Letter 4.2

On April 28, while I was at my Cuman villa, I received your letter. When I read it, I realized that Philotimus had acted unwisely. Since, as you write, he had instructions from you about everything, he should have come to me himself instead of sending your letter, which I understood was shorter because you thought he would deliver it in person. After I read your letter, your Postumia and our Servius came to see me. They thought you should come to Cumae, and they urged me to write to you about it. You ask my advice. It is advice easier for me to take myself than to give someone else. What could I dare recommend to a man of your great authority and great wisdom? If we ask what is most right, the answer is clear. If we ask what is most advantageous, the answer is obscure. But if we are the men we surely ought to be, believing that nothing is advantageous unless it is right and honorable, there can be no doubt what we ought to do. You think my case is joined with yours. Certainly both of us made a similar mistake while thinking the best. All our plans aimed at harmony, and since that was very much in Caesar's interest, we thought we were serving him by supporting peace. You now see how badly we were mistaken and where things have ended. You see not only what is happening and what has happened, but also where events and their final outcome are heading. So you must either approve what is now being done or take part in it while disapproving. The first seems dishonorable to me; the second is dangerous as well. I therefore come to only one conclusion: I ought to leave the country. In leaving, I think I need only consider the method and the destination. There have never been circumstances more painful, nor a question harder to settle, because no decision can avoid some great difficulty. My opinion for you is this. If you have decided what you think you ought to do, in a way that separates your plan from mine, spare yourself the trouble of coming here. But if there is anything you want to discuss with me, I will expect you. Of course, I would like you to come as soon as convenient, as I saw both Servius and Postumia wanted. Farewell.

CCCLXXXVIII (Fam. IV, 2) TO SERVIUS SULPICIUS RUFUS (AT ROME) CUMAE, 28 APRIL: I received your letter on the 28th of April, while at my Cuman villa. As soon as I had read it I perceived that Philotimus , considering that he had, as you say, received verbal instructions from you on every point, had made a great mistake in not having come to me personally, but sending your letter, which I understood to have been the shorter because you had imagined that he would deliver it. However, after I had read your letter, your wife Postumia and our dear Servius called on me. Their opinion was that you should come to Cumae , and they even urged me to write and tell you so. You ask what my advice is: it is of such a nature, that it is easier to adopt it myself than to give it to another. What measure could I venture to urge on a man possessed of your supreme influence and knowledge of affairs? If we ask what is most right, the answer is plain: if what is expedient, it is doubtful. But if we are the men we really ought to be-holding, that is, the faith that nothing is expedient except what is right and virtuous-there can be no doubt as to what we ought to do. You express your opinion that my case is closely connected with yours. Well, at least we both made the same mistake, though with the very best intentions. For both of us continually advised a peaceful solution; and since nothing was more to Caesar 's advantage, we thought that we were obliging him by supporting peace. How grossly mistaken we have been, and to what a pass things have come, you now see. Nor do you only perceive what is actually going on and what has gone on, but also what the course of affairs and the ultimate result will be. Therefore you must either approve the measures now being taken, or be a party to them in spite of disapproving them. The one alternative in my eyes is discreditable, the other is dangerous as well. I can only come, therefore, to one conclusion — that I ought to quit the country. All that I have, I think, to consider in so departing is the method to adopt, and the country to which to go. Surely there never were circumstances of greater distress, or even a question more difficult to settle. For no decision is possible that does not fall foul of some great difficulty. For you, my opinion is — if you will agree with me — that, if you have made up your mind as to what you think you ought to do, in a way which separates your plan from mine, you should save yourself the trouble of the journey here but if there is anything you wish to impart to me, I shall expect you. Of course, I should like you to come as soon as you can conveniently to yourself, as I perceived was the wish both of Servius and Postumia . Farewell.

II. Scr. in Cumano exeunte mense Aprili (a. d. III. K. Maias) a.u.c. 705. M. CICERO S. D. SER. SULPICIO. A. d. III. Kal. Maias cum essem in Cumano, accepi tuas litteras, quibus lectis cognovi non satis prudenter fecisse Philotimum, qui, cum abs te mandata haberet, ut scribis, de omnibus rebus, ipse ad me non venisset, litteras tuas misisset, quas intellexi breviores fuisse, quod eum perlaturum putasses; sed tamen, postquam tuas litteras legi, Postumia tua me convenit et Servius noster: his placuit, ut tu in Cumanum venires, quod etiam mecum ut ad te scriberem egerunt. Quod meum consilium exquiris, id est tale, ut capere facilius ipse possim quam alteri dare; quid enim est, quod audeam suadere tibi, homini summa auctoritate summaque prudentia? si, quid rectissimum sit, quaerimus, perspicuum est, si, quid maxime expediat, obscurum; sin ii sumus, qui profecto esse debemus, ut nihil arbitremur expedire, nisi quod rectum honestumque sit, non potest esse dubium, quid faciendum nobis sit. Quod existimas meam causam coniunctam esse cum tua, certe similis in utroque nostrum, cum optime sentiremus, error fuit: nam omnia utriusque consilia ad concordiam spectaverunt, qua cum ipsi Caesari nihil esset utilius, gratiam quoque nos inire ab eo defendenda pace arbitrabamur; quantum nos fefellerit et quem in locum res deducta sit, vides. Neque solum ea perspicis, quae geruntur quaeque iam gesta sunt, sed etiam qui cursus rerum, qui exitus futurus sit: ergo aut probare oportet ea, quae fiunt, aut interesse, etiamsi non probes; quorum altera mihi turpis, altera etiam periculosa ratio videtur. Restat, ut discedendum putem; in quo reliqua videtur esse deliberatio, quod consilium in discessu, quae loca sequamur. Omnino cum miserior res numquam accidit, tum ne deliberatio quidem difficilior; nihil enim constitui potest, quod non incurrat in magnam aliquam difficultatem. Tu, si videbitur, ita censeo facias, ut, si habes iam statutum, quid tibi agendum putes, in quo non sit coniunctum consilium tuum cum meo, supersedeas hoc labore itineris; sin autem est, quod mecum communicare velis, ego te exspectabo. Tu, quod tuo commodo fiat, quam primum velim venias, sicut intellexi et Servio et Postumiae placere. Vale.