Letter 5.11

I am not surprised that my services are welcome to you; for I have known you to be the most grateful of all men, and I have never ceased to declare it. Nor indeed have you merely shown me gratitude, but you have repaid it most abundantly. You will therefore find me showing the same zeal and the same goodwill toward you in all your remaining affairs. As for your commending to me that most excellent lady, Pompeia, your wife, I spoke with our friend Sura immediately upon reading your letter, so that he might tell her in my name to let me know whatever she needed, and that I would attend to everything she wished with the utmost zeal and care. And so I shall do, and if it seems necessary, I shall meet with her myself. But I would like you to write to her that she should consider no matter either so great or so small as to seem difficult or unworthy of me: everything I do in your affairs will seem to me neither burdensome nor dishonorable. As for Dionysius, if you love me, finish the business. Whatever pledge you have given him, I shall make good on it; but if he proves dishonest, as he is, you will lead him as a captive in your triumph. May the gods curse the Dalmatians, who are giving you trouble! But, as you write, they will soon be captured and will add luster to your achievements; for they have always been considered warlike.

DCLXXIII (Fam. V, 11) TO PUBLIUS VATINIUS (IN ILLYRICUM) ROME (OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER) I am not surprised that you appreciate my services, for I know you to be the most grateful man in the world, and that I have never ceased to declare. For you have not merely felt grateful, you have shown it in practice also by the most complete return possible. Therefore, in all your remaining concerns, you shall find that I have the same zeal and the same goodwill to you. You commend to me that most honourable lady your wife Pompeia . I therefore at once spoke to Sura on reading your letter, and bade him tell her from me to let me know anything she wanted done, and to say that I would do it with the greatest zeal and assiduity. And this I will do, and if it seems necessary I will call upon her personally. Please write and tell her not to consider anything to be so great or so small, as to seem to me difficult or beneath my notice. Everything which I may do in your interest will appear to me at once unlaborious and honourable. As to Dionysius , as you love me, settle the business. Whatever pledge you give him I will make good. If; however, he shows himself the villain that he is, you will lead him captive in your triumph. Confound the Dalmatians who are giving you all this trouble! But, as you say, they will soon be taken prisoners, and will add a lustre to your campaign, for they have always been considered a warlike people.

XI. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 709. M. CICERO VATINIO IMP. SAL. Grata tibi mea esse officia non miror; cognovi enim te gratissimum omnium, idque numquam destiti praedicare; nec enim tu mihi habuisti mode gratiam, verum etiam cumulatissime rettulisti; quamobrem in reliquis tuis rebus omnibus pari me studio erga te et eadem voluntate cognosces. Quod mihi feminam primariam, Pompeiam, uxorem tuam, commendas, cum Sura nostro statim tuis litteris lectis locutus sum, ut ei meis verbis diceret, ut, quidquid opus esset, mihi denuntiaret; me omnia, quae ea vellet, summo studio curaque facturum: itaque faciam eamque, si opus esse videbitur, ipse conveniam; tu tamen ei velim scribas, ut nullam rem neque tam magnam neque tam parvam putet, quae mihi aut difficilis aut parum me digna videatur: omnia, quae in tuis rebus agam, et non laboriosa mihi et honesta videbuntur. De Dionysio, si me amas, confice: quamcumque ei fidem dederis, praestabo; si vero improbus fuerit, ut est, duces eum captivum in triumpho. Dalmatis di male faciant, qui tibi molesti sunt! sed, ut scribis, brevi capientur et illustrabunt res tuas gestas; semper enim habiti sunt bellicosi.