Everyone present cried out, some that nothing was more shameless than Scaptius, who was not content with twelve percent with compounding, others that nothing was more foolish. To me, however, he seemed more shameless than foolish; for either he was not content with twelve percent on a sound debt, or he was hoping for forty-eight percent on an unsound one. There you have my case. [13] If this is not approved by Brutus, I do not know why we should be fond of him. But his uncle [Cato] will certainly approve, especially since a decree of the Senate has just been passed, I think after you set out, in the matter of creditors, that twelve percent should be reckoned as perpetual interest. What the difference between these comes to, if I know your fingers, you certainly have already worked out. On which point, indeed — a digression along the way [hodou parergon = a by-work of the road] — Lucius Lucceius, son of Marcus, complains to me by letter that there is the greatest danger that, through the fault of the Senate, these decrees may lead matters to a cancellation of debts [tabulas novas = new account-books, i.e. debt repudiation]; he recalls what mischief Gaius Julius once did when he allowed a little postponement; never was there a greater blow to the Republic. But I return to the point. Prepare my case against Brutus, if it is a case against which nothing honorable can be said, especially since I have left the matter and the case untouched. [14] What remains is domestic affairs. As to the private matter [endomuchoi = the matter within the house, i.e. the betrothal negotiation], I approve the same as you, Postumia's son, since Pontidia is trifling. But I wish you were here. Expect nothing from my brother Quintus these months; for the Taurus, because of the snows, cannot be crossed before the month of June. Thermus, as you ask, I am bolstering with very frequent letters. King Deiotarus says that Publius Valerius has nothing and that he is being supported by him. When you know whether an intercalary month has been added at Rome or not, please write to me for certain on what day the Mysteries are to be. I look forward to your letters a little less than if you were at Rome, but still I look forward to them. Cicero

I am very glad that you have reached Epirus safely, and that you report a voyage to your liking. But I am rather upset that you are absent from Rome at a moment so critical for me. However I have one consolation: I hope you will have a pleasant winter where you are and a nice rest. You ask me the purport of a letter that C. Cassius, the brother of Q. Cassius, your friend, sent me. The letter he wrote is more modest than a subsequent epistle in which he claimed to have ended the Parthian war. The Parthians to be sure had retired from Antioch before the arrival of Bibulus: but it was not thanks to any coup de main of our troops. To-day the enemy is wintering in Cyrrhestica and a serious war is imminent: for the son of Orodes the king of the Parthians is in a Roman province, and Deiotarus, to whose son the daughter of Artavasdes is betrothed, a very competent authority, is positive that the king himself will cross the Euphrates with all his forces in the early summer. On the very day on which Cassius’ despatch, dated the 7th of October, announcing victory was read in the Senate, came mine announcing trouble. My friend Axius says that Cassius’ despatch gained no belief and mine was considered worthy of attention. Bibulus’ despatch had not yet arrived: but I know for a fact that it will express alarm. This makes me fear that the Senate may pay no respect to Caesar’s demands, refusing to let Pompey quit Rome, when revolution is imminent. Until this trouble is unravelled, it may decline to allow me to leave the province before my successor comes, and not be willing to entrust such important provinces in troublous times to legates. So I shudder to think that the term of my office may be extended without even any tribune being able to veto it; and the more so on account of your absence, when you might interfere in many cases with your advice, influence and efforts. You will say I am raising imaginary alarms. I