Cicero meus, modestissimus et suavissimus puer, tibi salutem dicit. Dionysium semper equidem, ut scis, dilexi, sed cotidie pluris facio, et mehercule in primis quod te amat nec tui mentionem intermitti sinit.
kindness. From Actium I preferred to travel by land, in view of the wretched passage we had and the danger of rounding Leucatas. It did not seem to me quite dignified to go ashore at Patrae in small boats without my baggage. I will really take care to fulfil this unusual office of mine with all propriety and honesty, as you have often urged me, nothing loth; and daily I bethink me of your advice and impress it on my staff. Please God the Parthians keep quiet and fortune favour me, I will answer for myself.
I beg that you will let me know what you are doing, your movements from time to time, how you left my business at Rome, particularly in the matter of the £180 and the £7,000. Please do this in a letter carefully addressed to reach me anyhow. You are away at this present moment of inaction, but you have promised me to be in town for the occasion, and remember to use your best endeavours and to employ all my friends, especially Hortensius, that my year of office may conclude without any extension. This commission should perhaps be accompanied by a request for you to fight that no extra days may be added to the calendar: but I hardly like to give you all this trouble. Anyhow insist on the year.
My son, a boy of charming manners, sends greetings to you. I have always liked Dionysius as you know, but I make more of him every day, especially because he is your admirer, and lets slip no chance of mentioning you.
X
CICERO ATTICO SAL.
Scr. Athenis prid. K. aut K. Quint. a. 703
Ut Athenas a. d. VI Kal. Quinctiles veneram, exspectabam ibi iam quartum diem Pomptinum neque de eius adventu certi quicquam habebam. Eram autem totus, crede mihi, tecum et, quamquam sine iis per me ipse, tamen acrius vestigiis tuis monitus de te cogitabam. Quid quaeris? non mehercule alius ullus sermo nisi de te. Sed tu de me ipso aliquid scire fortasse mavis. Haec sunt. Adhuc sumptus nec in me aut publice aut privatim nec in quemquam comitum. Nihil accipitur lege Iulia, nihil ab hospite. Persuasum est omnibus meis serviendum esse famae meae. Belle adhuc. Hoc animadversum Graecorum laude et multo sermone celebratur. Quod superest, elaboratur in hoc a me, sicut tibi sensi placere. Sed haec tum laudemus, cum erunt perorata. Reliqua sunt eius modi, ut meum consilium saepe reprehendam, quod non aliqua ratione ex hoc negotio emerserim. O rem minime aptam meis moribus! o illud verum ἔρδοι τις! Dices: “Quid adhuc? nondum enim in negotio versaris.” Sane scio et puto molestiora restare. Etsi haec ipsa fero equidem fronte, ut puto, et voltu bellissime, sed angor intimis sensibus; ita multa vel iracunde vel insolenter vel in omni genere stultitiae insulse adrogantur et dicuntur et tacentur cotidie; quae non, quo te celem, non perscribo, sed quia
X
CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.
Athens, June 29 or July 1, B.C. 51
I came to Athens on the 25th of June, and I have waited three days for Pomptinus, but have heard nothing certain of his coming. Believe me, you are with me all the time, and, though it did not need associations to turn my thoughts towards you, still I was reminded of you more than ever by treading in your footsteps. Indeed we talk of nothing else but you; but perhaps you prefer to have news about myself. So far no public body or private person has spent money on me or on my staff. I have not even taken the barest necessities allowed by the law of Julius, nor have I billeted myself on anyone. My staff have made up their minds that they must uphold my good name. So far everything has gone well: the Greeks have noted it and are full of outspoken praise. For the rest I am endeavouring to act as I know you would like. But let us reserve our praise for the end of the story. In other respects I often blame my mistake in not having found some method of escape from this flood of affairs. The business is little suited to my tastes. It is a true saying, “Cobbler, stick to your last.”[[175]] You will say: “What, already? You have not yet begun your work.” Too true, and I fear worse is to come. I put up with things with cheerful brow and smiling face; but I suffer in my heart of hearts. There is so much ill temper and insolence, such stupid folly of every kind, such arrogant talk and such sullen silence to be put up with every day. I pass over this, not because I wish to conceal it, but