CDVII (F IX, 9)
DOLABELLA TO CICERO (IN EPIRUS)
CAESAR'S CAMP IN EPIRUS (MAY OR JUNE)
If you are well, I am glad. I am quite well,
and so is our dear Tullia. Terentia has been
rather unwell, but I am assured that she has now
recovered. In all other respects things are quite
as they should be at your house. Though at no time
did I deserve to be suspected by you of acting
from party motives rather than from a regard to
your interests, when I urged you either to join
Caesar and myself, or at least to retire from open
war, especially since victory has already inclined
in our favour, it is now not even possible that I
should create any other impression than that of
urging upon you what I could not, with due regard
to my duty as your son-in-law, suppress. On your
part, my dear Cicero, pray regard what
follows-whether you accept or reject the
advice—as both conceived and written
with the best possible intention and the most
complete devotion to yourself. You observe that Pompey is not
secured either by the glory of his name and
achievements, or by the list of client kings and
peoples, which he was frequently wont to parade:
and that even what has been possible for the rank
and file, is impossible for him,—to
effect an honourable retreat: driven as he has
been from Italy, the Spanish provinces lost, a
veteran army captured, and now finally inclosed by
his enemy's lines. 1
Such disasters I rather think have never happened to a Roman general. Wherefore employ
all your Wisdom in considering what either he or
you have to hope. For thus you will most easily
adopt the policy which will be to your highest
advantage. Yet I do beg this of
you,—that if Pompey succeeds in avoiding
this danger and taking refuge with his fleet, you
should consult for your own interests, and at
length be your own friend rather than that of
anyone else in the world. You have by this time
satisfied the claims of duty or friendship,
whichever you choose to call it: you have
fulfilled all obligations to your party also, and
to that constitution to which you are devoted. It
remains to range ourselves with the constitution
as now existing, rather than, while striving for
the old one, to find ourselves with none at all.
Wherefore my desire is, dearest Cicero, that,
supposing Pompey to be driven from this district
also and compelled to seek other quarters, you
should betake yourself to Athens or any peaceful
city you choose. If you decide to do so, pray
write and tell me, that I may, if I possibly can,
hurry to your side. Whatever marks of
consideration for your rank have to be obtained
from the commander-in-chief, such is Caesar's
kindness, that it will be the easiest thing in the
world for you to obtain them from him yourself:
nevertheless, I think that a petition from me also
will not be without considerable weight with him.
I trust to your honour and kindness also to see
that the letter-carrier whom I send to you may be
enabled to return to me, and bring me a letter
from you.
CAESAR'S CAMP IN EPIRUS (MAY OR JUNE)