am forced to hope that my alarms may be idle, but everything frightens me. Though your letter written at Buthrotum in sickness had a charming finale. “As I see and hope, there will be nothing to hinder your departure,” still I should prefer the phrase “as I see” and there was no need for the words “and hope.” I have received a letter dated just after the triumph of Lentulus, which was brought post haste to Iconium by the tax-farmers’ messengers. In it you repeat that bitter-sweet saying, that there will be no delay, with a postscript, that, if anything goes wrong, you yourself will come to me. I am tortured by the doubts you express: and you may see which of your letters I have received, for I have not got the letter which you say was handed to Hermo the centurion’s orderly. You have repeatedly told me you entrusted a letter to the slaves of Laenius. That letter, which was dated the 21st of September, was handed to me at last by Laenius on my arrival at Laodicea on the 11th of February. I will show Laenius at once in word and in the future in deed that your recommendation carries weight. Besides old topics the letter had one fresh one, the panthers from Cibyra. I am indebted to you for telling M. Octavius that you thought it would be impracticable. But in future give a direct “no” to any undesirable requests. Firm fixed in my own determination and fired by the weight of your opinion, I have overcome everybody as you will find by my justice, self-abnegation and easy courtesy. People were never more astonished than to learn that not a farthing has been spent during my tenure of office, either on public objects or on any of my staff, except on my legate L. Tullius. He has behaved well on the whole, but under the Julian law on one occasion en passage and for the day’s needs, and not as others would at every hamlet, he did take something. He is the sole offender; and forces me to add a rider to my remark that not a farthing has been spent upon us. Besides him no one has taken a penny. That blot I owe to my friend Q. Titinius. When the camp was struck at the end of the summer, I put my brother Quintus in charge of the winter camp and of Cilicia. Q. Volusius, son-in-law of your friend Tiberius, a safe man and wonderfully unselfish, I have sent to Cyprus, ordering him to stay a few days, that the few Roman citizens in business there may not say they have no facilities for legal process: the inhabitants cannot be summoned to a court outside the island. I myself set out for Asia from Tarsus on the fifth of January. I cannot describe how the cities in Cilicia and especially the people of Tarsus looked up to me. After crossing the Taurus, I found Asia, that is so far as my district extends, very keen to welcome me. For during the six months of my administration, there had been no requisitions and not a single case of billeting. Before my time this season had been devoted every year to the pursuit of gain. The richer states used to pay large sums to escape from having soldiers billeted on them for the winter. The people of Cyprus used to pay nearly £50,000, while under my administration, in literal truth, not a penny will be demanded. I will take no honours except speechifying in return for these kindnesses which have so amazed people. I allow neither statues, nor shrines, nor sculptured chariots: and I don’t annoy the states in any other respects—but perhaps I may annoy you by my egotism. Bear with it from your regard for me. It was you who wished me to act as I have. My tour through Asia was such that even the crowning misery of famine, which existed in my province owing to the failure of the crops, gave me a welcome opportunity. Wherever I went, without force, without legal process, without hard words, by my personal influence and exhortations, I induced Greeks and Roman citizens, who had stored corn, to promise a large quantity to the communities. On the 13th of February, the date on which I despatch this letter, I have arranged to try cases from Cibyra and Apamea at Laodicea; from the 15th of March, from Synnada, Pamphylia (when I will look out for a horn for Phemius), Lycaonia and Isaurum at the same place. After