XVIb
CICERO PLANCO PRAET. DESIG. SAL.
Scr. paulo post ep. 16a
Iam antea petivi abs te per litteras, ut, cum causa Buthrotiorum probata a consulibus esset, quibus et lege et senatus consulto permissum erat, ut de Caesaris actis cognoscerent, statuerent, iudicarent, eam rem tu adiuvares, Atticumque nostrum, cuius te studiosum cognovi, et me, qui non minus laboro, molestia liberares. Omnibus enim rebus magna cura, multa opera et labore confectis in te positum est, ut nostrae sollicitudinis finem quam primum facere possimus. Quamquam intellegimus ea te esse prudentia, ut videas, si ea decreta consulum, quae de Caesaris actis interposita sunt, non serventur, magnam perturbationem rerum fore. Equidem, cum multa, quod necesse erat in tanta occupatione, non probentur, quae Caesar statuerit, tamen otii pacisque causa acerrime illa soleo defendere. Quod tibi idem magno opere faciendum censeo; quamquam haec epistula non suasoris est, sed rogatoris. Igitur, mi Plance, rogo te et etiam atque etiam oro sic medius fidius, ut maiore studio magisque ex animo agere non possim, ut totum hoc negotium ita agas, ita tractes, ita conficias, ut, quod sine ulla dubitatione apud consules obtinuimus propter summam bonitatem et aequitatem causae, id tu nos obtinuisse non modo facile patiare, sed etiam gaudeas. Qua quidem voluntate te esse erga Atticum saepe praesens et illi ostendisti et vero
XVIb
CICERO TO PLANCUS, PRAETOR ELECT, GREETING.
Written shortly after 16a
I have already written to ask you to render assistance in the matter of the Buthrotians, since the consuls, who had the authority of a statute and a senatorial decree to investigate, determine, and decide on Caesar's proceedings, have approved of their case; and to relieve Atticus, whom I know you admire, and myself, who am as much concerned as he is, from trouble. For now that we have brought the whole business to an end with the expenditure of much care, much labour, and pains, it rests with you to allow us to make an end to our anxiety as early as possible. However, I am sure that you have wisdom enough to see, that, if the decisions delivered by the consuls about Caesar's proceedings are not observed, things will be thrown into great confusion. For my part, though one cannot approve of many of Caesar's arrangements—as was natural in the case of a person so busy—still I am wont to uphold them staunchly for the sake of peace and quietness: and I am strongly of the opinion that you should do the same, though I am not writing as an adviser but as a suppliant. So, my dear Plancus, I beg and beseech you—and I do assure you I could not be more anxious or more in earnest about anything—to take in hand, to conduct, and to carry through all this business in such a way, that, what we have obtained from the consuls without any hesitation solely on the justice and equity of our case, we may obtain from you not only with your kind indulgence but with alacrity on your part. How kindly disposed you are to Atticus you have often shown him and me, too, when we
434etiam mihi. Quod si feceris, me, quem voluntate et paterna necessitudine coniunctum semper habuisti, maximo beneficio devinctum habebis, idque ut facias, te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo.
XVIc
CICERO CAPITONI SUO SAL.
Scr. eodem tempore quo ep. 16b
Numquam putavi fore ut supplex ad te venirem; sed hercule facile patior datum tempus, in quo amorem experirer tuum. Atticum quanti faciam, scis. Amabo te, da mihi et hoc, obliviscere mea causa illum aliquando suo familiari, adversario tuo voluisse consultum, cum illius existimatio ageretur. Hoc primum ignoscere est humanitatis tuae; suos enim quisque debet tueri; deinde, si me amas (omitte Atticum), Ciceroni tuo, quem quanti facias, prae te soles ferre, totum hoc da, ut, quod semper existimavi, nunc plane intellegam, me a te multum amari. Buthrotios cum Caesar decreto suo, quod ego obsignavi cum multis amplissimis viris, liberavisset ostendissetque nobis se, cum agrarii mare transissent, litteras missurum, quem in agrum deducerentur, accidit, ut subito ille interiret. Deinde, quem ad modum tu scis (interfuisti enim), cum consules oporteret ex senatus consulto de actis Caesaris cognoscere, res ab iis in Kal. Iun. dilata est. Accessit ad senatus consultum lex, quae lata est a. d. IIII Non.