Before December 9th 44 BCE: To Atticus (at Rome) from Cicero (at Arpinum)
The last letter to Atticus
Please don’t assume that I am not writing in my own hand out of laziness—but by Hercules, it is out of laziness. I have nothing else I can say. And yet, I do also seem to recognise Alexis’ hand in your letter!1 But I’ll get to the point.
If Dolabella had not treated me so horrendously, I would perhaps have hesitated over whether to be more indulgent, or to enforce my legal rights to the fullest.2 But I am glad that a reason has now come up for me to make him and everyone else aware that I am very much estranged from him. I shall make this clear, along with the fact that I hate him not just for personal reasons, but also on the Republic’s behalf—because although he had (under my influence) undertaken to defend her, he not only allowed himself to be bribed and deserted her, but he even—to the extent of his ability—ruined her.
But you ask what I would like to be done when the day of the settlement comes. First of all, I would like it to be done in such a way that it is not strange for me to be in Rome; about that and the rest, I shall do whatever you think best. But about the sum, I want things conducted emphatically and severely. Although I feel it would look bad to call on sureties, still, please consider how it could work. We are able, without calling on the sureties, to bring his agents into the case, and they won’t contest a lawsuit—if they do, I am aware that the sureties are released from any obligation. But I think it would be shameful for him if his agents do not repay a debt secured in his name, and it would be more in keeping with my dignity to pursue my rights without completely humiliating him. Please reply with what you think about this; I don’t doubt that you will manage the whole thing much more gently.
I return to the matter of the Republic. I have often benefited a great deal from your political good sense, but never more good sense than in this letter. For although right now that boy is beating Antony back, we should wait to see how it all ends. But what a speech he gave!3 It was sent to me. He swears ‘by his hope of attaining the honours of his father,’ as he reaches out to the statue with his right hand.4 I’d rather not be saved, if this is the saviour! But, as you write, I think the most decisive critical point will be the Tribunate of our friend Casca.5
In fact, I spoke to Oppius about this—when he was encouraging me to embrace the young man and his whole cause and his band of veterans, I said that there was no way I would do that unless he could prove to me that he would not just not be an enemy of the tyrant-killers, but that he would even be their friend. When Oppius said that this would be the case, I replied ‘what’s the hurry then? He doesn’t need my help until January 1st, and we shall see his attitude towards Casca clearly before December 1st.’ He very much agreed. And so that’s really enough about this.
For the rest, you will have letter-carriers daily, as I think you will also have something to write about daily. I have sent you a copy of Lepta’s letter, from which it seems to me that our ‘swaggering general’ has taken a stumble.6 But when you’ve read it, you can judge for yourself.
I had already sealed this letter when I received letters from you and Sextus. Sextus’ letter could not possibly be more charming or more affectionate. Your letter was brief—your previous letter was much more plentiful. Your advice is both friendly and full of good sense: that I should stay in this area as much as I am able to, until we hear how these current disturbances turn out.
But, my Atticus, right now it is not really the Republic that I am worried about—not that anything either is or ought to be dearer to me—but even Hippocrates forbids medical treatment when things are hopeless. So farewell to all that! It is my financial situation that worries me. I say my ‘financial situation,’ but I really should say ‘reputation.’ For as much as I owe, there is still not even enough to pay Terentia.7 I say ‘Terentia’—you know I agreed a while ago to pay 25,000 sesterces on behalf of Montanus. My son (very properly) begged me to do so using his allowance. I promised to do so, very generously (as you also thought was right), and told Eros to put that amount aside. Not only did he not do this, but Aurelius was compelled to take out another loan, at an extremely unfair rate of interest. As for what Terentia is owed, Tiro writes to me that you say the money will come from Dolabella. I think he understood it wrongly, if anyone ‘understands wrongly’—rather, he didn’t understand at all. For you wrote to me with Cocceius’ response, and so did Eros, in nearly the same words. So I must come, even if it is straight into the fire. Private bankruptcy is more shameful than public ruination.
For this reason, I am so anxious that I cannot reply as I usually do to the other things that you write so charmingly about. Join me in my present worry about how to get out of this situation; some things come to mind, but I can’t decide anything for certain until I see you. Why should I be any less safe in Rome than Marcellus?8 But that is not the question, nor is it what I’m most worried about. You know what it is I am worried about. So I’ll be with you soon.9
Read Ad Atticum 16.15 in Latin here | Check the glossary here | Watch an overview of events from the Ides of March onwards here
Alexis was Atticus’ secretary, whose handwriting was very similar to Atticus’.
Dolabella had yet to repay all of Cicero’s daughter Tullia’s dowry.
Octavian gave a speech before the People after marching on Rome and occupying the Forum on November 10th.
The statue was of Caesar.
Casca was one of the assassins of Caesar, and would take office as Tribune of the Plebs on December 10th. Cicero thought whether or not Octavian opposed one of Caesar’s killers taking office would be a good litmus test for whether he would work with Brutus and Cassius against Antony.
i.e. Antony. Footnote borrowed from Shackleton Bailey: ‘Stratyllax [swaggering general]: Probably the name of one of the miles gloriosi [swaggering soldiers] of Comedy, fantastically formed from στρατηγός (cf. Ἥρυλλος from Ἡρακλῆς) with a grotesque combination of terminations, the diminutive -υλλ- and the pejorative -αξ (cf. νέαξ, πλούαξ).’
Terentia was Cicero’s first (ex)-wife. The money Cicero owed her may also have been the repayment of her dowry.
Marcellus was not a Caesarian, but was not in any danger because of it as he was married to Octavia, who was Caesar’s great-niece and Octavian’s sister.
This is the last extant letter from Cicero to Atticus. Cicero returned to Rome on December 9th, and from then on was close enough to Atticus that they could meet in person, rather than needing to communicate through letters. Their closeness to one another translates to a disappearance from the rest of Ciceronian correspondence. E.S. Shuckburgh writes that ‘The remainder of the correspondence, though it carries us through almost the most momentous and exciting months ever experienced in Rome, has indeed all the agitation and stir of life, but lacks the note of complete confidence and self-revelation of the letters to Atticus.’ It is also our last view of Atticus through Cicero’s affectionate gaze: reading between the lines of Cornelius Nepos’ short biography of Atticus can give a quite different view of him—although so can reading between the absent lines of the lack of his half of the correspondence.