THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY
EDITED BY
T. E. PAGE, M.A., AND W. H. D. ROUSE, LITT. D.
LETTERS TO ATTICUS
II
CICERO
LETTERS TO ATTICUS
WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY
E. O. WINSTEDT, M.A.
OF MAGDALEN COLLEGE. OXFORD
IN THREE VOLUMES
II
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO.
MCMXXI
INTRODUCTION
This second volume of Cicero's _Letters to Atticus_ embraces one of the
most important epochs in Roman history, the fall of the Republic in
the struggle between Pompey and Caesar. The storm which had long been
brewing broke just as Cicero returned from Cilicia over the question
of Caesar's resignation of office. By the agreement made in 56 B.C.
Caesar's governorship of Gaul was renewed for five years and he was
then to be re-elected to the consulship in 48 B.C. As the renewal dated
from March 1, 54 B.C., his term of office would naturally expire on
March 1, 49 B.C.: but according to the rule in vogue at the time of the
reappointment he would not be superseded until Jan. 1, 48 B.C., the
date on which he would enter on the consulship. He would therefore hold
office continually, and his enemies, the Senatorial party, would have
no chance of bringing a prosecution against him, which might be fatal
to his career. But in 52 B.C. they had induced Pompey to bring forward
a new law by which ex-magistrates did not proceed to a province as soon
as their office ended but after an interval of five years. Consequently
for the next five years special appointments had to be made by the
Senate--for example Cicero's appointment to Cilicia--and, as they could
be made at any time, it would be perfectly easy to supersede Caesar
on March 1, 49, and secure his prosecution, condemnation and downfall
before he could enter on the consulship.
Another new law of Pompey's insisted on the personal attendance of
candidates for office, from which Caesar had previously obtained
special exemption. On the remonstrance of Caesar's friends Pompey had
inserted a clause allowing such special exemptions to stand: but this
clause was never properly passed. This again was designed to ensure
Caesar's presence in Rome, with a view to his prosecution.
During the next two years the question of his resignation was
continually coming up in the House, but no definite conclusion
was reached, owing largely to Curio's spirited attacks on all the
Senatorial party's proposals. That party however was ready to catch at
any trifle to pick a quarrel with Caesar: and they found an opportunity
when in Sept. 50 B.C. Caesar decided to send the 13th legion into
Cisalpine Gaul to replace the 15th, which he had had to surrender,
nominally for the war in Syria, though actually the legion was kept
in Italy. A report was circulated that he was sending four legions to
Placentia with hostile intentions. The report was disproved by Curio:
but, though the majority of the Senate supported the opposition, and
refused to declare Caesar a public enemy, Marcellus, the consul, took
upon himself to appoint Pompey to the command over two legions with
authority to raise more against Caesar. On his return to Cisalpine
Gaul in November, Caesar ignored this illegal commission and privately
offered to give up Transalpine Gaul on March 1, if allowed to keep
Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum with two legions or even Illyricum with
one. It was at this juncture that Cicero returned to Italy, and he
seems to have spoken in favour of accepting this proposal, though
shocked at Caesar's "impudence" in making it. But neither Pompey nor
the Senatorial party took it seriously, and Caesar was forced to send
an ultimatum stating that he would resign only if Pompey did the same.
The Senate replied that, if he did not resign, he would be declared
a public enemy: and, when their motion to that effect was vetoed by
Antony and Cassius, the latter met with the same treatment and had to
flee to Caesar in company with Curio.
On hearing their report Caesar took the first step in the war by
crossing the Rubicon. His march southward was so quickly executed that
Pompey and the consuls evacuated Rome. Negotiations for peace failed.
Domitius with eighteen cohorts at Corfinium was taken prisoner, and
Pompey retreated to Brundisium on his way to Greece. Hurrying after
him Caesar blockaded the town: but Pompey succeeded in effecting
his escape. Meantime Cicero was exhibiting the weakest side of his
character. At the first outbreak he offered to go with Pompey: but he
was given the command of Capua and the Campanian coast. This command he
resigned in a few days: later he set out to join Pompey at Brundisium,
but retreated for fear of capture: and thereafter for months he
remained at Formiae shilly-shallying and writing querulous letters to
Atticus for advice. However, when he met Caesar on his return from
Brundisium to Rome, he had sufficient courage to refuse to take a seat
in the House and support his demands.
