Letter 16.9

We left you, as you know, on November 2. We reached Leucas on November 6 and Actium on November 7; there we were held by a storm on the 8th. From there, on the 9th, we had a beautiful crossing to Corcyra. We stayed at Corcyra until November 15, held by bad weather. On November 16 we moved on to Cassiope, the harbor of the Corcyraeans, 120 stades away. There the winds kept us until November 22. Meanwhile many of those who set out too eagerly were shipwrecked. That day, after dinner, we sailed. Then, with a very gentle south wind and a clear sky, through that night and the following day we reached Italy at Hydrus in high spirits. With the same wind, on the next day, November 24, we reached Brundisium at about the fourth hour. At the same time Terentia, who thinks the world of you, entered the town with us. On November 26, at Brundisium, a slave of Gnaeus Plancius at last delivered your letter to me, dated November 13. I had been longing for it. It greatly eased my anxiety - would that it had removed it altogether. Still, the doctor Asclapo confidently says that you will be well very soon. Why should I now urge you to use every care in recovering? I know your prudence, your self-control, and your love for me. I know you will do everything you can to be with us as soon as possible. But I want it only if you do not hurry anything. I wish you had avoided Lyso's concert, so that you would not fall into a fourth week of fever. But since you chose to obey your courtesy rather than your health, take care from now on. I have sent word to Curius that the doctor should be properly thanked and that you should be given whatever you need; I will see to payment to whomever he directs. I have left a horse and a mule for you at Brundisium. At Rome, I fear there may be serious turmoil beginning on January 1. I will act moderately in everything. What remains is for me to ask and beg this of you: do not sail rashly. Sailors are often in a hurry for the sake of their profit. Be cautious, my dear Tiro. A great and difficult sea still lies before you. If you can, travel with Mescinius; he is usually careful about sailing. If not, go with some honorable man whose authority can influence the shipowner. If you use every care in this and present yourself to us safe and sound, I will regard everything as received from you. Again and again, our dear Tiro, goodbye. I have written most carefully about you to the doctor, to Curius, and to Lyso. Goodbye, and be well.

CCXCI (Fam. XVI, 9) TO TIRO (AT PATRAE) BRUNDISIUM, 26 NOVEMBER: CICERO and his son greet Tiro warmly. We parted from you, as you know, on the 2nd of November. We arrived at Leucas on the 6th of November, on the 7th at Actium . There we were detained till the 8th by a storm. Thence on the 9th we arrived at Corcyra after a charming voyage. At Corcyra we were detained by bad weather till the 15th. On the 16th we continued our voyage to Cassiope , a harbour of Corcyra , a distance of 120 stades. There we were detained by winds until the 22nd. Many of those who in this interval impatiently attempted the crossing suffered shipwreck. On the 22nd, after dinner, we weighed anchor. Thence with a very gentle south wind and a clear sky, in the course of that night and the next day we arrived in high spirits on Italian soil at Hydrus , and with the same wind next day — that is, the 24th of November — at 10 o'clock in the morning we reached Brundisium , and exactly at the same time as ourselves Terentia (who values you very highly) made her entrance into the town. On the 26th, at Brundisium , a slave of Cn. Plancius at length delivered to me the ardently expected letter from you, dated the 13th of November. It greatly lightened my anxiety: would that it had entirely removed it! However, the physician Asclapo positively asserts that you will shortly be well. What need is there for me at this time of day to exhort you to take every means to re-establish your health? I know your good sense, temperate habits, and affection for me: I am sure you will do everything you can to join me as soon as possible. But though I wish this, I would not have you hurry yourself in any way. I could have wished you had shirked Lyso 's concert, for fear of incurring a fourth fit of your seven-day fever. But since you have preferred to consult your politeness rather than your health, be careful for the future. I have sent orders to Curius for a douceur to be given to the physician, and that he should advance you whatever you want, engaging to pay the money to any agent he may name. I am leaving a horse and mule for you at Brundisium . At Rome I fear that the 1st of January will be the beginning of serious disturbances. I shall take a moderate line in all respects. It only remains to beg and entreat you not to set sail rashly-seamen are wont to hurry things for their own profit: be cautious, my dear Tiro : you have a wide and difficult sea before you. If you can, start with Mescinius ; he is usually cautious about a sea passage: if not, travel with some man of rank, whose position may give him influence over the ship-owner. If you take every precaution in this matter and present yourself to us safe and sound, I shall want nothing more of you. Good-bye, again and again, dear Tiro ! I am writing with the greatest earnestness about you to the physician, to Curius , and to Lyso . Good-bye, and God bless you.

IX. Scr. Brundisii IV. Kal. Dec. a.u.c. 704. TULLIUS ET CICERO TIRONI SUO SAL. PLUR. DIC. Nos a te, ut scis, discessimus a. d. IIII Non. Nov. Leucadem venimus a. d. VIII Id. Nov., a. d. VII Actium; ibi propter tempestatem a. d. VI Id. morati sumus. Inde a. d. V Id. Corcyram bellissime navigavimus. Corcyrae fuimus usque ad a. d. XVI K. Dec. tempestatibus retenti. A. d. XV K. in portum Corcyraeorum ad Cassiopen stadia CXX processimus; ibi retenti ventis sumus usque ad a. d. VIIII K.—interea, qui cupide profecti sunt, multi naufragia fecerunt—. Nos eo die coenati solvimus; inde austro lenissimo, caelo sereno nocte illa et die postero in Italiam ad Hydruntem ludibundi pervenimus, eodemque vento postridie—id erat a. d. VII K. Dec.—hora IIII Brundisium venimus, eodemque tempore simul nobiscum in oppidum introiit Terentia, quae te facit plurimi. A. d. V K. Dec. servus Cn. Plancii Brundisii tandem aliquando mihi a te exspectatissimas litteras reddidit datas Idibus Nov., quae me molestia valde levarunt, utinam omnino liberassent! sed tamen Asclapo medicus plane confirmat propediem te valentem fore. Nunc quid ego te horter, ut omnem diligentiam adhibeas ad convalescendum? tuam prudentiam, temperantiam, amorem erga me novi; scio te omnia facturum, ut nobiscum quam primum sis; sed tamen ita velim, ut ne quid properes. Symphoniam Lysonis vellem vitasses, ne in quartam hebdomada incideres; sed, quoniam pudori tuo maluisti obsequi quam valetudini, reliqua cura. Curio misi, ut medico honos haberetur et tibi daret, quod opus esset; me, cui iussisset, curaturum. Equum et mulum Brundisii tibi reliqui. Romae vereor ne ex K. Ian. magni tumultus sint: nos agemus omnia modice. Reliquum est, ut te hoc rogem et a te petam, ne temere naviges—solent nautae festinare quaestus sui causa—-, cautus sis, mi Tiro—mare magnum et difficile tibi restat—, si poteris, cum Mescinio—caute is solet navigare—, si minus, cum honesto aliquo homine, cuius auctoritate navicularius moveatur. In hoc omnem diligentiam si adhibueris teque nobis incolumem stiteris, omnia a te habebo. Etiam atque etiam, noster Tiro, vale. Medico, Curio, Lysoni de te scripsi diligentissime. Vale et salve.