DCCCXCVI (F XII, 13)
CASSIUS PARMENSIS TO CICERO (AT
ROME)
CROMMYUACRIS IN CYPRUS, 13 JUNE
If you are well, I am glad.1 I am well. I rejoice
not only at the safety and victory of the
Republic, but also at the revival of your glorious
reputation. That as the noblest of consulars you
have surpassed yourself as the noblest of consuls
I am at once delighted and unable to wonder
sufficiently. A certain special favour of destiny
has been shewn to your virtue—of which
we have often had practical proofs. For your toga
has been more fortunate than everyone else's arms; and has now once more rescued the
Republic, when all but conquered, from the hands
of its enemies, and restored it to us. So now we
shall live free men: now we shall have
you—greatest of all citizens and most
beloved by me, as you discovered in the darkest
hour of the public fortunes—now, I say,
we shall have you as a witness to our love both to
you and to the Republic, which is so closely bound
up with you. And that which you often promised
that you would suppress while we were slaves, and
would say of me when likely to be to my service,
now, I shall not so much desire to be said as to
be felt by you. For I would not wish to be
commended by you to the good opinion of others
more than to have been commended to your own in a
manner worthy of my deserts, that you may judge
these recent acts of mine to have been no mere
hasty impulses or departures from principle, but
in harmony with those lines of thought of which
you are a witness; and may think that I deserve to
be brought forward prominently by yourself, as
giving promise of doing excellent service to my
country. You, Marcus Tullius, have children and
relatives worthy of you and deservedly most
beloved by you. Next to them those also ought to
be dear to you in public life who emulate your
special branch of learning, of whom I wish you a
goodly store: yet after all I don't regard myself
as excluded, however great the crowd. You will
always have room to receive me, and to employ me
in everything you wish and approve. Of the
goodness of my disposition perhaps you have
already been convinced: my ability, certainly,
such as it is, our prolonged servitude has allowed
to appear less than after all it really is.
From the sea-coast of the
province of Asia and from the islands we have
launched all the ships we could; we have levied
rowers, with great Opposition on the part of the
cities, yet with fair rapidity; and we have
pursued Dolabella's fleet, which is commanded by
Lucius Figulus. This officer, by frequently
holding out hopes of deserting to us, and yet
keeping continually edging away, has by his most
recent move got to Corycus, 2 and
having closed the harbour, is beginning to offer
resistance. Abandoning that fleet, because we thought it better to make our way to
the camp, and because there was another fleet
coming, which Tillius Cimber had collected in the
previous year, and the quaestor Turullius was
commanding, we made for Cyprus. The information I
got there I am anxious to tell you as quickly as
possible. It is this: Dolabella has been actually
invited not only by the people of Tarsus, the
worst of allies, but also by the Laodiceans, who
are still more disaffected. 3 By the number of Greek soldiers which he
has got from both these states, he has secured
what looks like an army. He has a camp pitched
outside the town of Laodicea, and has pulled down
a part of the wall and united his camp with the
town. Our friend Cassius with ten legions and
twenty auxiliary cohorts, and cavalry 4,000
strong, has a camp pitched twenty miles away at
Paltus, and thinks that he can win without a
battle: for in Dolabella's quarters corn is
already twelve drachmae the medimnus. Unless he
manages to get some brought in by the ships of
Laodicea, he must soon perish of hunger. That he
should not be able to get any in we can easily
secure between us—that is, Cassius's
fleet, which is a fairly large one under the
command of Sextilius Rufus, 4 and the three which
I, Turullius, and Patiscus 5 have brought up. I would
have you be hopeful, and feel sure that, as you at
Rome have relieved the Republic from its
difficulties, so on our part it can be quickly
relieved by us. Good-bye. 13 June, Cyprus, off Crommyuacris. 6
CROMMYUACRIS IN CYPRUS, 13 JUNE