Letter 4: Cicero writes to Quintus at Rome from Thessalonica in August 58 BC.

MARCUS TO HIS BROTHER QUINTUS, GREETINGS. 1. I beg you, my brother, if by one act of mine both you and my whole household have collapsed, do not lay it to my dishonesty and wickedness rather than to my lack of foresight and my wretchedness: I have committed no fault, except that I trusted men by whom I had thought it an outrage that I should be deceived, or whom I did not even reckon it to be in their interest to deceive me. Every one of my closest, nearest, most intimate friends either took alarm for himself or envied me: and so for me, poor wretch, my one safeguard turned out to be the good faith of my friends, my one resource my own counsel. 2. But if your own innocence and the compassion of men sufficiently protect you at this time from harassment, you surely perceive what hope of deliverance, if any, is left to us: for Pomponius and Sestius and our Piso [Cicero's son-in-law] have kept me at Thessalonica until now, since on account of some movements or other they forbade me to withdraw any farther; but in truth I was awaiting the outcome more from their letters than from any sure hope. For what am I to hope, with my enemy supreme in power, with a maligner master of the state, with faithless friends, with very many men envious of me? 3. As for the new tribunes of the plebs, Sestius indeed is most devoted to my cause, and, I hope, Curius, Milo, Fadius, and Fabricius; but with Clodius bitterly opposing, who even as a private citizen will be able with that same gang to stir up the assemblies; and then too someone will be procured to interpose a veto. 4. These things were not set before me when I was setting out, but I was repeatedly told that within three days I would return with the greatest glory. "Why did you go, then?" you will say. Why indeed? Many things came together to drive my reason from its course: the sudden defection of Pompey, the estrangement of the consuls, of the praetors too, the timidity of the publicani [the tax-farming companies], armed force. The tears of my own people kept me from going to my death; which surely would have been most fitting both for my honor and for escaping unendurable sufferings. But about this I have written to you in that letter which I gave to Phaethon [a courier]. Now you, since you have been thrust down into such great grief and toil as no one ever before, if you can lighten our common downfall by the compassion of men, you will of course accomplish something past belief; but if we have utterly fallen—wretch that I am!—I shall have been the ruin of all my own, to whom before I was no disgrace. 5. But you, as I wrote to you before, look into the matter and test it thoroughly, and write back to me truly, as our circumstances, not as your affection, requires: I shall hold on to life as long as I think it is in your interest, or that it serves to keep hope alive. You will find Sestius most friendly to us; I believe that Lentulus, who is to be consul, is willing for your sake—although deeds are harder than words. You will see both what is needful and what the case is. In short, if no one looks down on your isolation and our common calamity, either something can be accomplished through you or in no way at all; but if your enemies too begin to harass you, do not give way, for the contest with you will be waged not with swords but with lawsuits. Yet I should wish these things to be far off. I beg you to write back to me about all matters, and to think that there is in me less of spirit, or rather of counsel, than before, but of love and devotion truly no less. Cicero

I beg you, my dear brother, if you and all my family have been ruined by my single misfortune, not to attribute it to dishonesty and bad conduct on my part, rather than to shortsightedness and the wretched state I was in. I have committed no fault except in trusting those whom I believed to be bound by the most sacred obligation not to deceive me, or whom I thought to be even interested in not doing so. All my most intimate, nearest and dearest friends were either alarmed for themselves or jealous of me: the result was that all I lacked was good faith on the part of my friends and caution on my own. 1 But if your own blameless character and the compassion of the world prove sufficient to preserve you at this juncture from molestation, you can, of course, observe whether any hope of restoration is left for me. For Pomponius, Sestius, and my son-in-law Piso have caused me as yet to stay at Thessalonica, forbidding me, on account of certain impending movements, to increase my distance. But in truth I am awaiting the result more on account of their letters than from any firm hope of my own. For what can I hope with an enemy possessed of the most formidable power, with my detractors masters of the state, with friends unfaithful, with numbers of people jealous? However, of the new tribunes there is one, it is true, most warmly attached to me--Sestius--and I hope Curius, Milo, Fadius, Fabricius; but still there is Clodius in violent opposition, who even when out of office will be able to stir up the passions of the mob by the help of that same gang, and then there will be found some one also to veto the bill. Such a state of things was not put before me when I was leaving Rome, but I often used to be told that I was certain to return in three days with the greatest éclat. "What made you go, then?" you will say. What, indeed! Many circumstances concurred to throw me off my balance--the defection of Pompey, the hostility of the consuls, and of the praetors also, the timidity of the publicani, the armed bands. The tears of my friends prevented me seeking refuge in death, which would certainly have been the best thing for my honour, the best escape from unbearable sorrows. But I have written to you on this subject in the letter I gave to Phaetho. Now that you have been plunged into griefs and troubles, such as no one ever was before, if the compassion of the world can lighten our common misfortune, you will, it seems, score a success beyond belief! But if we are both utterly ruined--ah me-I shall have been the absolute destruction of my whole family, to whom I used to be at least no discredit! But pray, as I said in a previous letter to you, look into the business, test it thoroughly, and write to me with the candour which our situation demands, and not as your affection for me would dictate. I shall retain my life as long as I shall think that it is in your interest for me to do so, or that it ought to be preserved with a view to future hope. You will find Sestius most friendly to us, and I believe that Lentulus, the coming consul, will also be so for your sake. However, deeds are not so easy as words. You will see what is wanted and what the truth is. On the whole, supposing that no one takes advantage of your unprotected position and our common calamity, it is by your means, or not at all, that something may be effected. But even if your enemies have begun to annoy you, don't flinch: for you will be attacked by legal process, not by swords. However, I hope that this may not occur. I beg you to write me back word on all subjects, and to believe that though I have less spirit and resource than in old times, I have quite as much affection and loyalty.

