Letter 13.11

Because I have always noticed that you take care to be informed about everything connected with me, I do not doubt that you know not only what municipality I am from, but also how carefully I am accustomed to look after my fellow townspeople of Arpinum. All their advantages and all their resources, by which they can perform their sacred rites and maintain the temples and public places in good repair, depend on the revenues they have in the province of Gaul. To inspect these and to collect the moneys owed by the tenants and to investigate and administer the whole matter, we have sent as envoys the Roman knights Quintus Fufidius, son of Quintus, Marcus Faucius, son of Marcus, and Quintus Mamercus, son of Quintus. I ask you most earnestly, in the name of our bond, to make this a matter of your concern and to see to it that through you the business of the municipality is managed as conveniently as possible and settled as quickly as possible, and that you treat the men whose names I have written with as much honor as your nature allows and as much generosity. You will have attached good men to your circle of friends and will have bound a most grateful municipality to you forever by your kindness, and you will have done me an even greater favor, since I have always been accustomed to look after my fellow townspeople, and this year in particular pertains to my special concern and duty. For in order to establish the municipality, I wished my son to be elected aedile this year, together with my brother's son and Marcus Caesius, a man most closely connected to me -- for that is the only magistracy that is customarily created in our municipality. You will do honor to them and especially to me if the public business of the municipality is well administered through your zeal and diligence. I earnestly ask you again and again to do this.

CDL (Fam. XIII, 11) TO M. IUNIUS BRUTUS (IN CISALPINE GAUL) ROME (?) I have observed that you take great pains to allow nothing which concerns me to be unknown to you; I therefore feel no doubt that you know not only to what municipium I belong, but also how careful I am to defend the interests of my fellow townsmen of Arpinum . Now their entire income and resources, which enable them to keep their temples and other public buildings in repair, depend upon the rents which they own in the province of Gallia. To visit these estates, to collect the moneys owed by the tenants, and generally to investigate and provide for the management of the whole property, we are sending a commission of Roman knights, Quintus Fufidius , son of Quintus, Marcus Faucius, son of Marcus, Quintus Mamercius, son of Quintus. be explained as “advocate and juryman,” for the use of subsellia for the seats of the jury is doubtful, and for the praetor (in a civil suit) it would be “tribunal.” I beg you with more than common earnestness, in the name of our friendship, that you would have an eye to this affair, and take pains that as far as you are concerned the business of the municipium may be transacted with as little difficulty, and finished as promptly, as possible; and that you would treat the persons themselves, whose names I have given, with all the honour and kindness which characterize you. By doing so you will have attached men of honour to your person, and have put a most grateful municipium under an obligation to you for your kind service. For myself, you will have done me a more than common favour, because, while it has been my invariable custom to protect my fellow townsmen's interests, this particular year has a special claim upon my attention and service to them. For this year I have, for the sake of settling the affairs of the municipium, consented that my son, and nephew, and M. Caesius — a very intimate friend of mine-should be aediles; for that and no other is the magistrate customarily elected in our municipium. You will have contributed to the reputation of these last, if the public business of the municipium should, thanks to your kindness and attention, turn out to have been well managed. I beg you warmly and repeatedly to do this.

XI. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. CICERO BRUTO SAL. Quia semper animadverti studiose te operam dare, ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum, propterea non dubito, quin scias, non solum cuius municipii sim, sed etiam quam diligenter soleam meos municipes Arpinates tueri: quorum quidem omnia commoda omnesque facultates, quibus et sacra conficere et sarta tecta aedium sacrarum locorumque communium tueri possint, consistunt in iis vectigalibus, quae habent in provincia Gallia; ad ea visenda pecuniasque, quae a colonis debentur, exigendas totamque rem et cognoscendam et administrandam legatos equites Romanos misimus, Q. Fufidium Q. f., M. Faucium M. f., Q. Mamercum Q. f. Peto a te in maiorem modum pro nostra necessitudine, ut tibi ea res curae sit operamque des, ut per te quam commodissime negotium municipii administretur quam primumque conficiatur, ipsosque, quorum nomina scripsi, ut quam honorificentissime pro tua natura et quam liberalissime tractes. Bonos viros ad tuam necessitudinem adiunxeris municipiumque gratissimum beneficio tuo devinxeris, mihi vero etiam gratius feceris, quod quum semper tueri municipes meos consuevi, tum hic annus praecipue ad meam curam officiumque pertinet: nam constituendi municipii causa hoc anno aedilem filium meum fieri volui et fratris filium et M. Caesium, hominem mihi maxime necessarium—is enim magistratus in nostro municipio nec alius ullus creari solet—; quos cohonestaris in primisque me, si res publica municipii tuo studio, diligentia bene administrata erit: quod ut facias, te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.