the 15th of May, I set out to spend June in Cilicia: I hope without being troubled by the Parthians. July, if things turn out as I hope, is to be spent on my journey back through the province. I entered the province at Laodicea during the consulship of Sulpicius and Marcellus on the 31st of July. I ought to quit it on the 30th of July. First, however, I must ask my brother Quintus to be good enough to take charge, which will be against the grain with us both. But it will be the only fair course, especially since even now I cannot keep that excellent fellow Pomptinus; for Postumius is dragging him back to town, and perhaps Mrs Postumius too. Those are my plans. Now let me tell you about Brutus. Among his intimates your friend Brutus has some creditors of the people of Salamis in Cyprus, M. Scaptius and P. Matinius, whom he recommended to me warmly. Matinius I have not met: Scaptius came to see me in camp. For the sake of Brutus I promised that the people of Salamis should settle their debts to him. The fellow thanked me, and asked for the post of prefect. I informed him I always refused business men, as I have told you. This rule Cn. Pompeius accepted when he made a similar request. So did Torquatus, M. Laenius, and many others. However, I told Scaptius that if he wanted the post on account of his bond, I would see that he got paid. He thanked me and took his leave. Our friend Appius had given him some squadrons to put pressure on the people of Salamis, and had also given him the office of prefect. He was causing trouble to the people of Salamis. I gave orders that his cavalry should leave the island. That annoyed him. In short, to keep faith with him, I ordered the people, when they came along with Scaptius to see me at Tarsus, to pay the money. They had a good deal to say about the bond, and about the harm that Scaptius had done them. I refused to listen. I prayed and besought them to settle the business in consideration of the good that I had done their state. Finally, I threatened to compel them. So far from refusing to settle, the people said that really they would be paying out of my pocket, in the sense that I had refused to take the present usually given to the governor, which they admitted would be more than the amount they owed to Scaptius. I praised their attitude. “Very well,” said Scaptius; “but let us reckon up the total.” Now in my traditionary edict I had fixed the rate of interest at 12 per cent compound interest, reckoned by the year. But Scaptius demanded 48 per cent in accordance with the terms of the bond. I declared that I could not break the rule laid down in my edict. But he produced a decree of the Senate, made in the consulship of Lentulus and Philippus, ordering that the governor of Cilicia should give judgement according to the bond. At first I was horror stricken, for it spelled ruin to the community. I find there are two decrees of the Senate in the same year about this identical bond. When the people of Salamis wanted to raise a loan in town to pay off another, they were obstructed by a law of Gabinius which forbade lending to provincials. Then these intimates of Brutus, depending on his support, professed willingness to lend at 48 per cent, if they were protected by a decree of the Senate. Brutus induced the Senate to make a decree that the transaction between the people of Salamis and the money-lenders should be exempted from the provisions of the law. They paid down the money. Afterwards it came into the heads of the money-lenders that the decree would be futile, because Gabinius’ law forbade any legal process on the bond. Then the Senate passed a decree that the bond should be good at law, giving this bond the same validity as other bonds and nothing more. When I pointed this out, Scaptius took me aside. He said that he had no objection to my ruling; but that the people of Salamis imagined they owed him nearly £50,000. That he wanted to get that sum, but that they owed rather less. He begged me to induce them to fix it at that amount. “Very well,” said I. I sent Scaptius away, and summoned the people and asked them the amount of the debt. They replied something over £25,000. I consulted Scaptius again. He was loud in his protests. I said that the only plan was for them to check their accounts. They sat down and made out the account. It agreed to a penny with their statement. They wanted to pay, and begged him to receive the money. Again Scaptius led me aside, and asked me to let the matter stand over. The request was impertinent, but I consented. I would not listen to the complaints of the Greeks and their demand to deposit the sum in the temple treasury. The bystanders all declared that the conduct of Scaptius was outrageous in refusing 12 per cent with compound interest. Others said he was a fool. He seemed to me to be more of a knave than a fool: for either he was not content with 12 per cent on good security, or he hoped for 48 per cent on very doubtful security. There is my case. If Brutus does not approve, there is no reason why I should be friendly with him. Certainly his uncle will approve, especially since a decree of the Senate has been passed (after you left Rome, I think) in the matter of money-lenders, that 12 per cent simple interest shall be the rate. The difference between the two totals you will already have arrived at, if I do not belie your skill as a ready-reckoner. Apropos of this, by the way, L. Lucceius, son of Marcus, writes me a petulant letter that there is great danger of a general repudiation of debts resulting from these decrees. He recalls the harm that C. Julius did once when he allowed a little postponement of the day of payment: public credit never received a worse blow. But to return to my point. Think over my case against Brutus, if it is a case, when there are no fair arguments on the other side, especially as I have left the matter as it stood. To wind up with family matters. As to my boudoir business, I agree with you in preferring Postumia’s son, since Pontidia is playing the fool. But I wish you were there. You must expect no letters from Quintus at this season. The snows prevent passage of the Taurus until June. I am supporting Thermus, as you request, by frequent letters. As for P. Valerius, Deiotarus says that he has nothing and is his pensioner. When you know whether there are to be additions to the calendar at Rome or not, please write me positive news as to the date of the Mysteries. I look forward to your letters rather less eagerly than if you were in town; still I do look forward to them.

ite in Epirum salvum venisse et, ut scribis, ex sententia navigasse vehementer gaudeo, non esse Romae meo tempore pernecessario submoleste fero. hoc me tamen consolor uno: spero te istic iucunde hiemare et libenter requiescere. [2] C. Cassius, frater Q. Cassi familiaris tui, pudentiores illas litteras miserat de quibus tu ex me requiris quid sibi voluerint quam eas quas postea misit, quibus per se scribit confectum esse Parthicum bellum. recesserant illi quidem ab Antiochia ante Bibuli adventum sed nullo nostro euemeremati; hodie vero hiemant in Cyrrhestica, maximumque bellum impendet. nam et Orodi regis Parthorum filius in provincia nostra est, nec dubitat Deiotarus, cuius filio pacta est Artavasdis filia ex quo sciri potest, quin cum omnibus copiis ipse prima aestate Euphraten transiturus sit. quo autem die Cassi litterae victrices in senatu recitatae sunt, datae Nonis Octobribus, eodem meae tumultum nuntiantes. Axius noster ait nostras auctoritatis plenas fuisse, illis negat creditum. Bibuli nondum erant adlatae; quas certo scio plenas timoris fore. [3] ex his rebus hoc vereor ne cum Pompeius propter metum rerum novarum nusquam dimittatur, Caesari nullus honos a senatu habeatur, dum hic nodus expediatur, non putet senatus nos ante quam successum sit oportere decedere nec in tanto motu rerum tantis provinciis singulos legatos praeesse. hic ne quid mihi prorogetur, quod ne intercessor quidem sustinere possit, horreo atque eo magis quod tu abes qui consilio, gratia, studio multis rebus occurreres. sed dices me ipsum mihi sollicitudinem struere. cogor ut velim ita sit; sed omnia metuo. etsi bellum akroteleution habet illa tua epistula quam dedisti nauseans Buthroto, tibi, ut video et spero, nulla ad decedendum erit mora.' mallem 