13 June 44 BCE: To Atticus (at Rome) from Cicero (at Astura)
Cicero has confusing finances, and also beef with Cleopatra
If Lucius Antonius is troubling the Buthrotians, I hope things go badly for him. I have written a statement, which will be sealed whenever you wish it. If the aedile Lucius Fadius asks for the money for Arpinum, please give all of it to him. I have written to you in another letter about 110,000 sesterces to be provided to Statius. So if Fadius asks for it, I would like it to be given to him, and to nobody except Fadius. I think it is deposited with [...]. I have written to Eros to give it to him.
I hate the Queen.1 Ammonius, the guarantor of her promises, knows I have the right to do so. Her promises were in fact all to do with literature, and in keeping with my position—I wouldn’t be afraid to speak about them in public. But I found Sara to be a generally execrable person, and insolent towards me personally as well. I saw him at my house only once; when I asked him kindly how I could help him, he said that he was looking for Atticus. But the arrogance of the Queen herself, when she was staying at the estate across the Tiber—it pains me to recall. And so I shall have nothing to do with that lot. Let them think I am bitter, if not courageous.
Eros’ way of managing things seems to be preventing me from setting out from Italy. For although from the balances he calculated on April 5th I ought to be rich, I am forced to borrow—and whatever was gained from those sources of profit, I thought had been put aside for that shrine.2 But I have given Tiro orders about these things, and sent him to Rome to deal with them; I didn’t want to trouble you when you have enough troubles as it is.
The more reserved our dear Cicero is, the more I worry about him.3 For he wrote nothing about this situation in his letter to me—when he really should have written to me before anyone else!—but he wrote to Tiro that he had received nothing after April 1st. This was when he’d been there for a year. I know that due to your kind character you have always liked (and thought it suited my position) that I have treated him not just very liberally, but even lavishly and extravagantly. Therefore please (I would not be troubling you if anyone else could do this for me) make sure that he has a bill of exchange in Athens for a year’s expenses. Eros will pay, of course. I have sent Tiro to deal with this business. So please arrange it, and write to me if you have any thoughts on the matter.
Read Ad Atticum 15.15 in Latin here | Check the glossary here
Cleopatra. She had been staying outside Rome, but left soon after Caesar’s assassination.
Cicero planned to build a shrine to his daughter Tullia, who had died early in 45 BCE.
Cicero’s son, who was studying in Athens. Cicero had just received a letter from him.