Letter 4.14

I have received two letters from you dated from Corcyra, in one of which you congratulated me because you had heard that I maintained my former dignity, in the other you said you wished that what I had done might turn out well and happily. Now if dignity means thinking rightly about the republic and winning the approval of good men for what one thinks, I do maintain my dignity; but if dignity consists in being able to accomplish what one thinks by action, or at least to defend it by free speech, not the slightest trace of dignity is left to us. And things go admirably if we can only govern ourselves so as to bear with moderation what partly is already upon us and partly hangs over us, which is difficult in a war of this kind whose outcome threatens slaughter on one side and slavery on the other. In this danger I am somewhat consoled when I recall that I foresaw these things at the time when I was in dread of even our prosperous circumstances, not only our adversity, and saw how great the danger was in settling the public law by arms. If those men had won, to whom I had attached myself led by the hope of peace, not by the desire for war, I still understood how cruel the victory of angry and greedy and insolent men would be; but if they were defeated, how great would be the destruction of citizens, some of the highest rank, some indeed of the best character, who preferred to consider me excessively timid rather than sufficiently prudent when I predicted these things and gave them the best counsel for their safety. As to your congratulating me on what I have done, I am sure you mean it sincerely; but I would have adopted no new course at so wretched a time, had I not found upon my return domestic affairs no better than public ones. For when those to whom my safety and my fortunes should have been most dear in return for my immortal services -- when, because of their villainy, I saw nothing within my own walls that was safe, nothing free from treachery -- I thought I must fortify myself by the loyalty of new connections against the perfidy of old ones. But about my own affairs enough, or even too much. As for yours, I would have you be of the spirit you ought to be, that is, that you should not think there is any particular danger for you. For if there is any settled condition of the state, whatever it may be, I see that you will be free from all dangers; for I understand that one side is already reconciled to you, and the other was never angry. As for my own disposition toward you, I would have you judge thus: that in whatever matters I understand there is need, although I see what I am at this time and what I can do, yet in effort and counsel, certainly in devotion at least, I shall stand ready for your interests, your reputation, and your safety. I would have you inform me as carefully as possible both what you are doing and what you think you will do.

DXXXIV (Fam. IV, 14) TO GNAEUS PLANCIUS (IN CORCYRA) ROME (JANUARY) I have received two letters from you, dated Corcyra . In one of these you congratulated me because you had heard, as you say, that I was enjoying my former position; in the other you said that you wished what I had done might turn out well and prosperously. Well, certainly, if they entertain honest sentiments on public affairs and to get good men to agree with them constitute a “position,” then I do hold my position. But if “position” depends upon the power of giving effect to your opinion, or in fine of supporting it by freedom of speech, then I have not a trace of my old position left: and it is great good fortune if I am able to put sufficient restraint upon myself to endure without excessive distress what is partly upon us already and partly threatens to come. That is the difficulty in a war of this kind: its result shows a prospect of massacre on the one side, and slavery on the other. In this danger it affords me no little consolation to remember that I foresaw all this at the time when I was feeling greatly alarmed even at our successes — not merely at our reverses — and perceived at what immense risk the question of constitutional right was to be decided in arms. And if in that appeal to arms those had conquered, to whom, induced by the hope of peace and not the desire for war, I had given in my adhesion, I nevertheless was well aware how bloody the victory of men swayed by anger, rapacity, and overbearing pride was certain to be: while if they had been conquered, what a clean sweep would be surely made of citizens, some of the highest rank, some too of the highest character, who, when I predicted these things and advised the measures best for their safety, preferred that I should be considered over-timid rather than moderately wise. For your congratulations on what I have done, I am sure you speak your real wishes: but at such an unhappy time as this I should not have taken any new step, had it not been that at my return I found my domestic affairs in no better order than those of the state. For when, owing to the misconduct of those, to whom, considering my never-to-be-forgotten services, my safety and my fortune ought to have been their dearest object, I saw nothing safe within the walls of my house, nothing that was not the subject of some intrigue, I thought it was time to protect myself by the fidelity of new relations against the treachery of the old. But enough, or rather too much, about my own affairs. As to yours, I would have you feel as you ought to do, namely, that you have no reason to fear any measure directed specially against yourself. For if there is to be some constitution, whatever it may be, I see clearly that you will be free of all danger: for I perceive that the one party is reconciled to you, the other has never been angry with you. However, of my disposition towards you I would have you make up your mind that, whatever steps I understand to be required — though I see my position at this time and the limits of my powers — I will yet be ready with my active exertions and advice, and at least with zeal, to support your property, your good name, and your restoration. Pray be exceedingly careful on your part to let me know both what you are doing and what you think of doing in the future.

XIV. Scr. Romae (post K. Oct.) a.u.c. 708. M. CICERO S. D. CN. PLANCIO. Binas a te accepi litteras Corcyra datas, quarum alteris mihi gratulabare, quod audisses me meam pristinam dignitatem obtinere, alteris dicebas te velle, quae egissem, bene et feliciter evenire. Ego autem, si dignitas est bene de re publica sentire et bonis viris probare, quod sentias, obtineo dignitatem meam; sin autem in eo dignitas est, si, quod sentias, aut re efficere possis aut denique libera oratione defendere, ne vestigium quidem ullum est reliquum nobis dignitatis, agiturque praeclare, si nosmet ipsos regere possumus, ut ea, quae partim iam assunt, partim impendent, moderate feramus, quod est difficile in eiusmodi bello, cuius exitus ex altera parte caedem ostentat, ex altera servitutem: quo in periculo nonnihil me consolatur, cum recordor haec me tum vidisse, cum secundas etiam res nostras, non modo adversas, pertimescebam videbamque, quanto periculo de iure publico disceptaretur armis, quibus si ii vicissent, ad quos ego pacis spe, non belli cupiditate adductus accesseram, tamen intelligebam, et iratorum hominum et cupidorum et insolentium quam crudelis esset futura victoria, sin autem victi essent, quantus interitus esset futurus civium partim amplissimorum, partim etiam optimorum, qui me haec praedicentem atque optime consulentem saluti suae malebant nimium timidum quam satis prudentem existimari. Quod autem mihi de eo, quod egerim, gratularis, te ita velle certo scio; sed ego tam misero tempore nihil novi consilii cepissem, nisi in reditu meo nihilo meliores res domesticas quam rem publicam offendissem; quibus enim pro meis immortalibus beneficiis carissima mea salus et meae fortunae esse debebant, cum propter eorum scelus nihil mihi intra meos parietes tutum, nihil insidiis vacuum viderem, novarum me necessitudinum fidelitate contra veterum perfidiam muniendum putavi. Sed de nostris rebus satis vel etiam nimium multa: de tuis velim ut eo sis animo, quo debes esse, id est, ut ne quid tibi praecipue timendum putes; si enim status erit aliquis civitatis, quicumque erit, te omnium periculorum video expertem fore; nam alteros tibi iam placatos esse intelligo, alteros numquam iratos fuisse. De mea autem in te voluntate sic velim iudices, me, quibuscumque rebus opus esse intelligam, quamquam videam, qui sim hoc tempore et quid possim, opera tamen et consilio, studio quidem certe, rei, famae, saluti tuae praesto futurum. Tu velim et quid agas et quid acturum te putes facias me quam diligentissime certiorem.