27 March 58 BCE: From Cicero (at Nares Lucanae) to Atticus (in Rome)

Cicero, in exile, worries he is in danger from a man he kind of helped to exile

Cicero greets Atticus.

I went this way because I did not have a place where I could be justified in staying any longer other than Sicca’s farm, especially since the proposed law has yet to be amended.¹ At the same time, I was thinking that if I have you with me, I can return to Brundisium from there, but that without you, I should not venture to those parts because of Autronius.²

Now, as I have written to you before, if you come and meet me, we can come up with a plan for the whole situation. I know the journey is difficult, but this whole calamity involves every kind of difficulty. I cannot write any more—I am too dejected and heartbroken.

Take care of your health. Sent March 27th at Nares Lucanae.

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Latin text of Cic. Att. 3.2 | Glossary

1. Cicero expected Clodius to amend the law that exiled him by name, but did not yet know what the changes would be.

2. Publius Autronius Paetus and Publius Cornelius Sulla were elected consuls for 65 BCE but then convicted of electoral corruption. Their election was invalidated and their prosecutors were elected in their place. In 63 BCE, both were implicated in the Catilinarian Conspiracy. Cicero defended Publius Sulla in court, but refused to do the same for Autronius, who he claimed had sent assassins to his house to kill him. They were not very good assassins.

In his defence of Publius Sulla, Cicero described Autronius as ‘Ever bold, quarrelsome, lustful in defence of licentiousness, we know that he was wont to use not only most foul language but also his fists and his feet. We know that he turned men out of their possessions, that he murdered his neighbours, that he despoiled the shrine of the allies, trying to break up the courts by violence and armed force, that in prosperity he despised everybody, in adversity he fought against honest men, that he rendered no obedience to the state nor yielded to fortune itself. Even if his case was not determined by the clearest of evidence, still his habits and life would convict him.’ (trans. L. E. Lord.)

With Cicero’s help, Publius Sulla was acquitted of involvement in the conspiracy. Autronius was convicted of the same charges, in part due to Cicero’s accusations and arguments in Publius Sulla’s case, and went into exile in Epirus. Cicero is now worried that if he travels there without Atticus’ protection, Autronius could seek revenge.