Letter 2.15

Nothing could have been handled more carefully or more wisely than your dealings with Curio about the public thanksgiving. By Hercules, the matter was settled exactly as I wished, both because of the speed and because the man who was angry - your rival and mine too - agreed with the man who adorned my achievements with extraordinary praise. So know that I have hopes for what follows; prepare yourself for that. I am glad, first, that you praise Dolabella, and then that you even love him. As for what you hope can be moderated by the good sense of my Tullia, I know which of your letters that answers. What if you were to read the letter I sent to Appius after receiving yours? But what can one do? This is how life goes. May the gods approve what has been done. I hope he will be a pleasant son-in-law to us, and your kindness will help us greatly in that. The republic makes me very anxious. I favor Curio; I want Caesar to be honorable; I could die for Pompey. Yet nothing is dearer to me than the republic itself. In this matter you do not throw yourself about very freely. You seem to me pulled in different directions, because you are both a good citizen and a good friend. As I left my province, I put my quaestor Caelius in charge. "A boy," you say. Yes, but a quaestor, a young nobleman, and following almost everyone's precedent. There was no man of higher rank available whom I could put in charge. Pomptinus had left long before; my brother Quintus could not be persuaded. If I had left him, unfair critics would have said that I had not really left the province after one year, as the senate had wished, because I had left a second self behind. Perhaps they would even have added that the senate wanted men to govern provinces who had not governed them before, whereas my brother had governed Asia for three years. In short, now I am not anxious. If I had left my brother, I would fear everything. Finally, following not so much my own impulse as the example of the two most powerful men, who have embraced all the Cassii and Antonii, I wanted less to attract a young man than not to alienate him. You must praise this plan of mine, for it cannot be changed. You wrote to me too unclearly about Ocella, and it was not in the public records. Your achievements are so well known that even beyond Mount Taurus people have heard about Matrinius. Unless the Etesian winds delay me, I hope to see you soon.

CCLXXII (Fam. II, 15) TO M. CAELIUS RUFUS (AT ROME) (ASIA) AUGUST: NOTHING could have been more correct or wise than your dealings with Curio as to my supplicatio: and, by Hercules , the business was settled exactly as I wished, both from its speed and because the person whom it irritated — the rival, I mean, of us both — voted with the man who complimented my achievements in terms of extraordinary praise. Wherefore let me tell you I have hopes of the next step: so be prepared for it. I am glad in the first place to hear your compliments to Dolabella , and in the second place to find that you like him. For what you say of the possibility of his being reformed by Tullia 's good sense, I know to what letter of your own it is an answer. What if you were to read the letter which I wrote to Appius at the time after reading yours? But what would you have? It is the way of the world. What is done is done, and heaven prosper it! I hope I shall find him an agreeable son-in-law, and in that respect your kindness will be of much assistance. Politics make me very anxious. I am fond of Curio : I wish Caesar to show himself an honest man: I could die for Pompey : but after all nothing is dearer in my sight than the Republic itself. In this you are not making yourself very Conspicuous, for you seem to me to have your hands tied — by being at once a good citizen and a good friend. On quitting my province, I have put my quaestor Caelius in command. “A mere boy,” say you. Yes, but a quaestor, a young man of high rank, and in accordance with nearly universal precedent: for there was no one who had held higher office for me to put in that position. Pomptinus had departed long ago: my brother Quintus could not be induced: moreover, if I had left him, enemies would have said that I had not really left the province at the end of a year, in accordance with the decree of the senate, since I left a second self behind me. Perhaps they might even have added, that the senate had ordered that those should govern provinces who had not done so before; whereas my brother had governed Asia for three years. In fine, I have now no anxieties: if I had left my brother behind, I should have been afraid of everything. Lastly, not so much of my own initiative, as following the precedent set by the two most powerful men of the day, who have secured the allegiance of all the Cassii and Antonii , I have not so much been desirous to attract a young man to myself, as unwilling to repel him You must needs praise this policy of mine: for it cannot now be changed. You did not write clearly enough to me about Ocella , and it was not mentioned in the gazette. Your doings are so well known, that even on the other side of Mount Taurus the story of Matrinius was heard. Unless the Etesian winds delay me, I shall, I hope, see you before long.

XV. M. CICERO IMP. S. D. M. CAELIO AEDILI CURULI Sidae; iii aut prid. Non. Sext. 50 Non potuit accuratius agi nec prudentius quam est actum a te cum Curione de supplicatione; et hercule confecta res ex sententia mea est cum celeritate tum quod is qui erat iratus, competitor tuus et idem meus, adsensus est ei qui ornavit res nostras divinis laudibus. Qua re scito me sperare ea quae sequuntur; ad quae tu te para. Dolabellam a te gaudeo primum laudari, deinde etiam amari. Nam ea quae speras Tulliae meae prudentia temperari posse, scio cui tuae epistulae respondeant. Quid si meam legas quam ego tum ex tuis litteris misi ad Appium? sed quid agas? sic vivitur. Quod actum est di approbent! spero fore iucundum generum nobis, multumque in eo tua nos humanitas adiuvabit. Res publica me valde sollicitat. Faveo Curioni, Caesarem honestum esse cupio, pro Pompeio emori possum, sed tamen ipsa re publica nihil mihi est carius; in qua tu non valde te iactas. Districtus enim mihi videris esse, quod et bonus civis et bonus amicus es. Ego de provincia decedens quaestorem Coelium praeposui provinciae. 'Puerum' inquis. At quaestorem, at nobilem adulescentem, at omnium fere exemplo. Neque erat superiore honore usus quem praeficerem. Pomptinus multo ante discesserat, a Quinto fratre impetrari non poterat; quem tamen si reliquissem, dicerent iniqui non me plane post annum, ut senatus voluisset, de provincia decessisse quoniam alterum me reliquissem. Fortasse etiam illud adderent, senatum eos voluisse provinciis praeesse qui antea non praefuissent, fratrem meum triennium Asiae praefuisse. Denique nunc sollicitus non sum; si fratrem reliquissem, omnia timerem. Postremo non tam mea sponte quam potentissimorum duorum exemplo, qui omnis Cassios Antoniosque complexi sunt, hominem adulescentem non tam allicere volui quam alienare nolui. Hoc tu meum consilium laudes necesse est; mutari enim non potest. De Ocella parum ad me plane scripseras et in actis non erat. Tuae res gestae ita notae sunt ut trans montem Taurum etiam de Matrinio sit auditum. Ego, nisi quid me etesiae morabuntur, celeriter, ut spero, vos videbo.