Letter 14.7

All the troubles and anxieties by which I had made you most wretched, and what distresses me most, our dear little Tullia, who is dearer to me than my life, I have laid down and cast out. The cause of it I understood the day after I left you: during the night I vomited pure bile. I was so immediately relieved that some god seems to have healed me, and to that god you will pay your respects piously and devoutly, as is your custom -- that is, to Apollo and Aesculapius. I hope we have a very good ship; I wrote this as soon as I boarded. Then I shall write many letters to our friends, in which I shall commend you and our Tullia most carefully. I would urge you to be of braver spirit, if I had not found you braver than any man. And yet I hope the situation is such that I may expect you to be most comfortably settled there and me someday to defend the republic with men of like mind. First, please take care of your health; then, if it seems right to you, use those country houses that are farthest from the soldiers. You can make good use of the Arpinum estate with the city household if the cost of grain rises. Our darling Cicero sends you warmest greetings. Again and again, farewell. Dated the seventh day before the Ides of June.

CDIII (Fam. XIV, 7) TO TERENTIA (AT CUMAE) FORMIAE, 7 JUNE, 49 BC ALL those uneasy feelings and melancholy thoughts, by which I kept you in such extreme distress, which makes me more uneasy than anything — as well as Tulliola , who is dearer to me than life itself-I have got rid of and ejected. The reason of it all I discovered the day after I parted from you. I threw up sheer bile during the night: I was at once so much relieved, that I really think some god worked the cure. Pray make full and pious acknowledgment to the god ( Apollo or Aesculapius ), according to your wont. I hope I have a very good ship. I write this at the moment of embarkation. Presently I will compose a large number of letters to our friends, to whose protection I will commend you and our dear Tulliola with the greatest earnestness. I would have added exhortations to you with a view to raising your courage, had I not known that you were more courageous than any man. And, after all, I hope affairs are of such a nature, that I may venture to expect you to be as comfortable as possible there, and myself to be at last likely, in company with men like-minded with myself, to be acting in defence of our country. Let your first care be your health: next, if it seems to you possible, make use of the villas farthest removed from men in arms. You can with advantage use the place at Arpinum with your town establishment, if the price of food goes up. Our charming young Cicero sends his warmest love. Good-bye, good bye. 7 June Volume 3 48-44 BC

VII. Scr. in protu Caietano nave conscensa VII. Id. Iun. a.u.c. 705. TULLIUS TERENTIAE SUAE SAL. PLURIMAM. Omnes molestias et sollicitudines, quibus et te miserrimam habui et, id quod mihi molestissimum est, Tulliolam, quae nobis nostra vita dulcior est, deposui et eieci; quid causae autem fuerit, postridie intellexi, quam a vobis discessi: xolØn êxraton noctu eieci; statim ita sum levatus, ut mihi deus aliquis medicinam fecisse videatur, cui quidem tu deo, quemadmodum soles, pie et caste satisfacies, id est Apollini et Aesculapio. Navem spero nos valde bonam habere; in eam simulatque conscendi, haec scripsi. Deinde conscribam ad nostros familiares multas epistulas, quibus te et Tulliolam nostram diligentissime commendabo. Cohortarer vos, quo animo fortiore essetis, nisi vos fortiores cognossem quam quemquam virum. Et tamen eiusmodi spero negotia esse, ut et vos istic commodissime sperem esse et me aliquando cum similibus nostri rem publicam defensuros. Tu primum valetudinem tuam velim cures; deinde, si tibi videbitur, villis iis utare, quae longissime aberunt a militibus. Fundo Arpinati bene poteris uti cum familia urbana, si annona carior fuerit. Cicero bellissimus tibi salutem plurimam dicit. Etiam atque etiam vale. D. VII Idus Iun.