19 April 43 BCE: To Brutus (in Macedonia) from Cicero (at Rome)

Cicero complains that Brutus' recent letter to the Senate was so pathetic that everyone thought it was a forgery

Cicero to Brutus, greetings.

I believe that your family has written to you about the letter of yours which was read out on April 13th in the Senate, at the same time as a letter from Gaius Antonius. I hold you as dearly as any of them do, but there is no need for me to repeat everything. There is a need for me to write to you about my feelings on the nature of this war, as well as my to give you my judgements and advice. 

My intentions towards the Republic as a whole have always been the same as yours, Brutus; my conduct in certain matters (not everything!) has been perhaps a little more forceful. You know that I have always thought that the Republic should be freed not only from a tyrant but from tyranny; you thought to take a milder course—of course, resulting in your immortal glory.¹

But we have realised, to our deep sorrow, and are realising, to our grave peril, which course of action would have been better. In more recent times, your ultimate aim has been peace, which could not be brought about through words alone; my ultimate aim has been freedom, without which there can be no peace. 

I thought that peace could be brought about through war and force of arms. There was no lack of men eagerly demanding weapons—but we checked their fury and extinguished the flames of their ardour. And so, the situation had reached the point where, if some god had not inspired Caesar Octavian, we would have come under the control of that most depraved and dishonourable man, Mark Antony. You see how difficult the struggle against him is at the moment. Of course, there would not be one if Antony had not been spared.

But let’s leave that aside. For that memorable and almost divine deed of yours counters all criticism.² Indeed, it can never be praised highly enough.

You have put on a sterner countenance of late; in a short period and through your own effort you have gathered an army, supplies, and capable legions. Immortal gods! What news, what a letter!³ The Senate was ecstatic, the citizens’ spirits were raised! I have never seen anything praised so unanimously. We were still waiting to hear about the remains of Gaius Antonius’ forces—you had stripped him of the majority of his cavalry and legions—and that also turned out just as we had hoped! 

For your letter,⁴ which was read out in the Senate, testified to the virtue of the soldiers and their general, and the hard work of your friends—including my son. If your friends here had thought to propose a motion as a result of their letter, and if it had not arrived in the very confused period after the consul Pansa’s departure, a just and proper thanksgiving to the immortal gods would have been decreed.

And then suddenly⁵—on the morning of April 13th Pilius Celer rushes in—good gods, what a man! So serious, so steadfast, so loyal to the Republic! He brings two letters, one from you, another from Gaius Antonius, and gives them to the Tribune of the Plebs Servilius, who gives them to Cornutus.⁶ 

They are read out in the Senate. ‘Antonius, proconsul’—that was very surprising; it was as if they had read out ‘Dolabella, imperator.’⁷ In fact, letter-carriers from Dolabella had arrived, but none like Pilius who dared to produce a letter or deliver one to the magistrates. Your letter was read out. It was brief, and excessively lenient towards Gaius Antonius. The Senate was very surprised. 

As for myself, it was not obvious to me what I should do. Say it was a forgery? What if you confirmed that it was yours? Support it? It would not have helped your position. And so that day I was silent. But the next day, when the talk about it had spread, and the sight of Pilius was causing great offence—yes, I started things off. I had a lot to say about ‘Antonius, proconsul.’ 

Sestius spoke after me, in support of the cause, about how much danger his son, as well as my own, would be in if they had fought against a proconsul. You know the man; he supported the cause. Others spoke as well. Our dear Labeo said that your seal was not on the letter, nor was it dated, nor had you written to your family about it as you usually do. He concluded that the letter was a forgery and, before you ask, a convincing one.

Now, Brutus, you must consider the whole nature of the war. I see that you like leniency and think it very profitable. It is noble, but the right place for clemency often is, and should be, in other circumstances, other times. What are you doing now, Brutus? The temples of the immortal gods are being threatened by the hopes of needy and depraved men, and this war is being fought over our very existence. 

Whom are we sparing—what are we doing? Are we concerned for those who, if victorious, will leave no trace of us? How does Dolabella differ from any of the three Antonii?⁸ If we spare any of those three, we have been too harsh to Dolabella. That this is how the Senate and people of Rome feel is due to the very facts of the situation—still, a lot of it is down to my advice and influence.⁹ 

If you do not approve of this conduct, I shall defend your opinion, but not give up my own. People expect neither weakness or cruelty from you. In this situation, a moderate course is easy: you should be forceful with the leaders, and generous to the soldiers. 

Please keep my son with you as much as possible, my Brutus. He will find no better instruction in virtue than by observing and imitating you.

Written April 19th.

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Latin text of Cic. ad Brut. 2.5 | Glossary | Historia Civilis video overview of 44-43 BCE

1. Cicero thinks the Liberators should have killed Antony as well as Caesar.

2. The assassination of Caesar.

3. Brutus’ (non-extant) letter to the Senate, announcing that he had raised an army, was in control of Macedonia, Greece, and Illyricum, and was preventing Gaius Antonius from taking over Macedonia. This prompted Cicero’s Tenth Philippic.

4. Another letter from Brutus reached Rome on March 19th, and reported that he had captured Gaius Antonius.

5. Footnote borrowed from Shackleton Bailey: ‘The first sentence of the letter is by now forgotten.’

6. Cornutus was the Urban Praetor, and was carrying out the duties of the consuls while they were at war against Mark Antony.

7. Footnote borrowed from E.S. Shuckburgh: ‘The province of Macedonia had been assigned during Caesar's life to Brutus, probably by a lex. After his death Antony induced the senate to nominate himself (App. B.C. 3.24). Later on in B.C. 44, by a lex proposed by a tribune, Cisalpine Gaul was transferred to Antony (App. 3.30). Macedonia was therefore vacant, and a sortitio held in the senate on the 28th of November gave it to Gaius Antonius (Phil. 3.26). As a matter of fact, however, the outgoing proconsul Q. Hortensius had handed over his province and army to Brutus (Plut Brut. 25), and the senate, now under Cicero's influence, would only acknowledge Brutus as proconsul.’ A letter from ‘Dolabella, imperator’ would have been surprising as Dolabella did not have the official support of or seemingly any respect for the Senate, and had been declared a public enemy in mid March.

8. i.e. Mark Antony and his two brothers are as worthy of being declared public enemies as Dolabella, and thus deserve the same lack of mercy.

9. Cicero had been arguing against a merciful course towards the Antonians for several months.