Letter 8.12

I am ashamed to confess to you, and to complain, about the injuries done me by Appius, that most ungrateful man. Because he owed me great benefits, he began to hate me; and since, being greedy, he could not command himself to repay them, he declared a hidden war against me - hidden only in the sense that many people reported it to me, and I myself easily noticed that he thought badly of me. But when I discovered that he had tampered with the college, then spoken openly with certain men, and deliberated with Lucius Domitius, now my bitterest enemy, wanting to offer this little service to Gnaeus Pompey, I could not bring myself to rebuke him directly or to beg a man whom I thought owed me his life to refrain from harming me. What then? I nevertheless spoke with several of his friends, men who were witnesses of my services to him. When I realized that he did not think me worth satisfying even through anyone else, I preferred to put myself under obligation to his colleague, a man wholly alien to me and, because of your friendship, not very fair toward me, rather than face that ape's expression. When Appius learned this, he flared up and shouted that I was looking for a cause of enmity, so that if he had not satisfied me about the money, I could pursue him under the appearance of this quarrel. After that he did not stop summoning Servius Pola as an accuser and making plans with Domitius. When they made too little progress in setting an accuser against me under any law, they wanted me attacked under a law under which they themselves could say nothing. The insolent men arranged for me to be charged under the Scantinian law at the height of my circus games. Pola had scarcely uttered the words when I charged Appius the censor under the same law. I never saw anything turn out better. The people, and not only the lowest people, approved it so much that the scandal brought Appius more pain than the charge itself. Besides this, I began a claim against him for the shrine inside his house. I am thrown off by the behavior of this slave who brought you the letter; after receiving my earlier letter he stayed more than forty days. I do not know what to write to you. You know Domitius is afraid of election day. I am waiting eagerly for you and want to see you as soon as possible. I ask you to feel pain over my injuries just as you think I usually grieve over yours and try to avenge them.

CCLXXVIII (Fam. VIII, 12) M. CAELIUS RUFUS TO CICERO (ON HIS JOURNEY HOME) ROME, SEPTEMBER: I am ashamed to confess to you and to complain of the injuries done me by Appius — that most ungrateful of men, who begins to hate me because he is under great obligations to me; and since, in his avarice, he could not constrain himself to pay his debt, he has declared a secret war against me, yet not so secret either but that many people reported it to, me, and I myself observed without difficulty that he was harbouring evil thoughts of me. When, however, I discovered that he had been tampering with the college, then that he had been openly colloguing with certain persons, deliberating with L Domitius — at present my bitterest enemy — and expressing a wish to offer this trifling favour to ' Cn. Pompeius , I could not prevail on myself to upbraid him personally, or to beg one, whom I considered owed his life to me, to refrain from injuring me. What, then, could I do? However, I spoke to several of his friends, who were acquainted with my services to him. When I perceived that he did not think me even worth conciliating, I preferred putting myself under an obligation to his colleague — a man very much out of sympathy with me, and not likely to be very well-disposed to me, owing to my friendship with you — rather than endure the sight of that ape. When he ascertained this, he flew into a rage and kept exclaiming that I was looking for an excuse for hostility, in order that, since he had not done what I wanted in regard to the money, I might cover my attack upon him by this show of a personal quarrel. Since then he has not ceased egging on Servius Pola to accuse me, and concerting measures with Domitius . And when they were not successful in securing anyone to accuse me under any law, they wanted me to be attacked under a law which gave them no ground for saying a word. Their impudence was so boundless, that they secured an information being laid against me under the Scantinian law at the very height of the Circensian Games , in which I was presiding. Scarcely had Pola got the words out of his mouth, when I laid an information under the same law against the censor Appius . I never saw a more successful stroke. For it has been approved by the people, and not all the lowest of them, to such an extent, that the scandal has given Appius greater pain than the legal proceedings. Besides this, I have started an action for recovering a shrine now within the wails of his house. I am much disturbed by the detention of the slave who takes this letter to you. For since the receipt of your last he has been more than forty days in town. I don't know what to say to you. You know that Domitius dreads the day of election. I am looking forward much to your return and desire to see you as soon as possible. I beg you to feel as much vexed at my wrongs, as you think I ever grieve at, and try to avenge yours.

XII. Scr. Romae mense Septembri a. u. c. 704. CAELIUS CICERONI SAL. Pudet me tibi confiteri et queri de Appii, hominis ingratissimi, iniuriis, qui me odisse, quia magna mihi debebat beneficia, coepit et, cum homo avarus, ut ea solveret, sibi imperare non posset, occultum bellum mihi indixit, ita occultum tamen, ut multi mihi renuntiarent et ipse facile animadverterem male eum de me cogitare. Posteaquam vero comperi eum collegium tentasse, deinde aperte cum quibusdam locutum, cum L. Domitio, ut nunc est mihi inimicissimo homine, deliberare, velle hoc munusculum deferre Cn. Pompeio, ipsum ut reprehenderem et ab eo deprecarer iniuriam, quem vitam mihi debere putaram, impetrare a me non potui. Quid ergo est? tamen cum eius aliquot amicis, qui testes erant meorum in illum meritorum, locutus sum. Posteaquam illum ne cui satisfaceret quidem me dignum habere sensi, malui collegiae eius, homini alienissimo et mihi propter amicitiam tuam non aequissimo, me obligare quam illius simiae vultum subire. Id postquam resciit, excanduit et me causam inimicitiarum quaerere clamitavit, ut, si mihi in pecunia minus satisfecisset, per hanc speciem simultatis eum consectarer. Postea non destitit arcessere Polam Servium accusatorem, inire cum Domitio consilia. Quibus cum parum procederet, ut ulla lege mihi ponerent accusatorem, compellari ea lege me volerunt, qua ipsi dicere non poterant: insolentissimi homines summis Circensibusludis meis postulandum me lege Scantinia curarunt. Vix hoc erat Pola elocutus, cum ego Appium censorem eadem lege postulavi: quod melius caderet, nihil vidi; nam sic est a populo et non infimo quoque approbatum, ut maiorem Appio dolorem fama quam postulatio attulerit. Praeterea coepi sacellum, in domo quod est, ab eo petere. Conturbat me more servi huius, qui tibi litteras attulit; nam acceptis prioribus litteris amplius dies quadraginta mansit. Quid tibi scribam, nesio: scis Domitio comitiorum diem timori esse? te exspecto valde et quam primum videre cupio; a te peto, ut meas iniurias proinde doleas, ut me existimas et dolere et ulcisci tuas solere.