Letter 9.13

Gaius Subernius of Cales is both a friend of mine and a very close connection of our dear friend Lepta. When he had set out for Spain to avoid the war with Marcus Varro before the war, intending to be in a province where none of us, after Afranius's defeat, had expected any war to occur, he fell into the very evils he had so zealously tried to avoid; for he was caught by the sudden war that was started by Scapula and afterward so reinforced by Pompey that he could by no means extricate himself from that misery. The case of Marcus Planius Heres is almost the same; he too is from Cales, a very close friend of our dear Lepta. I commend both of these men to you, then, in such a way that I could not commend them with greater care, zeal, or anxiety of spirit. I wish it for their own sake, and both friendship and humanity move me strongly in this; and since Lepta is so distressed that his fortunes seem to be in jeopardy, I cannot fail to be almost as concerned as he is, or perhaps equally so. Therefore, although I have often tested how much you love me, I would have you persuaded that I shall judge it most of all in this matter. I ask you, then, or if you allow it, I beg you, to preserve safe and sound these unfortunate men who are wretched more from fortune, which no one can avoid, than from fault, and to wish through yourself to grant me the gift of this favor to these friends of mine, to the municipality of Cales, with which I have a strong connection, and above all to Lepta, whom I put before everyone. What I am about to say I think is not of great relevance, but it does no harm to mention it: the estate of one of them is very small, the other's is barely of equestrian rank. Therefore, since Caesar by his generosity has granted them their lives, and there is nothing else of great value that can be taken from them, if you love me as much as you certainly do, accomplish their return, in which there is nothing at stake but a long journey, which they do not avoid so that they may live with their families and remain at home. I ask you again and again to strive and struggle for this, or rather to accomplish it -- for I have persuaded myself that you can.

DXLII (Fam. IX, 13) TO P. CORNELIUS DOLABELLA (IN SPAIN) (ROME, FEBRUARY) C. SUBERNIUS of Cales is both my friend and very closely connected with Lepta, who is a very intimate friend of mine. Having for the express purpose of avoiding the war one to Spain with M. Varro before it began, with a view of being in a province in which none of us had thought that there was likely to be any war after the defeat of Afranius , he found himself plunged into the precise evils which he had done his very best to avoid. For he was overtaken by a sudden war, which being set in motion by Scapula was afterwards raised to such serious proportions by Pompey , that it became impossible for him to extricate himself from that unhappy affair. M. Planius Heres, also of Cales , and also a very close friend of our friend Lepta, is in much the same position. These two men, therefore, I commend to your protection with a care, zeal, and heartfelt anxiety beyond which I cannot go in commending anyone. I wish it for their own sake, and in this matter I am also strongly influenced by motives of humanity no less than by friendship. For since Lepta is so anxious that his fortunes would seem to be at stake, I cannot but be in a state of anxiety next or even equal to his. Therefore, although I have often had proof of how much you loved me, yet I would have you be convinced that I shall have no better opportunity than this of judging that to be so. I therefore ask you, or, if you allow it, I implore you to save from disfranchisement two unhappy men, who owe their loss of citizenship to fortune — which none can avoid-rather than to any fault of their own. Be so good as to allow me by your help to bestow this favour both on the men themselves, who are my friends, and also on the municipium of Cales , with which I have strong ties, and lastly upon Lepta, whom I regard more than all the rest. What I am going to say I think is not much to the point, yet, after all, there is no harm in saying it. The property of one of them is very small, of the other scarcely up to the equestrian standard. Wherefore, seeing that Caesar , with his usual high-mindedness, has granted them their lives, and since there is very little else that can be taken from them, do secure these men their return, if you love me as much as I am sure you do. The only possible difficulty is the long journey; which their motive for not shirking is their desire to be with their families and to die at home. That you do your best and exert yourself, or rather that you carry it through — for as to your ability to do it I have no doubt — I strongly and repeatedly entreat you.

XIII. Scr. Asturae mense Aprili a.u.c. 709. CICERO DOLABELLAE SAL. C. Subernius Calenus et meus est familaris et Leptae nostri familiarissimi pernecessarius: is cum vitandi belli causa profectus esset in Hispaniam cum M. Varrone ante bellum, ut in ea provincia esset, in qua nemo nostrum post Afranium superatum bellum ullum fore putarat, incidit in ea ipsa mala, quae summo studio vitaverat; oppressus est enim bello repentino, quod bellum commotum a Scapula ita postea confirmatum est a Pompeio, ut nulla ratione ab illa miseria se eripere posset. Eadem causa fere est M. Planii Heredis, qui est item Calenus, Leptae nostri familiarissimus. Hosce igitur ambos tibi sic commendo, ut maiore cura, studio, sollicitudine animi commendare non possim. Volo ipsorum causa, meque in eo vehementer et amicitia movet et humanitas; Lepta vero cum ita laboret, ut eius fortunae videantur in discrimen venire, non possum ego non aut proxime atque ille aut etiam aeque laborare. Quapropter, etsi saepe expertus sum. quantum me amares, tamen sic velim tibi persuadeas, id me in hac re maxime iudicaturum. Peto igitur a te vel, si pateris, oro, ut homines miseros et fortuna, quam vitare nemo potest, magis quam culpa calamitosos conserves incolumes velisque per te me hoc muneris cum ipsis amicis hominibus, cum municipio Caleno, quocum mihi magna necessitudo est, tum Leptae, quem omnibus antepono, dare. Quod dicturus sum, puto equidem non valde ad rem pertinere, sed tamen nihil obest dicere: res familiaris alteri eorum valde exigua est, alteri vix equestris; quapropter, quoniam iis Caesar vitam sua liberalitate concessit nec est, quod iis praeterea magno opere possit adimi, reditum, si me tantum amas, quantum certe amas, hominibus confice, in quo nihil est praeter viam longam, quam idcirco non fugiunt, ut et vivant cum suis et morantur domi: quod ut enitare contendasque vel potius ut perficias—posse enim te mihi persuasi—, vehementer te etiam atque etiam rogo.