Caesar's stay in Rome was short and marked only by his seizure of the
public treasury and the appointment of his friends Lepidus and Antony
as prefect of the city and military commander respectively. Then he
hastened to Spain, where, after nearly meeting with a disaster, he
defeated the five legions under Afranius and Petreius at Ilerda, and
gained the whole peninsula. While the issue was still uncertain
in Spain, and indeed things looked unfavourable to Caesar, Cicero
screwed up his courage and joined Pompey in Epirus. Meantime Sardinia
was occupied by Caesar's adjutant P. Valerius and Sicily gave way to
Curio. The latter passed on to Africa, where after some success he met
with defeat and death at the hands of Juba. It was not till January
48 B.C. that Caesar effected a landing in Epirus, where he proceeded
to surround Pompey's camp near Dyrrachium: but his lines were broken
through and he sustained a slight defeat. He retired towards Thessaly
and there in August won a decisive victory over Pompey at Pharsalus.
Pompey fled to Cyprus and thence to Egypt, there to meet his death. The
rest of the party split up, some going to Africa to carry on the war,
others to Greece and Asia to make terms for themselves with Caesar.
Cicero after a violent quarrel with his brother at Patrae returned to
Brundisium, and there spent many miserable months wondering what his
fate would be when Caesar returned. His misfortunes were increased by
a rupture with his wife Terentia, and the unfaithfulness and general
misconduct of his son-in-law Dolabella, which forced him to procure a
divorce for Tullia. And there this volume leaves him, moaning.
The following abbreviations are used in the apparatus criticus:--
_M_ = the _Codex Mediceus_ 49, 18, written in the year 1389 A.D., and
now preserved in the Laurentian Library at Florence. _M_¹ denotes the
reading of the first hand, and _M_² that of a reviser.
Δ = the reading of _M_ when supported by that of the _Codex Urbinas
322_, a MS. of the 15th century, preserved in the Vatican Library.
_N_ = the _Codex ex abbatia Florentina_, n. 14 in the Laurentian
Library, written in the 14th or 15th century.
_O_ = _Codex_ 1.5.34 in the University Library at Turin, written in the
15th century.
_P_ = No. 8536 of the Latin MSS. in the Bibliothèque Nationale at
Paris, a MS. of the 15th century.
_Ant._ = _Codex Antonianus_, used by Malaspina.
_C_ = the marginal readings in Cratander's edition of 1528, drawn from
a MS. which is lost.
_F_ = _Codex Faerni_, used by Malaspina.
_Z_ = the readings of the lost _Codex Tornaesianus_, _Z_ᵇ denoting the
reading as preserved by Bosius, and _Z_ˡ that testified to by Lambinus.
_I_ = the editio _Jensoniana princeps_ (Venice, 1470).
_L_ = readings in the text of Lambinus' edition, or conjectures of
Lambinus.
_Vict._ = the _editio Petri Victori_ (Venice, 1534-37).
CONTENTS
Letters to Atticus Book VII _Page_ 2
Letters to Atticus Book VIII 98
Letters to Atticus Book IX 176
Letters to Atticus Book X 272
Letters to Atticus Book XI 352
* * * * *
Page 1
CICERO'S LETTERS
TO ATTICUS
BOOK VII
R VOL. II
* * * * *
Page 2
M. TULLI CICERONIS
EPISTULARUM AD ATTICUM
LIBER SEPTIMUS
I
CICERO ATTICO SAL.
[Sidenote: _Scr. Athenis XVII K. Nov. a. 704_]
Dederam equidem L. Saufeio litteras et dederam ad te unum, quod, cum
non esset temporis mihi ad scribendum satis, tamen hominem tibi tam
familiarem sine meis litteris ad te venire nolebam; sed, ut philosophi
ambulant, has tibi redditum iri putabam prius. Sin iam illas accepisti,
scis me Athenas venisse pr. Idus Octobres, e navi egressum in Piraeum
tuas ab Acasto nostro litteras accepisse, conturbatum, quod cum febre
Romam venisses, bono tamen animo esse coepisse, quod Acastus ea, quae
vellem, de allevato corpore tuo nuntiaret, cohorruisse autem me eo[1]
quod tuae litterae de legionibus Caesaris adferrent, et egisse tecum,
ut videres, ne quid φιλοτιμία eius, quem nosti, nobis noceret, et, de
quo iam pridem ad te scripseram, Turranius autem secus tibi Brundisi
dixerat (quod ex iis litteris cognovi, quas a Xenone, optimo viro,
accepi), cur fratrem provinciae non praefecissem, exposui breviter.
Haec fere sunt in illa epistula. Nunc audi reliqua.
[1] me eo _Tyrrell_; me _MSS._; eo _Koch_, _Müller_.
Per fortunas! omnem tuum amorem, quo me es amplexus, omnemque tuam
prudentiam, quam mehercule
* * * * *
Page 3
CICERO'S LETTERS
TO ATTICUS