'ut video,' nihil opus fuit ut spero.' [4] acceperam autem satis celeriter Iconi per publicanorum tabellarios a Lentuli triumpho datas. in his glukupikron illud confirmas moram mihi nullam fore; deinde addis, si quid secus, te ad me esse venturum. angunt me dubitationes tuae; simul et vides quas acceperim litteras. nam quas Hermonis centurionis caculae ipse scribis te dedisse non accepi. Laeni pueris te dedisse saepe ad me scripseras. eas Laodiceae denique, cum eo venissem, iii Idus Februar. Laenius mihi reddidit datas a. d. x Kal. Octobris. Laenio tuas commendationes et statim verbis et reliquo tempore re probabo. eae litterae cetera vetera habebant, unum hoc novum de Cibyratis pantheris. multum te amo quod respondisti M. Octavio te non putare. sed posthac omnia quae recta non erunt pro certo negato. nos enim et nostra sponte bene firmi et me hercule auctoritate tua inflammati vicimus omnis (hoc tu ita reperies) cum abstinentia tum iustitia, facilitate, clementia. cave putes quicquam homines magis umquam esse miratos quam nullum terruncium me obtinente provinciam sumptus factum esse nec in rem publicam nec in quemquam meorum praeter quam in L. Tullium legatum. is ceteroqui abstinens sed Iulia lege transitans, semel tamen in diem, non ut alii solebant omnibus vicis (praeter eum semel nemo accepit), facit ut mihi excipiendus sit, cum terruncium nego sumptus factum. praeter eum accepit nemo. has a nostro Q. Titinio sordis accepimus. [6] ego aestivis confectis Quintum fratrem hibernis et Ciliciae praefeci. Q. Volusium tui Tiberi generum, certum hominem sed mirifice etiam abstinentem, misi in Cyprum ut ibi pauculos dies esset, ne cives Romani pauci qui illic negotiantur ius sibi dictum negarent; nam evocari ex insula [7] Cyprios non licet. ipse in Asiam profectus sum Tarso Nonis Ianuariis, non me hercule dici potest qua admiratione Ciliciae civitatum maximeque Tarsensium. postea veroquam Taurum transgressus sum, mirifica exspectatio Asiae nostrarum dioecesium quae sex mensibus imperi mei nullas meas acceperat litteras, numquam hospitem viderat. illud autem tempus quotannis ante me fuerat in hoc quaestu. civitates locupletes ne in hiberna milites reciperent magnas pecunias dabant, Cyprii talenta Attica cc; qua ex insula (non huperbolikos sed verissime loquor) nummus nullus me obtinente erogabitur. ob haec beneficia quibus illi obstupescunt nullos honores mihi nisi verborum decerni sino, statuas, fana, tethrippa prohibeo nec sum in ulla re alia molestus civitatibus—sed fortasse tibi qui haec praedicem de me. perfer, si me amas; tu enim me haec facere voluisti. [8] iter igitur ita per Asiam feci ut etiam fames qua nihil miserius est, quae tum erat in hac mea Asia (messis enim nulla fuerat), mihi optanda fuerit. quacumque iter feci, nulla vi, nullo iudicio, nulla contumelia, auctoritate et cohortatione perfeci ut et Graeci et cives Romani qui frumentum compresserant magnum numerum populis pollicerentur. [9] Idibus Februariis, quo die has litteras dedi, forum institueram agere Laodiceae Cibyraticum et Apamense, ex Idibus Martiis ibidem Synnadense, Pamphylium (tum Phemio dispiciam keras, Lycaonium, Isauricum; ex Idibus Maiis in Ciliciam, ut ibi Iunius consumatur, velim tranquille a Parthis. Quintilis, si erit ut volumus, in itinere est per provinciam redeuntibus consumendus. venimus enim (in) provinciam Laodiceam Sulpicio et Marcello consulibus pridie Kalendas Sextilis. Inde nos oportet decedere a. d. III Kalendas Sextilis. primum contendam a Quinto fratre ut se praefici patiatur, quod et illo et me invitissimo fiet. sed aliter honeste fieri non potest, praesertim cum virum optimum Pomptinum ne nunc quidem retinere possim. rapit enim hominem Postumius Romam, fortasse etiam Postumia. [10] habes consilia nostra; nunc cognosce de Bruto. Familians habet Brutus tuus quosdam creditores Salaminiorum ex Cypro, M. Scaptium et P. Matinium; quos mihi maiorem in modum commendavit. Matinium non novi, Scaptius ad me in castra venit. pollicitus sum curaturum me Bruti causa ut ei Salaminii pecuniam solverent. egit gratias. praefecturam petivit. negavi me cuiquam negotianti dare (quod idem tibi ostenderam Cn. Pompeio petenti