domesticis Pompei clam exulceratis, deinde palam a consularibus exagitatis et in summam invidiam adductis, ita versamur. Nostram fidem omnes, amorem tui absentis praesentes tui cognoscent. Si esset in iis fides in quibus summa esse debebat, non laboraremus. 96. TO P. LENTULUS SPINTHER IN CILICIA. ROME; JANUARY 15; A. U. C. 698; B. C. 56; AET. CIC. 50. Significat quid deinceps actum in senatu sit de causa regia Id. Ian., quae sententiae dictae, quo Pompeius, quo eius familiares animo sint, quae tribuni pl. frustra moliti sint. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS. 1. Idibus Ianuariis in senatu nihil est confectum, propterea quod dies magna ex parte consumptus est altercatione Lentuli consulis et Canini tribuni pl. Eo die nos quoque multa verba fecimus maximeque visi sumus senatum commemoratione tuae voluntatis erga illum ordinem permovere. Itaque postridie placuit ut breviter sententias diceremus: videbatur enim reconciliata nobis voluntas esse senatus, quod cum dicendo tum singulis appellandis rogandisque perspexeram. Itaque cum sententia prima king himself, and the more intimate associates of Pompey, and afterwards made even worse by the open meddling of the ex-consuls, ending in the great disgust of everybody.' Clam refers to the corruption practised by Ptolemy, and makes for the conjecture tibicini, mentioned above; Marcellinus was probably one of those who were disgusted by the bribery to which the king had recourse. Exagitatis is made worse': cp. tanta vis hominis leniunda quam exagitanda videbatur, Sall. Cat. 48, 5. Invidiam refers to the 'scandal' of which the whole affair was prolific. tui absentis praesentes tui] Cp. note to Ep. 91, 7. in iis] Here, as often, Cicero uses the plural though referring to only one person, Pompey. He thus mitigates the asperity of a dangerous criticism. See note on Fam. v. 4, 2 (89). 1. altercatione] Lentulus Marcellinus, the consul, was for not employing an army (in the restoration of the king) or anyone who was invested with imperium; thus he excluded Pompey : Caninius wished to give the office to Pompey, who was to effect the restoration with two lictors (cp. Plut. Pomp. 49, where he is called Canidius). placuit] sc. nobis tui studiosis; 'we your friends determined not to speak at length.' dicendo appellandis] not only in my speech, but also in the appeals and requests I made to individual senators.' The gerund and gerundive are not unfrequently used to express the circumstances Bibuli pronuntiata esset, ut tres legati regem reducerent, secunda Hortensi, ut tu sine exercitu reduceres, tertia Volcaci, ut Pompeius reduceret, postulatum est ut Bibuli sententia divideretur. Quatenus de religione dicebat, cui quidem rei iam obsisti non poterat, Bibulo adsensum est: de tribus legatis frequentes ierunt in alia omnia. 2. Proxima erat Hortensi sententia, cum Lupus tribunus pl., quod ipse de Pompeio rettulisset, intendere coepit ante se oportere discessionem facere quam consules. Eius orationi vehementer ab omnibus reclamatum est: erat enim et iniqua et nova. Consules neque concedebant neque valde repugnabant: diem consumi volebant: id quod est factum. Perspiciebant enim in Hortensi sententiam multis partibus pluris ituros, quamquam aperte Volcacio adsentirentur. Multi rogabantur, atque id ipsum consulibus non invitis: nam ii Bibuli sententiam valere cupierunt. in which an action occurs, the way and manner (while,' so that something takes place at the same time): cp. Madvig, § 416, obs. 1. For examples, see Planc. 84 Fit vestra diligentia qui causis ponderandis omnis fere repudiatis. This is virtually, says Wunder, 'cum causas ponderatis et difficultatem earum agendarum ponderatis'; also Balb. 9; Mur. 17; Off. i. 5. Similar, too, is 90, 6 meo nomine recitando. Many more examples in a very learned collection in Lebreton, pp. 402-4. divideretur] 'should be put as two separate questions' (cp. Asconius in Milon. § 14, p. 44, Orelli, and note on Att. v. 4, 2, Ep. 187). The questions in this case were these: (1) whether the warning of the Sibylline books should be observed; (2) whether the restoration of the king should be entrusted to a commission of three. The proposal of Bibulus did not deal expressly with the question de religione; that of Hortensius and that of Volcacius did. Therefore it was necessary to subdivide the resolution of Bibulus. ierunt in alia omnia] voted with the Noes'; that is, were for anything but the measure proposed. The form was qui hoc censetis in hanc partem, qui alia omnia in illam partem ite, Plin. Ep. viii. 14, 19. Cp. Fam. viii. 13, 2 (271); x. 12, 3 (838): also Willems, Le Sénat, ii. 196. Lange, R. A. ii. 414. 