Letter 12.13

If you are well, I am glad. I am well. I rejoice not only in the safety and victory of the republic, but also in the renewal of your glorious reputation. You were already the greatest of former consuls, and now you have surpassed even yourself as the greatest of consuls. I am delighted by this and cannot wonder at it enough. There is some special destiny attached to your courage, as we have often seen in practice. Your toga has been more fortunate than anyone else's weapons, and now once again it has rescued the republic, almost conquered, from the hands of its enemies and restored it to us. So now we shall live as free men. Now we shall have you, the greatest of citizens and the man dearest to me, as you learned in the darkest hour of the state's fortunes. Now, I say, we shall have you as witness to my affection both for you and for the republic, which is bound so closely together with you. What you often promised to keep silent while we were slaves, and to say about me only when it might help me, I now do not so much ask you to say as to feel. I would rather be commended to your own judgment in a way worthy of my deserts than be commended by you to the good opinion of others. I want you to judge that my recent actions were not reckless impulses or departures from principle, but were consistent with the convictions to which you can bear witness. I want you to think I deserve to be brought forward by you as a man who promises excellent service to his country. Marcus Tullius, you have children and relatives worthy of you, and deservedly very dear to you. Next to them, in public life, those should be dear to you who follow your own branch of learning. I hope you have many such men, but I do not think that even a large number excludes me. You will always have room to receive me and to use me in everything you wish and approve. Perhaps you are already convinced of my good disposition. My ability, such as it is, has certainly been allowed to appear less than it really is because of our long servitude. From the coast of Asia and from the islands we have launched every ship we could. We have levied rowers, despite strong resistance from the cities, but with fair speed. We pursued Dolabella's fleet, commanded by Lucius Figulus. He repeatedly held out hopes of deserting to us, while constantly edging away, and by his latest move has reached Corycus, closed the harbor, and begun to resist. We abandoned that fleet because we thought it better to make our way to the camp, and because another fleet was coming, the one Tillius Cimber collected last year and the quaestor Turullius now commands. We therefore made for Cyprus. I want to tell you as quickly as possible what I learned there. Dolabella has actually been invited not only by the people of Tarsus, the worst of allies, but also by the Laodiceans, who are even more disaffected. With the number of Greek soldiers he has obtained from both cities, he has created what looks like an army. He has pitched camp outside Laodicea, broken down part of the wall, and joined his camp to the city. Our friend Cassius, with ten legions, twenty auxiliary cohorts, and four thousand cavalry, has camped twenty miles away at Paltus. He thinks he can win without a battle, since grain in Dolabella's camp is already twelve drachmas a medimnus [a Greek grain measure]. Unless Dolabella manages to bring in grain by the ships of Laodicea, hunger will soon destroy him. We can easily prevent that between us: Cassius's fleet, which is fairly large and is commanded by Sextilius Rufus, and the three fleets brought up by me, Turullius, and Patiscus. Be hopeful, then, and be sure that just as you at Rome have freed the republic from its troubles, so we on our side can quickly free it too. Farewell.

DCCCXCVI (Fam. XII, 13) CASSIUS PARMENSIS TO CICERO (AT ROME) CROMMYUACRIS IN CYPRUS, 13 JUNE: If you are well, I am glad. I am well. I rejoice not only at the safety and victory of the Republic, but also at the revival of your glorious reputation. That as the noblest of consulars you have surpassed yourself as the noblest of consuls I am at once delighted and unable to wonder sufficiently. A certain special favour of destiny has been shown to your virtue — of which we have often had practical proofs. For your toga has been more fortunate than everyone else's arms; and has now once more rescued the Republic, when all but conquered, from the hands of its enemies, and restored it to us. So now we shall live free men: now we shall have you — greatest of all citizens and most beloved by me, as you discovered in the darkest hour of the public fortunes — now, I say, we shall have you as a witness to our love both to you and to the Republic, which is so closely bound up with you. And that which you often promised that you would suppress while we were slaves, and would say of me when likely to be to my service, now, I shall not so much desire to be said as to be felt by you. For I would not wish to be commended by you to the good opinion of others more than to have been commended to your own in a manner worthy of my deserts, that you may judge these recent acts of mine to have been no mere hasty impulses or departures from principle, but in harmony with those lines of thought of which you are a witness; and may think that I deserve to be brought forward prominently by yourself, as giving promise of doing excellent service to my country. You, Marcus Tullius , have children and relatives worthy of you and deservedly most beloved by you. Next to them those also ought to be dear to you in public life who emulate your special branch of learning, of whom I wish you a goodly store: yet after all I don't regard myself as excluded, however great the crowd. You will always have room to receive me, and to employ me in everything you wish and approve. Of the goodness of my disposition perhaps you have already been convinced: my ability, certainly, such as it is, our prolonged servitude has allowed to appear less than after all it really is. From the sea-coast of the province of Asia and from the islands we have launched all the ships we could; we have levied rowers, with great Opposition on the part of the cities, yet with fair rapidity; and we have pursued Dolabella 's fleet, which is commanded by Lucius Figulus . This officer, by frequently holding out hopes of deserting to us, and yet keeping continually edging away, has by his most recent move got to Corycus , and having closed the harbour, is beginning to offer resistance. Abandoning that fleet, because we thought it better to make our way to the camp, and because there was another fleet coming, which Tillius Cimber had collected in the previous year, and the quaestor Turullius was commanding, we made for Cyprus . The information I got there I am anxious to tell you as quickly as possible. It is this: Dolabella has been actually invited not only by the people of Tarsus , the worst of allies, but also by the Laodiceans, who are still more disaffected. By the number of Greek soldiers which he has got from both these states, he has secured what looks like an army. He has a camp pitched outside the town of Laodicea , and has pulled down a part of the wall and united his camp with the town. Our friend Cassius with ten legions and twenty auxiliary cohorts, and cavalry 4,000 strong, has a camp pitched twenty miles away at Paltus , and thinks that he can win without a battle: for in Dolabella 's quarters corn is already twelve drachmae the medimnus. Unless he manages to get some brought in by the ships of Laodicea , he must soon perish of hunger. That he should not be able to get any in we can easily secure between us — that is, Cassius 's fleet, which is a fairly large one under the command of Sextilius Rufus , and the three which I, Turullius , and Patiscus have brought up. I would have you be hopeful, and feel sure that, as you at Rome have relieved the Republic from its difficulties, so on our part it can be quickly relieved by us. Good-bye. 13 June, Cyprus , off Crommyuacris.

