Letter 173

[1] By Hercules, I am delighted that you indicate in your letter how strongly you approve of what was done at Corfinium. I shall gladly follow your advice, and all the more gladly because I had already resolved of my own accord to show myself as merciful as possible and to make an effort to be reconciled with Pompey. Let us try in this way to see whether we can win back the goodwill of everyone and so enjoy a lasting victory, since all the others, with the single exception of L. Sulla—whom I shall not imitate—have, by their cruelty, been unable to escape hatred or to hold their victory for long. Let this be a new method of conquering: to fortify ourselves with mercy and generosity. Several ideas occur to me as to how this may be accomplished, and many more could be devised. About these matters I ask you to take up the question with me. I have intercepted N. Magius, Pompey's prefect. [2] Naturally I followed my own practice and immediately set him free. By now two of Pompey's prefects of engineers have come into my power and have been released by me. If they wish to be grateful, they ought to urge Pompey to prefer being my friend rather than the friend of those men who have always been the bitterest enemies both to him and to me, and by whose contrivances it has come about that the Republic has fallen into its present condition.

Advice—even the advice of distinguished persons, let alone nobodies like ourselves—is generally judged by results and not by intentions. However, relying on your kindness of heart, we will give you the soundest advice we can on the point about which you wrote, and, even if its wisdom may be doubted, there will be no doubt that it springs from good faith and good feeling. If we had heard from Caesar's own lips that he was going to do, what in our opinion he ought to do, as soon as he reaches Rome, that is to say try to effect a reconciliation with Pompey, we should feel it our duty to exhort you to take part in the negotiations, as the whole thing could most easily and with the greatest dignity be carried through by you, who have ties with both parties. If on the contrary we thought Caesar was not going to follow that course, and knew that he even wished to wage war with Pompey, we should never advise you to bear arms against a man who has done you such good service, just as we have always begged you not to fight against Caesar. But, since Caesar's intentions are still mere guesswork, we can only say that it does not seem consonant with your dignity or your well-known sense of honour to bear arms against either of them, as you are intimate with both: and we have no doubt that Caesar will be generous enough to approve of this course. If you wish it, however, we will write to Caesar to ascertain his intentions in this matter. If he sends us an answer, we will let you know our opinion at once, and convince you that we are giving the advice which seems to us to be best for your dignity, not for Caesar's policy, and, such is Caesar's consideration for his friends, that we feel sure he will approve of such a course.

[1] gaudeo me hercule vos significare litteris quam valde probetis ea quae apud Corfinium sunt gesta. consilio vestro utar libenter et hoc libentius quod mea sponte facere constitueram ut quam lenissimum me praeberem et Pompeium darem operam ut reconciliarem. temptemus hoc modo si possimus omnium voluntates reciperare et diuturna victoria uti, quoniam reliqui crudelitate odium effugere non potuerunt neque victoriam diutius tenere praeter unum L. Sullam quem imitaturus non sum. haec nova sit ratio vincendi ut misericordia et liberalitate nos muniamus. id quem ad modum fieri possit non nulla mi in mentem veniunt et multa reperiri possunt. de his rebus rogo vos ut cogitationem suscipiatis. N. Magium Pompei praefectum deprehendi. [2] scilicet meo instituto usus sum et eum statim missum feci. iam duo praefecti fabrum Pompei in meam potestatem venerunt et a me missi sunt. si volent grati esse, debebunt Pompeium hortari ut malit mihi esse amicus quam iis qui et illi et mihi semper fuerunt inimicissimi, quorum artificiis effectum est ut res publica in hunc statum perveniret.