Letter 100

I reached Actium on the 14th of June, after feasting like an alderman both at Corcyra and the Sybota islands, thanks to your gifts which Araus and my good friend Eutychides heaped on me with lavish Saliarem in modum. Actio maluimus iter facere pedibus, qui incommodissime navigassemus, et Leucatam flectere molestum videbatur, actuariis autem minutis Patras accedere sine impedimentis non satis visum est decorum. Ego, ut saepe tu me currentem hortatus es, cotidie meditor, praecipio meis, faciam denique, ut summa modestia et summa abstinentia munus hoc extraordinarium traducamus. Parthus velim quiescat, et fortuna nos iuvet, nostra praestabimus. Tu, quaeso, quid agas, ubi quoque tempore futurus sis, quales res nostras Romae reliqueris, maxime de ¯XX¯ et ¯DCCC¯ cura ut sciamus. Id unis diligenter litteris datis, quae ad me utique perferantur, consequere. Illud tamen, quoniam nunc abes, cum id non agitur, aderis autem ad tempus, ut mihi rescripsti, memento curare per te et per omnes nostros, in primis per Hortensium, ut annus noster maneat suo statu, ne quid novi decernatur. Hoc tibi ita mando, ut dubitem, an etiam te rogem, ut pugnes, ne intercaletur. Sed non audeo tibi omnia onera imponere; annum quidem utique teneto. Cicero meus, modestissimus et suavissimus puer, tibi salutem dicit. Dionysium semper equidem, ut scis, dilexi, sed cotidie pluris facio, et mehercule in primis quod te amat nec tui mentionem intermitti sinit. kindness. From Actium I preferred to travel by land, in view of the wretched passage we had and the danger of rounding Leucatas. It did not seem to me quite dignified to go ashore at Patrae in small boats without my baggage. I will really take care to fulfil this unusual office of mine with all propriety and honesty, as you have often urged me, nothing loth; and daily I bethink me of your advice and impress it on my staff. Please God the Parthians keep quiet and fortune favour me, I will answer for myself. I beg that you will let me know what you are doing, your movements from time to time, how you left my business at Rome, particularly in the matter of the £180 and the £7,000. Please do this in a letter carefully addressed to reach me anyhow. You are away at this present moment of inaction, but you have promised me to be in town for the occasion, and remember to use your best endeavours and to employ all my friends, especially Hortensius, that my year of office may conclude without any extension. This commission should perhaps be accompanied by a request for you to fight that no extra days may be added to the calendar: but I hardly like to give you all this trouble. Anyhow insist on the year. My son, a boy of charming manners, sends greetings to you. I have always liked Dionysius as you know, but I make more of him every day, especially because he is your admirer, and lets slip no chance of mentioning you.

Actium venimus a. d. xvii Kal. Quintilis, cum quidem et Corcyrae et Sybotis muneribus tuis quae et Araus et meus amicus Eutychides opipare et philoprosenestata nobis congesserant epulati essemus Saliarem in modum. Actio maluimus iter facere pedibus qui incommodissime navigassemus, et Leucatam flectere molestum videbatur, actuariis autem minutis Patras accedere sine impedimentis non satis visum est decorum. ego, ut saepe tu me currentem hortatus es, cotidie meditor, praecipio meis, faciam denique ut summa modestia et summa abstinentia munus hoc extraordinarium traducamus. Parthus velim quiescat et fortuna nos iuvet, nostra praestabimus. [2] tu quaeso quid agas, ubi quoque tempore futurus sis, qualis res nostras Romae reliqueris, maxime de X_X_ et D_C_C_C cura ut sciamus. id unis diligenter litteris datis quae ad me utique perferantur consequere. illud tamen, quoniam nunc abes cum id non agitur, aderis autem ad tempus, ut mihi recepisti, memento curare per te et per omnis nostros, in primis per Hortensium, ut annus noster maneat suo statu, ne quid novi decernatur. hoc tibi ita mando ut dubitem an etiam te rogem ut pugnes ne intercaletur. sed non audeo tibi omnia onera imponere; annum quidem utique teneto. Cicero meus, modestissimus et suavissimus puer, tibi salutem dicit. Dionysium semper equidem, ut scis, dilexi, sed cotidie pluris facio et me hercule in primis quod te amat nec tui mentionem intermitti sinit.