XIII. Data est Cypro a Crommyoacride Idibus Iuniis a.u.c. 711. C. CASSIUS Q. S. D. M. CICERONI S. v. b. e. e. v. Quum rei publicae vel salute vel victoria gaudemus, tum instauratione tuarum laudum, quod maximus consularis maximum consulem te ipse vicisti, et laetamur et mirari satis non possumus. Fatale nescio quid tuae virtuti datum, id quod saepe iam experti sumus; est enim tua toga omnium armis felicior; quae nunc quoque nobis paene victam rem publicam ex manibus hostium eripuit ac reddidit. Nunc ergo vivemus liberi; nunc te, omnium maxime civis et mihi carissime—id quod maximis rei publicae tenebris comperisti—, nunc te habebimus testem nostri et in te et in coniunctissimam tibi rem publicam amoris, et, quae saepe pollicitus es te et taciturum, dum serviremus, et dicturum de me tum, quum mihi profutura essent, nunc illa non ego quidem dici tanto opere desiderabo quam sentiri a te ipso; neque enim omnium iudicio malim me a te commendari quam ipse tuo iudicio digne ac mereor commendatus esse, ut haec novissima nostra facta non subita nec inconvenientia, sed similia illis cogitationibus, quarum tu testis es, fuisse iudices meque ad optimam spem patriae non minimum tibi ipsi producendum putes. Sunt tibi, M. Tulli, liberi propinquique digni quidem te et merito tibi carissimi; esse etiam habent in re publica proxime hos cari, qui studiorum tuorum sunt aemuli, quorum esse cupio tibi copiam; sed tamen non maxima me turba puto excludi, quo minus tibi vacet me excipere et ad omnia, quae velis et probes, producere. Animum tibi nostrum fortasse probavimus; ingenium diutina servitus certe, qualecumque est, minus tamen, quam erat, passa est videri. Nos ex ora maritima Asiae provinciae et ex insulis quas potuimus naves deduximus; delectum remigum magna contumacia civitatium tamen satis celeriter habuimus; secuti sumus classem Dolabellae, cui L. Figulus praeerat, qui spem saepe transitionis praebendo neque umquam non recedendo novissime Corycum se contulit et clauso portu se tenere coepit; nos illa relicta, quod et in castra pervenire satius esse putabamus et sequebatur classis altera, quam anno priore in Bithynia Tillius Cimber compararat, cui Turullius quaestor praeerat, Cyprum petivimus; ibi quae cognovimus, scribere ad vos quam celerrime voluimus. Dolabellam ut Tarsenses, pessimi socii, ita Laodiceni multo amentiores ultro arcessierunt; ex quibus utrisque civitatibus Graecorum militum numero speciem exercitus effecit. Castra habet ante oppidum Laodiceam posita et partem muri demolitus est et castra oppido coniunxit. Cassius noster cum decem legionibus et cohortibus XX auxiliariis et quattuor milium equitatu a milibus passuum viginti castra habet posita P­ltŸ et existimat se sine proelio posse vincere; nam iam ternis tetrachmis triticum apud Dolabellam est: nisi quid navibus Laodicenorum supportarit, cito fame pereat necesse est: ne supportare possit, et Cassii classis bene magna, cui praeest Sextilius Rufus, et tres, quas nos adduximus, ego, Turullius, Patiscus, facile praestabunt. Te volo bene sperare et rem publicam, ut vos istic expedistis, ita pro nostra parte celeriter a nobis expediri posse confidere. Vale. D. Idib. Iun. Cypro, a Crommyoacride.