2. Proxima] 'was brought on for discussion.' We intendere... consules] began to insist that he had the priority of the consuls in his right to call for an expression of the sense of the house on his motion.' It was the usual practice for the motions proposed by the presiding magistrate to have priority. But the question in the last resort rested with the magistrate who had most power, and he was certainly the tribune, as the tribune had the right of stopping any relatio whatever (cp. Willems, Le Sénat, ii. p. 140). hear elsewhere of the tribunes putting motions in opposition to the consuls; e.g. Sest. 70, cp. Fam. x. 16, 1 (881). The question proposed by the consul appears to have been a general one as to the best way to effect the restoration of the king; while that of Lupus was the more definite one, whether or not Pompey should be entrusted with the duty. Lupus was desirous of having this definite point settled, and did not want to wait until some senator plucked up courage to advocate the appointment of Pompey, which was certainly unpopular with the senate generally; and Lupus, doubtless, surmised that many would be unwilling to vote definitely against Pompey, though they would be very glad to ignore him if he was not put forward specifically for the post: cp. Mommsen, St. R. iii. 955, 1; 986, 4. non invitis] The insertion of non (the suggestion of Wes.) before invitis is quite necessary. The consuls preferred the motion of Bibulus; and they wished the 3. Hac controversia usque ad noctem ducta senatus dimissus est. Ego eo die casu apud Pompeium cenavi nactusque tempus hoc magis idoneum quam umquam antea, quod post tuum discessum is dies honestissimus nobis fuerat in senatu, ita sum cum illo locutus ut mihi viderer animum hominis ab omni alia cogitatione ad tuam dignitatem tuendam traducere. Quem ego ipsum cum audio, prorsus eum libero omni suspicione cupiditatis: cum autem eius familiaris omnium ordinum video, perspicio, id quod iam omnibus est apertum, totam rem istam iam pridem a certis hominibus non invito rege ipso consiliariisque eius esse corruptam. 4. Haec scripsi a. d. xvI. Kal. Febr. ante lucem. Eo die senatus erat futurus. Nos in senatu, quem ad modum spero, dignitatem nostram ut potest in tanta hominum perfidia et iniquitate retinebimus. Quod ad popularem rationem attinet, hoc videmur esse consecuti ut ne quid agi cum populo aut salvis auspiciis aut salvis legibus aut denique sine vi posset. De his rebus pridie quam haec scripsi senatus auctoritas gravissima intercessit: cui cum Cato et Caninius intercessissent, tamen est perscripta. Eam ad te missam esse arbitror. De ceteris rebus quidquid erit actum scribam ad te et ut quam rectissime agantur omnia mea cura, opera, diligentia, gratia providebo. day to be spent in debate without any decisive vote; they saw that a discessio would be in favour of Hortensius' proposal, though they affected to look on the motion of Lupus and Volcacius as likely to win (this to please Pompey); so they were glad to frustrate a discessio as far as possible; and welcomed the formal put. ting of the question to each senator, as likely to lead to the consumption of the whole day in the debate. Multis partibus is the abl. mensurae, Draeger, i. 562. An attempt which has been made to defend the mss reading by referring i to multi has been refuted by Dr. Reid_in_the Classical Review, xi. 244-6. For the frequent omission of non, see Müller's note to this passage (p. 3, 1. 32), and in his ed. of the Epp. ad Att., p. 84, 1. 27. 