Letter 12.29

Not only you, who know all my affairs intimately, but I think no one in the Roman people is unaware of the close friendship between me and Lucius Lamia. It was displayed before a large audience when he was banished from the city by the consul Aulus Gabinius because he had supported my recall with freedom and courage. Nor was that the beginning of our affection. Rather, because it was already so old and deep, he did not hesitate to face any danger on my behalf. To those services, or rather to those claims on my gratitude, must be added a very close personal intimacy, so delightful that there is literally no one whose company gives me more pleasure. In these circumstances, I do not suppose you are at a loss to imagine what terms my recommendation of him would use. You know well what words naturally express such strong affection. Consider me to have used them all. I only wish to assure you that if you support Lamia's business, agents, freedmen, or slaves in anything they may require, you will oblige me more than if your kindness had touched my own property. Nor do I doubt that even without a recommendation from me, you, who are such an excellent judge of men, will certainly do everything with enthusiasm for Lamia's own sake. Still, I have been told that you think Lamia helped draft some decree of the senate that worked against your position. The fact is that he did not help draft any decree at all in that consulship. Besides, all sorts of bogus decrees were being deposited in the treasury at that time, unless you actually suppose that I helped draft the decree about Sempronius, though I was not even in town, as I told you in the letter I wrote about it just after it happened. But enough of this. I ask you again and again, my dear Cornificius, to regard all of Lamia's business as mine, and to take care that he understands this recommendation has been of great service to him. You cannot oblige me more. Take care of your health.

DCCCXXVIII (Fam. XII, 29) TO QUINTUS CORNIFICIUS (IN AFRICA) ROME: NOT you only, who are most intimately acquainted with all my concerns, but nobody in all Rome I think is ignorant of the great friendship existing between me and Lucius Lamia . For it was displayed before a large audience at the time of his being banished from the city by the consul Aulus Gabinius for having supported my recall with freedom and courage. Nor was that the first origin of our affection, but it was just because of its long standing and depth that he did not hesitate to confront any danger on my behalf. To these acts of kindness, or, as I should rather call them, these claims upon my gratitude, an intimate intercourse is to be added, so exceedingly charming, that there is literally no one in whom I take more delight. I do not suppose in these circumstances that you are at a loss to imagine what the terms of my commendation of him will be. For you know well what words are the natural expression of such a strong affection. Consider me to have employed them all. I would merely wish to assure you that if you support Lamia 's business, agents, freedmen, or slaves in anything whatever that they may require, you will be obliging me more than if that kindness of yours had affected my own property. Nor do I doubt that even without a recommendation from me you — who are so excellent a judge of men — are certain to do everything with enthusiasm for Lamia 's own sake. However, I have been told that you think Lamia assisted in drawing up some senatorial decree which militated against your position. But the fact is, he did not assist in drawing up any decree whatever in that consulship. In the next place, all kinds of bogus decrees were at that time being deposited in the aerarium, unless you should actually suppose that I assisted in drawing up that decree about Sempronius — though I wasn't even in town, as I told you in my letter about it at the time just after it occurred. But enough of this. I beg you repeatedly, my dear Cornificius , to look upon all business of Lamia 's as mine, and take pains to make him understand that this commendation has been of great service to him. You cannot oblige me more. Take care of your health.

XXIX. Scr. Romae mense Aprili (ante XVI. K. Maius) a.u.c. 711. CICERO CORNIFICIO SAL. Non modo tibi, cui nostra omnia notissima sunt, sed neminem in populo Romano arbitror esse, cui sit ignota ea familiaritas, quae mihi cum L. Lamia est; etenim magno theatro spectata est tum, quum est ab A. Gabinio consule relegatus, quod libere et fortiter salutem meam defendisset; nec ex eo amor inter nos natus est, sed, quod erat vetus et magnus, propterea nullum periculum pro me adire dubitavit. Ad haec officia vel merita potius iucundissima consuetudo accedit, ut nullo prorsus plus homine delecter. Non puto te iam exspectare, quibus eum tibi verbis commendarim; causa enim tanti amoris intelligis quae verba desideret: iis me omnibus usum putato. Tantum velim existimes, si negotia Lamiae, procuratores, libertos, familiam quibuscumque rebus opus erit defenderis, gratius mihi futurum, quam si ea tua liberalitas pertinuisset ad rem familiarem meam, nec dubito, quin sine mea commendatione, quod tuum est iudicium de hominibus, ipsius Lamiae causa studiose omnia facturus sis: quamquam erat nobis dictum te existimare alicui senatus consulto, quod contra dignitatem tuam fieret, scribendo Lamiam affuisse, qui omnino consulibus illis numquam fuit ad scribendum; deinde omnia tum falsa senatus consulta deferebantur; nisi forte etiam illi Semproniano senatus consulto me censes affuisse, qui ne Romae quidem fui, ut tum de eo ad te scripsi, re recenti. Sed haec hactenus. Te, mi Cornifici, etiam atque etiam rogo, ut omnia Lamiae negotia mea putes esse curesque, ut intelligat hanc commendationem maximo sibi usui fuisse: hoc mihi gratius facere nihil potes. Cura, ut valeas.