27 July 43 BCE: To Brutus (at Dyrrachium) from Cicero (at Rome)

Cicero starts to regret trusting Octavian and the Republic is out of money

From Cicero to Brutus, greetings.

I have often written to urge you to come and help the Republic as soon as possible, and to bring your army to Italy. Nor did I think your friends and family had any doubts about this. I was asked by that most sensible and careful woman—your mother—whose every care is related to and taken up by you—to visit her on July 25th. 

I (as I ought) did this without delay. When I arrived, Casca was there, along with Labeo and Scaptius. But she brought forward the motion¹ and asked what on earth I thought; whether we should summon you back to Italy and whether we thought that would benefit you, or whether it would be better for you to go slowly and stay where you are. I replied with what I felt: that it would most benefit your high position and reputation to bring reinforcements at the first opportunity to the collapsing and almost fallen Republic. 

For what evil do you think would not be at hand in a war where the victors’ army does not pursue the fleeing enemy, and a general, safe and sound, decorated with the highest honours, with the greatest fortune, a wife, children, and you and Cassius as his relatives, declares war on the Republic?² How can I say ‘with such unanimity of Senate and People’ when so much evil remains within the walls of our city?

But as I write this, I feel the keenest grief that while the Republic accepted me as surety for that young man (or I might say boy),³ I feel it is scarcely possible to provide what I promised. A pledge for another person’s loyalty and disposition, especially in such important circumstances, is much more serious and difficult to handle than a monetary one. For that can be repaid, and a loss of property is bearable; but how can you repay what you have pledged to the Republic, unless the man on whose behalf you pledged it permits it to be repaid?

However, despite strong opposition, I shall keep a hold on him—I hope. For he seems to have his own character, but is at an age where he can be influenced, and there are many people trying to corrupt him who hope that the brilliance of empty honours thrown in his way can blunt the keenness of his good nature. And so this burden has been added to those I had already: to turn all my machinations towards keeping a hold on the young man, so that I don’t end up with a reputation for rashness.

Although, what rashness? For I put the man I pledged myself for under greater obligation than I did myself; nor in fact can the Republic regret that I pledged myself on his behalf, when in the actual event his own disposition was brilliant, and he was made more trustworthy by my promise.

But unless I am somehow mistaken, the Republic’s most tangled problem is a lack of money. The loyal men become more obdurate by the day whenever anyone mentions a tax. What was collected from the 1% tax, because of the shamelessly low contributions by the wealthy, has been entirely used up in paying the bounties of the two legions. But infinite expenses hang over us, both for the armies currently defending us and for yours as well. Our dear Cassius seems able to return well-provided enough. But I want to talk about this and many other matters with you in person as soon as possible. 

About your sister’s sons, Brutus, I did not wait for you to write.⁴ To be sure, the circumstances themselves—for the war will be drawn out—are leaving the case untouched for you to deal with; but for my part, from the beginning when I could not divine how long the war would go on for, I pleaded the boys’ case in the Senate, as I think you can have found out from your mother’s letters. Nor will there ever be any situation in which I shall not say and do whatever I think you want or is in your best interest—even when my life is in danger.

July 27th.

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Latin text of Cic. ad Brut. 1.18 | Glossary | Historia Civilis video overview of 44-43 BCE

1. The phrasing here is very similar to that used for meetings of the Senate. In a meeting with Servilia in 44 BCE Cicero took it for granted that she could have the wording of a senatorial decree changed. This seems to have just been Servilia’s style.

2. i.e. Lepidus, who was married to Brutus’ sister Junia Secunda.

3. i.e. Octavian.

4. The sons of Lepidus and Brutus’ sister Junia Secunda. Lepidus had been declared a public enemy at the end of June, and his children would suffer from his property being confiscated. Brutus wrote to Cicero asking him to protect them earlier in July.