3. Hac controversia] Apparently the dispute whether the motion of the presiding consul or that of the tribune should have priority. cupiditatis] 'self-seeking.' 4. ut potest] = ut potest fieri, so poterat utrumque, Ep. 114, 7; si posset, Tusc. i. 23; poterit, Ep. 121, 2. So solet = fieri solet. popularem rationem] 'the plan of bringing the question before the people.' Cicero means that he and his friends had secured tribunes to veto any such measure, and other magistrates to declare se servaturos de caelo (Watson). By the latter arrangement, the step could not be taken salvis auspiciis; and by the former, it could not be taken salvis legibus; cp. 98, 2. intercessit... intercessissent] Observe the two different meanings of intercedere in such close proximity. The auctoritas of the senate was probably similar in purport to that given in Fam. viii. 8, 6 (223). That letter is an important locus for senatus consulta. 97. TO P. LENTULUS SPINTHER, IN CILICIA (FAM. I. 3). ROME; JANUARY (MIDDLE); A. U. C. 698; B. C. 56; AET. CIC. 50. A. Trebonii equitis Rom. negotia, quae is habebat in Cilicia, P. Lentulo procos. commendat. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS. 1. A. Trebonio, qui in tua provincia magna negotia et ampla et expedita habet, multos annos utor valde familiariter. Is cum antea semper et suo splendore et nostra ceterorumque amicorum commendatione gratiosissimus in provincia fuit tum hoc tempore propter tuum in me amorem nostramque necessitudinem vehementer confidit his meis litteris se apud te gratiosum fore. 2. Quae ne spes eum fallat vehementer rogo te, commendoque tibi eius omnia negotia, libertos, procuratores, familiam, in primisque ut quae T. Ampius de eius re decrevit ea comprobes omnibusque rebus eum ita tractes ut intellegat meam commendationem non vulgarem fuisse. 1. magna expedita] important, widely-extended, and solvent business.' splendore] his distinguished position as an eques. Senators were not allowed to engage in trade. 2. T. Ampius] He was the predecessor of Lentulus in the government of Cilicia; he was of praetorian rank. D 98. TO P. LENTULUS SPINTHER, IN CILICIA (FAM. I. 4). ROME; JANUARY 16 (ABOUT); A. U. C. 698; B. C. 56; AET. CIC. 50. Lentuli causam de Ptolemaeo reducendo calumniis impeditam queritur, sed, nisi vis interverterit, senatus populique Romani studio posse sustentari iudicat. M. CICERO S. D. P. LENTULO PROCOS. 1. A. d. xvI. Kal. Febr. cum in senatu pulcherrime staremus, quod iam illam sententiam Bibuli de tribus legatis pridie eius diei fregeramus, unumque certamen esset relictum cum sententia Volcaci, res ab adversariis nostris extracta est variis calumniis. Causam enim frequenti senatu, non magna varietate magnaque invidia eorum qui a te causam regiam alio transferebant, obtinebamus. Eo die acerbum habuimus Curionem, Bibulum multo iustiorem, paene etiam amicum. Caninius et Cato negarunt se legem ullam ante comitia esse laturos. Senatus haberi ante Kalendas Febr. per legem Pupiam, id quod scis, non potest, neque mense Febr. governorship (cp. 99, 2, nefaria Catonis promulgatio). ante comitia] Koerner (p. 11) seems to think that these words prove that the comitial days of the latter half of January had not begun when this letter was written; and that therefore its date is the evening of the 15th, for the 16th and remaining days of January were comitial days. He considers further that Epp. 96-98 should be all regarded as one letter. He might have adduced as a parallel for a letter beginning with the introduction of a friend passing on to a narrative and discussion of other matters, Fam. 1, 8 (119); xiii. 77 (638); Brut. i. 15 (914). We should then put Ep. 97 before 96. But Ep. 96 seems as if it were completed : ante comitia only means before the elections are finished, and they did not take place before January 20 (Ep. 100, 2); and it is unlikely, as Rauschen points out (p. 38), that Cicero in the same letter would have expressed the same sentiment in such very similar words as he has done in 96, 4 and 98, 2 (salvis auspiciis, etc.). Pupiam] which forbade the holding of the senate on dies comitiales. |