[124] The official residence of Caesar as Pontifex maximus.
Caesar has written to excuse me for not coming to Rome, and says that he takes it in good part. I am not concerned at his saying that Titinius and Servius have complained to him for not allowing them the same privilege as he did to me. What fools they are! They send their sons to besiege Pompey, and themselves hesitate to enter the House. However, I send you a copy of Caesar's letter.
IV
CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.
Cumae, April 14, B.C. 49
I have received a lot of letters from you on the same day, all of them written with care and one, which is as big as a book, worth reading several times, as I am doing. Your labour has not been in vain: you have gratified me very much. And so I beseech you continue to write as often as you can, so long as it is possible, that is, so long as you know where I am. And as for our daily lamentations let us make an end of them once for all, if we can, or at
quod profecto potest. Non enim iam, quam dignitatem, quos honores, quem vitae statum amiserim, cogito, sed quid consecutus sim, quid praestiterim, qua in laude vixerim, his denique in malis quid intersit inter me et istos, quos propter omnia amisimus. Hi sunt, qui, nisi me civitate expulissent, obtinere se non putaverant posse licentiam cupiditatum suarum. Quorum societatis et sceleratae consensionis fides quo eruperit, vides.
Alter ardet furore et scelere, nec remittit aliquid, sed in dies ingravescit; modo Italia expulit, nunc alia ex parte persequi, ex alia provincia exspoliare conatur, nec iam recusat, sed quodam modo postulat, ut, quem ad modum est, sic etiam appelletur tyrannus. Alter, is qui nos sibi quondam ad pedes stratos ne sublevabat quidem, qui se nihil contra huius voluntatem facere posse, elapsus e soceri manibus ac ferro bellum terra et mari comparat, non iniustum ille quidem, sed cum pium tum etiam necessarium, suis tamen civibus exitiabile, nisi vicerit, calamitosum, etiamsi vicerit. Horum ego summorum imperatoram non modo res gestas non antepono meis, sed ne fortunam quidem ipsam; qua illi florentissima, nos duriore conflictati videmur. Quis enim potest aut deserta per se patria aut oppressa beatus esse? Et, si, ut nos a te admonemur, recte in illis libris diximus nihil esse bonum, nisi quod honestum, nihil malum, nisi