letters of cicero-第14部分

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ish　enough；　and　then！　I　don't　at　all　blame　you　for　not　being　over…curious　in　regard　to　Britain。　For　the　present；　however；　you　seem　to　be　in　winter　quarters　somewhat　short　of　warm　clothing；　and　therefore　not　caring　to　stir　out：

〃Not　here　and　there；　but　everywhere；　Be　wise　and　ware：　No　sharper　steel　can　warrior　bear。〃

If　I　had　been　by　way　of　dining　out；　I　would　not　have　failed　your　friend　Cn。　Octavius；　to　whom；　however；　I　did　remark　upon　his　repeated　invitations；　〃Pray；　who　are　you？〃　But；　by　Hercules；　joking　apart；　be　is　a　pretty　fellow：　I　could　have　wished　you　had　taken　him　with　you！　Let　me　know　for　certain　what　you　are　doing　and　whether　you　intend　coming　to　Italy　at　all　this　winter。　Balbus　has　assured　me　that　you　will　be　rich。　Whether　he　speaks　after　the　simple　Roman　fashion；　meaning　that　you　will　be　well　supplied　with　money；　or　according　to　the　Stoic　dictum；　that　〃all　are　rich　who　can　enjoy　the　sky　and　the　earth；〃　I　shall　know　hereafter。　Those　who　come　from　your　part　accuse　you　of　pride；　because　they　say　you　won't　answer　men　who　put　questions　to　you。　However；　there　is　one　thing　that　will　please　you：　they　all　agree　in　saying　that　there　is　no　better　lawyer　than　you　at　Samarobriva！

XVII　

To　ATTICUS　（AT　ROME）

MINTURNAE；　MAY

YES；　I　saw　well　enough　what　your　feelings　were　as　I　parted　from　you；　what　mine　were　I　am　my　own　witness。　This　makes　it　all　the　mote　incumbent　on　you　to　prevent　an　additional　decree　being　passed；　so　that　this　mutual　regret　of　ours　may　not　last　more　than　a　year。　As　to　Annius　Saturninus；　your　measures　are　excellent。　As　to　the　guarantee；　pray；　during　your　stay　at　Rome；　give　it　yourself。　You　will　find　several　guarantees　on　purchase；　such　as　those　of　the　estates　of　Memmius；　or　rather　of　Attilius。　As　to　Oppius；　that　is　exactly　what　I　wished；　and　especially　your　having　engaged　to　pay　him　the　8oo　sestertia　（about　6；400　pounds）；　which　I　am　determined　shall　be　paid　in　any　case；　even　if　I　have　to　borrow　to　do　so；　rather　than　wait　for　the　last　day　of　getting　in　my　own　debts。