IV. Scr. Thessalonicae mense Sextili a.u.c. 696. MARCUS QUINTO FRATRI SALUTEM. 1. Amabo te, mi frater, ne, si uno meo facto et tu et mones mei corruistis, improbitati et sceleri meo potius quam imprudentiae miseriaeque assignes: nullum est meum peccatum, nisi quod iis credidi, a quibus nefas putaram esse me decipi, aut etiam, quibus ne id expedire quidem arbitrabar. Intimus, proximus, familiarissimus quisque aut sibi pertimuit aut mihi invidit: ita mihi nihil misero praeter fidem amicorum cautum meum consilium fuit. 2. Quod si te satis innocentia tua et misericordia hominum vindicat hoc tempore a molestia, perspicis profecto, ecquaenam nobis spes salutis relinquatur: nam me Pomponius et Sestius et Piso noster adhuc Thessalonicae retinuerunt, cum longius discedere propter nescio quos motus vetarent; verum ego magis exitum illorum litteris quam spe certa exspectabam; nam quid sperem potentissimo inimico, dominatione obtrectatorem, infidelibus amicis, plurimis invidis? 3. De novis autem tribunis pl. est ille quidem in me officiosissimus Sestius et, spero, Curius, Milo, Fadius, Fabricius, sed valde adversante Clodio, qui etiam privatus eadem manu poterit conciones concitare; deinde etiam imtercessor parabitur. 4. Haec mihi proficiscenti non proponebantur, sed saepe triduo summa cum gloria dicebar esse rediturus. "Quid tu igitur?" inquies. Quid? multa convenerunt, quae mentem exturbarent meam: subita defectio Pompeii, alienatio consulum, etiam praetorum, timor publicanorum, arma. Lacrimae meorum me ad mortem ire prohibuerunt; quod certe et ad honestatem et ad effugiendos intolerabiles dolores fuit aptissimum. Sed de hoc scripsi ad te in ea epistula, quam Phaethonti dedi. Nunc tu, quoniam in tantum luctum laboremque detrusus es, quantum nemo umquam, si levare potes communem casum misericordia hominum, scilicet incredibile quiddam assequeris; sin plane occidimus—me miserum!—ego omnibus meis exitio fuero, quibus ante dedecori non eram. 5. Sed tu, ut ante ad te scripsi, perspice rem et pertenta et ad me, ut tempora nostra, non ut amor tuus fert, vere perscribe: ego vitam, quoad putabo tua interesse aut ad spem servandam esse, retinebo. Tu nobis amicissimum Sestium cognosces; credo tua causa velle Lentulum, qui erit consul: quamquam sunt facta verbis difficiliora. Tu et quid opus sit et quid sit videbis. Omnino, si tuam solitudinem communemque calamitatem nemo despexerit, aut per te aliquid confici aut nullo modo poterit; sin te quoque inimici vexare coeperint, ne cessaris, non enim gladiis tecum, sed litibus agetur. Verum haec absint velim. Te oro, ut ad me de omnibus rebus rescribas et in me animi aut potius consilii minus putes esse quam antea, amoris vero et officii non minus. Cicero The Latin Library The Classics Page