XId
M. CICERO IMPERATOR SENDS GREETINGS TO CN. MAGNUS, PROCONSUL.
Formiae, Febr. 27, B.C. 49
When I sent you the letter which was delivered to you at Canusium, I had no idea that the state's
causa mare transiturum eramque in spe magna fore ut in Italia possemus aut concordiam constituere qua mihi nihil utilius videbatur, aut rem publicam summa cum dignitate defendere. Interim nondum meis litteris ad te perlatis ex iis mandatis, quae D. Laelio ad consules dederas, certior tui consilii factus non exspectavi, dum mihi a te litterae redderentur, confestimque cum Quinto fratre et cum liberis nostris iter ad te in Apuliam facere coepi. Cum Teanum Sidicinum venissem, C. Messius, familiaris tuus, mihi dixit aliique complures Caesarem iter habere Capuam et eo ipso die mansurum esse Aeserniae, Sane sum commotus, quod, si ita esset, non modo iter meum interclusum, sed me ipsum plane exceptum putabam. Itaque tum Cales processi, ut ibi potissimum consisterem, dum certum nobis ab Aesernia de eo, quod audieram, referretur.
At mihi, cum Calibus essem, adfertur litterarum tuarum exemplum, quas tu ad Lentulum consulem misisses. Hae scriptae sic erant, litteras tibi a L. Domitio a. d. XIII Kal. Martias allatas esse (earumque exemplum subscripseras); magnique interesse rei publicae scripseras omnes copias primo quoque tempore in unum locum convenire, et ut, praesidio quod satis esset, Capuae relinqueret. His ego litteris lectis in eadem opinione fui qua reliqui omnes, te cum omnibus copiis ad Corfinium esse venturum; quo mihi, cum Caesar ad oppidum castra haberet, tutum iter esse non abritrabar.
Cum res in summa exspectatione esset, utrumque simul audivimus, et quae Corfini acta essent, et te iter Brundisium facere coepisse; cumque nec mihi nec fratri meo dubium esset, quin Brundisium contenderemus,
welfare would drive you to flight across the seas, and I had great hopes that it might be in Italy we should either conclude peace (the wisest course to my mind) or fight for the state with honour untarnished. My letter cannot have reached you yet, but from the message which you entrusted to D. Laelius for the consuls I learnt of your plans. I did not wait for a reply to my letter, but forthwith set out along with my brother Quintus and the children to join you in Apulia. On arrival at Teanum Sidicinum I was told by your friend C. Messius, and many other people, that Caesar was on his way to Capua, and would bivouac that very day at Aesernia. I was really startled, as it occurred to me, that, if that was so, my road was closed, and I myself was quite captured. So I went to Cales, choosing that particular place to stay at, till I should get certain news from Aesernia as to the rumour I had heard.