24 May 43 BCE: To Cicero (at Rome) from Decimus Brutus (at Eporedia)
Octavian 'must be raised, praised, and erased'
From Decimus Brutus to Marcus Cicero, greetings.
My love for you and your kindness to me make me feel for your sake what I don’t feel for my own—fear. For while I have been told this story often and have not taken it lightly, most recently Segulius Labeo (as is his way) told me that he had spent time with Caesar,1 and that there was a great deal of conversation about you.
He said that Caesar himself had of course made no complaint about you, except for a phrase which he said you had said: that ‘the young man must be raised, praised, and erased.’2 He said that he had no plan to let himself be erased.
I believe that it was Labeo who repeated this to him, or who made the phrase up, not that it was first mentioned by the young man. As for the veterans, Labeo wanted me to believe that the talk among them is terrible, and that they are a dangerous threat to you—and that they are extremely angry that neither Caesar nor myself are among the Board of Ten,3 and that all authority over the matter has been given to you and your lot.
When I heard these things I was already on the march, but I thought that I shouldn’t commit to crossing the Alps before I knew what was happening in Rome. Regarding the danger to you, believe me, they hope that by throwing words about and encouraging the young man they will be able to get larger rewards. That whole bit of gossip has one origin, which is that they want to profit as much as possible.
Still, I don’t want you to not be cautious or avoid plots. Nothing could be dearer or more precious to me than your life. Take care that your fear now does not give you further reason to fear; still, you should meet the veterans where you can. First, you should do what they want about the Board of Ten, and then, if you think it right, about their rewards, decree that the land of Antony’s veteran soldiers should be given to them by the two of us.4 As for money, tell them that the Senate will come to a decision slowly, and take finances into account.
For the four legions that you and the Senate have voted to give land to, I feel like there is enough available from the Sullan5 lands and the Campanian lands. I think the land should be assigned to the legions in equal shares or by lot.
I was compelled to write this to you not only by my good sense, but also by my love for you and my desire for peace, which cannot exist without you. For my part, unless it is really necessary, I shall not leave Italy. I am arming and preparing my legions. I hope that I shall have an army that is not utterly terrible, to meet any situation or any man’s attacks. Caesar is not giving me back the legion from Pansa’s army.6
Please reply to this letter at once, and send one of your own people, if there is anything more confidential that you think I need to know.
Written May 24th, at Eporedia.
Latin text of Ad Familiares 11.20 | Glossary | Historia Civilis video overview of 44-43 BCE
i.e. Octavian.
I have borrowed the translation ‘raised, praised, and erased’ for laudandum […] ornandum, tollendum from Robert Harris’ Cicero Trilogy after trying for a week to come up with something better.
After the Battle of Mutina, the Senate had appointed ten of its number to review Antony’s acts as consul.
i.e. by Decimus Brutus and Octavian. Land confiscation was one of the things Marcus Brutus warned Cicero against in early May.
The text may read silani. Shackleton Bailey writes: ‘That the inconspicuous M. Junius Silanus owned land on such a scale as his name here would imply is hard to believe. Sullanis can be explained as referring to state land confiscated by Sulla and now under illegal occupation by private individuals or to land acquired from ex-soldiers who were not legally entitled to sell. But the reading remains in doubt.’ I have chosen to go with the spectre of Sulla :-)
After Hirtius and Pansa had both died the Senate had voted to put Decimus Brutus in command of their legions. Octavian had been left in command of these legions in the meantime and now refused to give them up, while the legions refused to take orders from Decimus Brutus.