which mine and Balbus's were packed, had been so drenched with rain that he was not even aware that there was a letter from me. He had, however, made out a few words of Balbus's letter, to which he answered as follows: "I perceive that you have written something about Cicero, which I have not fully made out: but, as far I could guess, it was of a kind that I thought was more to be wished than hoped for." Accordingly, I afterwards sent Cæsar a duplicate copy of the letter. Don't be put off by that passage about his want of means. In answer to it I wrote back saying that he must not stop payment from any reliance on my money chest, and descanted playfully on that subject, in familiar terms and yet without derogating from my dignity. His good feeling towards us, however, according to all accounts, is marked. The letter, indeed, on the point of which you expect to hear, will almost coincide with your return:[577] the other business of each day I will write on condition of your furnishing me with letter-carriers. However, such cold weather is threatening,[578] that there is very great danger that Appius may find his house frost-bitten and deserted![579] [Footnote 573: Retaining _populi convicio_, and explaining _populus_ to have the general meaning of the crowd, including senators and spectators. Cicero uses _populus_ in this vague way elsewhere.] [Footnote 574: Zeugma I take to mean the "territory of Zeugma," a town on the Euphrates, part of the Roman province of Syria, and close to the frontier of Commagene. Antiochus had asked that some stronghold should be reckoned as his rather than as belonging to the province.] [Footnote 575: Appius, he insinuates, hoped to make money by granting the request of Antiochus, left king of Commagene by Pompey, for some special privileges, among which was the right of wearing the _toga prætexta_, which symbolized some position with a shadow of Roman _imperium_, while at the same time conveying a compliment to the Roman suzernainty. See Polyb. lib. xxvi.; xxx. 26; Suet. _Aug._ 60.] [Footnote 576: Some petty prince of Bostra (_Bozra_), in Arabia, of whom we know nothing.] [Footnote 577: Quintus was expecting, what he got, the offer of serving under Cæsar as _legatus_. Cæsar was preparing for his second invasion of Britain.] [Footnote 578: Which will prevent meetings of the senate, and so give me no news to send you.] [Footnote 579: There is a _double entendre_. Cold weather will prevent the meetings of the senate actually, but metaphorically politics will be also cold and dull, and that dullness will probably be nowhere so evident as in the deserted state of the consul Appius's house, which in all probability will miss its usual bevy of callers. This explanation--put forward by Prof. Tyrrell--is not wholly satisfactory, yet it is the best that has been given.] CXXXIII (F VII, 5) TO CÆSAR (IN GAUL) ROME (FEBRUARY) [Sidenote: B.C. 54, ÆT. 52]