Letter 7016: I have a very intimate regard for Calestrius Tiro, who is bound to me by close personal and official ties.

To Fabatus. I have a very intimate regard for Calestrius Tiro, who is bound to me by close personal and official ties. We served in the army together, and were colleagues in the quaestorship under Caesar. As he had children, he took precedence of me in the tribuneship, * and I succeeded him in the praetorship, when Caesar excused me a year in the age-limit. ** I frequently went to stay in his country houses, and he has often passed his days of convalescence under my roof. He is now on the point of journeying to his province of Baetica, as proconsul, and will pass through Ticinum. I hope, indeed I am confident, that I can easily prevail upon him to turn off the main road and visit you, if you desire to give full freedom to the slaves whom you recently manumitted in the presence of your friends. † You need not have the slightest fear that this will cause Tiro inconvenience, for to do me a favour he would not think it too far to tramp round the entire earth. So lay aside that excessive modesty of yours and just consult your own wishes. Tiro will be as charmed to do what I wish him as I will be to carry out your injunctions. Farewell. [Note: By the Lex Papia Poppaea, a candidate with several children was preferred to one with fewer or none. ] [Note: That is, having allowed me to serve the office of praetor a year before I was properly eligible. ] (†) In his capacity of proconsul, Calestrius Tiro would be able to give legal effect to this informal act of manumission.

L To Fabatus. I have a very intimate regard for Calestrius Tiro, who is bound to me by close personal and official ties. We served in the army together, and were colleagues in the quaestorship under Caesar. As he had children, he took precedence of me in the tribuneship, * and I succeeded him in the praetorship, when Caesar excused me a year in the age-limit. ** I frequently went to stay in his country houses, and he has often passed his days of convalescence under my roof. He is now on the point of journeying to his province of Baetica, as proconsul, and will pass through Ticinum. I hope, indeed I am confident, that I can easily prevail upon him to turn off the main road and visit you, if you desire to give full freedom to the slaves whom you recently manumitted in the presence of your friends. † You need not have the slightest fear that this will cause Tiro inconvenience, for to do me a favour he would not think it too far to tramp round the entire earth. So lay aside that excessive modesty of yours and just consult your own wishes. Tiro will be as charmed to do what I wish him as I shall be to carry out your injunctions. Farewell. (*) By the Lex Papia Poppaea, a candidate with several children was preferred to one with fewer or none. (**) That is, having allowed me to serve the office of praetor a year before I was properly eligible. (†) In his capacity of proconsul, Calestrius Tiro would be able to give legal effect to this informal act of manumission.