probaram institutum meum, quid dicam Torquato de M. Laenio tuo, multis aliis?); sin praefectus vellet esse syngraphae causa, me curaturum ut exigeret. Gratias egit, discessit. Appius noster turmas aliquot equitum dederat huic Scaptio per quas Salaminios coerceret, et eundem habuerat praefectum; vexabat Salaminios. ego equites ex Cypro decedere iussi. moleste tulit Scaptius. [11] quid multa? ut ei fidem meam praestarem, cum ad me Salaminii Tarsum venissent et in iis Scaptius, imperavi ut pecuniam solverent. multa de syngrapha, de Scapti iniuriis. negavi me audire; hortatus sum, petivi etiam pro meis in civitatem beneficiis ut negotium conficerent, dixi denique me coacturum. homines non modo non recusare sed etiam hoc dicere, se a me solvere quod enim praetori dare consuessent, quoniam ego non acceperam, se a me quodam modo dare atque etiam minus esse aliquanto in Scapti nomine quam in vectigali praetorio. conlaudavi homines. 'recte' inquit Scaptius, 'sed subducamus summam. interim cum ego in edicto translaticio centesimas me observaturum haberem cum anatocismo anniversario, ille ex syngrapha postulabat quaternas. 'quid ais?' inquam, 'possumne contra meum edictum?' at ille profert senatus consultum Lentulo Philippoque consulibus, VT QVI CILICIAM OBTINERET IVS EX ILLA SVNGRAPHA DICERET. [12] cohorrui primo; etenim erat interitus civitatis. reperio duo senatus consulta isdem consulibus de eadem syngrapha. Salaminii cum Romae versuram facere vellent, non poterant, quod lex Gabinia vetabat. tum iis Bruti familiares freti gratia Bruti dare volebant quaternis, si sibi senatus consulto caveretur. fit gratia Bruti senatus consultum, VT NEVE SALAMINIS NEVE QVI EIS DEDISSET FRAVDI ESSET. Pecuniam numerarunt. at postea venit in mentem faeneratoribus nihil se iuvare illud senatus consultum, quod ex syngrapha ius dici lex Gabinia vetaret. tum fit senatus consultum, VT EX EA SVNGRAPHA IUS DICERETUR, (non ut alio iure ea syngrapha) esset quam ceterae sed ut eodem. Cum haec disseruissem, seducit me Scaptius; ait se nihil contra dicere sed illos putare talenta cc se debere; ea se velle accipere; debere autem illos paulo minus. rogat ut eos ad ducenta perducam. 'optime' inquam. voco illos ad me remoto Scaptio. 'quid? vos quantum' inquam 'debetis?' respondent cvi. refero ad Scaptium. homo clamare. 'quid? opus est' inquam 'rationes conferatis.' adsidunt, subducunt; (ad) nummum convenit. illi se numerare velle, urgere ut acciperet. Scaptius me rursus seducit, rogat ut rem sic relinquam. dedi veniam homini impudenter petenti; Graecis querentibus, ut in fano deponerent postulantibus non concessi. clamare omnes qui aderant, (alii) nihil impudentius Scaptio qui centesimis cum anatocismo contentus (non) esset, alii nihil stultius. mihi autem impudens magis quam stultus videbatur; nam aut bono nomine centesimis contentus non erat aut non bono quaternas centesimas sperabat. habes meam causam. [13] quae si Bruto non probatur, nescio cur illum amemus. sed avunculo eius certe probabitur, praesertim cum senatus consultum modo factum sit, puto, postquam tu es profectus, in creditorum causa ut centesimae perpetuo faenore ducerentur. hoc quid intersit, si tuos digitos novi, certe habes subductum. in quo quidem, hodou parergon, (L.) Lucceius M. f. queritur apud me per litteras summum esse periculum ne culpa senatus his decretis res ad tabulas novas perveniat; commemorat quid olim mali C. Iulius fecerit cum dieculam duxerit; numquam rei publicae plus. sed ad rem redeo. meditare adversus Brutum causam meam, si haec causa est contra quam nihil honeste dici potest, praesertim cum integram rem et causam reliquerim. [14] reliqua sunt domestica. de endomuchoi probo idem quod tu, Postumiae filio, quoniam Pontidia nugatur. sed vellem adesses. A Quinto fratre his mensibus nihil exspectaris; nam Taurus propter nives ante mensem Iunium transiri non potest. Thermum, ut rogas, creberrimis litteris fulcio. P. Valerium negat habere quicquam Deiotarus rex eumque ait (a) se sustentari. Cum scies Romae intercalatum sit necne, velim ad me scribas certum quo die mysteria futura sint. Litteras tuas minus paulo exspecto quam si Romae esses sed tamen exspecto. Cicero