I　now　come　to　that　last　line　of　your　letter　written　crossways；　in　which　you　give　me　a　word　of　caution　about　your　sister。　The　facts　of　the　matter　are　these。　On　arriving　at　my　place　at　Arpinum；　my　brother　came　to　see　me；　and　our　first　subject　of　conversation　was　yourself；　and　we　discussed　it　at　great　length。　After　this　I　brought　the　conversation　round　to　what　you　and　I　had　discussed　at　Tusculum；　on　the　subject　of　your　sister。　I　never　saw　anything　so　gentle　and　placable　as　my　brother　was　on　that　occasion　in　regard　to　your　sister：　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　if　there　had　been　any　cause　of　quarrel　on　the　score　of　expense；　it　was　not　apparent。　So　much　for　that　day。　Next　day　we　started　from　Arpinum。　A　country　festival　caused　Quintus　to　stop　at　Arcanum；　I　stopped　at　Aquinum；　but　we　lunched　at　Arcanum。　You　know　his　property　there。　When　we　got　there　Quintus　said；　in　the　kindest　manner；　〃Pomponia；　do　you　ask　the　ladies　in；　I　will　invite　the　men。〃　Nothing；　as　I　thought；　could　be　more　courteous；　and　that；　too；　not　only　in　the　actual　words；　but　also　in　his　intention　and　the　expression　of　face。　But　she；　in　the　hearing　of　us　all；　exclaimed；　〃I　am　only　a　stranger　here！　〃　The　origin　of　that　was；　as　I　think；　the　fact　that　Statius　had　preceded　us　to　look　after　the　luncheon。　Thereupon　Quintus　said　to　me；　〃There；　that's　what　I　have　to　put　up　with　every　day！〃　You　will　say；　〃Well；　what　does　that　amount　to？〃　A　great　deal；　and；　indeed；　she　had　irritated　even　me：　her　answer　had　been　given　with　such　unnecessary　acrimony；　both　of　word　and　look。　I　concealed　my　annoyance。　We　all　took　our　places　at　table　except　her。　However；　Ouintus　sent　her　dishes　from　the　table；　which　she　declined。　In　short；　I　thought　I　never　saw　anything　better　tempered　than　my　brother；　or　crosser　than　your　sister：　and　there　were　many　particulars　which　I　omit　that　raised　my　bile　more　than　did　that　of　Quintus　himself。　I　then　went　on　to　Aquinum；　Quintus　stopped　at　Arcanum；　and　joined　me　early　the　next　day　at　Aquinum。　He　told　me　that　she　had　refused　to　sleep　with　him；　and　when　on　the　point　of　leaving　she　behaved　just　as　I　had　seen　her。　Need　I　say　more？　You　may　tell　her　herself　that　in　my　judgment　she　shewed　a　marked　want　of　kindness　on　that　day。　I　have　told　you　this　story　at　greater　length；　perhaps；　than　was　necessary；　to　convince　you　that　you；　too；　have　something　to　do　in　the　way　of　giving　her　instruction　and　advice。

There　only　remains　for　me　to　beg　you　to　complete　all　my　commissions　before　leaving　town；　to　give　Pomptinus　a　push；　and　make　him　start；　to　let　me　know　as　soon　as　you　have　left　town；　and　to　believe　that；　by　heaven；　there　is　nothing　I　love　and　find　more　pleasure　in　than　yourself。　I　said　a　most　affectionate　good…bye　to　that　best　of　men；　A。　Torquatus；　at　Minturnae；　to　whom　I　wish　you　would　remark；　in　the　course　of　conversation；　that　I　have　mentioned　him　in　my　letter。

XVIII

To　M。　PORCIUS　CATO　（AT　ROME）

CILICIA　（JANUARY）

Your　own　immense　prestige　and　my　unvarying　belief　in　your　consummate　virtue　have　convinced　me　of　the　great　importance　it　is　to　me　that　you　should　be　acquainted　with　what　I　have　accomplished；　and　that　you　should　not　be　ignorant　of　the　equity　and　disinterestedness　with　which　I　protected　our　allies　and　governed　my　province。　For　if　you　knew　these　facts；　I　thought　I　should　with　greater　ease　secure　your　approval　of　my　wishes。

Having　entered　my　province　on　the　last　day　of　July；　and　seeing　that　the　time　of　year　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　make　all　haste　to　the　army；　I　spent　but　two　days　at　Laodicea；　four　at　Apamea　three　at　Synnada；　and　the　same　at　Philomelium。　Having　held　largely　attended　assizes　in　these　towns；　I　freed　a　great　number　of　cities　from　very　vexatious　tributes；　excessive　interest；　and　fraudulent　debt。　Again；　the　army　having　before　my　arrival　been　broken　up　by　something　like　a　mutiny；　and　five　cohortswithout　a　legate　or　a　military　tribune；　and；　in　fact；　actually　without　a　single　centurion　having　taken　up　its　quarters　at　Philomelium；　while　the　rest　of　the　army　was　in　Lycaonia；　I　ordered　my　legate　M。　Anneius　to　bring　those　five　cohorts　to　join　the　main　army；　and；　having　thus　got　the　whole　army　together　into　one　place；　to　pitch　a　camp　at　Iconium　in　Lycaonia。　This　order　having　been　energetically　executed　by　him；　I　arrived　at　the　camp　myself　on　the　24th　of　August；　having　meanwhile；　in　accordance　with　the　decree　of　the　senate；　collected　in　the　intervening　days　a　strong　body　of　reserve　men；　a　very　adequate　force　of　cavalry；　and　a　contingent　of　volunteers　from　the　free　peoples　and　allied　sovereigns。　While　this　was　going　on；　and　when；　after　reviewing　the　army；　I　had　on　the　28th　of　August　begun　my　march　to　Cilicia；　some　legates　sent　to　me　by　the　sovereign　of　Commagene　announced；　with　every　sign　of　panic；　yet　not　without　some　foundation；　that　the　Parthians　had　entered　Syria。　On　hearing　this　I　was　rendered　very　anxious　both　for　Syria　and　my　own　province；　and；　in　fact；　for　all　the　rest　of　Asia。　Accordingly；　I　made　up　my　mind　that　I　must　lead　the　army　through　the　district　of　Cappadocia；　which　adjoins　Cilicia。　For　if　I　had　gone　straight　down　into　Cilicia；　I　could　easily　indeed　have　held　Cilicia　itself；　owing　to　the　natural　strength　of　Mount　Amanusfor　there　are　only　two　defiles　opening　into　Cilicia　from　Syria；　both　of　which　are　capable　of　being　closed　by　insignificant　garrisons　owing　to　their　narrowness；　nor　can　anything　be　imagined　better　fortified　than　is　Cilicia　on　the　Syrian　sidebut　I　was　disturbed　for　Cappadocia；　which　is　quite　open　on　the　Syrian　side；　and　is　surrounded　by　kings；　who；　even　if　they　are　our　friends　in　secret；　nevertheless　do　not　venture　to　be　openly　hostile　to　the　Parthians。　Accordingly；　I　pitched　my　camp　in　the　extreme　south　of　Cappadocia　at　the　town　of　Cybistra；　not　far　from　Mount　Taurus；　with　the　object　at　once　of　covering　Cilicia；　and　of　thwarting　the　designs　of　the　neighbouring　tribes　by　holding　Cappadocia。　Meanwhile；　in　the　midst　of　this　serious　commotion　and　anxious　expectation　of　a　very　formidable　war　king　Deiotarus；　who　has　with　good　reason　been　always　highly　honoured　in　your　judgment　and　my　own；　as　well　as　that　of　the　senatea　man　distinguished　for　his　goodwill　and　loyalty　to　the　Roman　people；　as　well　as　for　his　eminent　courage　and　wisdomsent　legates　to　tell　me　that　he　was　on　his　way　to　my　camp　in　full　force。　Much　affected　by　his　zeal　and　kindness；　I　sent　him　a　letter　of　thanks；　and　urged　him　to　hasten。　However；　being　detained　at　Cybistra　five　days　while　mats　ring　my　plan　of　campaign；　I　rescued　king　Ariobarzanes；　whose　safety　had　been　intrusted　to　me　by　the　senate　on　your　motion；　from　a　plot　that；　to　his　surprise；　had　been　formed　against　him：　and　I　not　only　saved　his　life；　but　I　took　pains　also　to　secure　that　his　royal　authority　should　be　respected。　Metras　and　Athenus　（the　latter　strongly　commended　to　me　by　yourself）；　who　had　been　exiled　owing　to　the　persistent　enmity　of　queen　Athenais；　I　restored　to　a　position　of　the　highest　influence　and　favour　with　the　king。　Then；　as　there　was　danger　of　serious　hostilities　arising　in　Cappadocia　in　case　the　priest；　as　it　was　thought　likely　that　he　would　do；　defended　himself　with　armsfor　he　was　a　young　man；　well　furnished　with　horse　and　foot　and　money；　and　relying　on　those　all　who　desired　political　change　of　any　sortI