Authors, Latin -- Biography; Cicero, Marcus Tullius; Statesmen -- Rome -- Biography
He sees already that, in spite of the promised amnesty, there must be
internecine feud. "I shall have to go into the camp with young
Sextus"--Sextus Pompeius--"or perhaps with Brutus, a prospect at my
years most odious." Then he quotes two lines of Homer, altering a word:
"To you, my child, is not given the glory of war; eloquence, charming
eloquence, must be the weapon with which you will fight." We hear of his
contemplated journey into Greece, under the protection of a free
legation. He was going for the sake of his son; but would not people say
that he went to avoid the present danger? and might it not be the case
that he should be of service if he remained?[185] We see that the old
state of doubt is again falling upon him. [Greek: Aideomai Troas.]
Otherwise he could go and make himself safe in Athens. There is a
correspondence between him and Antony, of which he sends copies to
Atticus. Antony writes to him, begging him to allow Sextus Clodius to
return from his banishment. This Sextus had been condemned because of
the riot on the death of his uncle in Milo's affair, and Antony wishes
to have him back. Cicero replies that he will certainly accede to
Antony's views. It had always been a law with him, he says, not to
maintain a feeling of hatred against his humbler enemies. But in both
these letters we see the subtilty and caution of the writers. Antony
could have brought back Sextus without Cicero, and Cicero knew that he
could do so. Cicero had no power over the law. But it suited Antony to
write courteously a letter which might elicit an uncivil reply. Cicero,
however, knew better, and answered it civilly.
He writes to Tiro telling him that he has not the slightest intention of
quarrelling with his old friend Antony, and will write to Antony, but
not till he shall have seen him, Tiro; showing on what terms of
friendship he stands with his former slave, for Tiro had by this time
been manumitted.[186] He writes to Tiro quite as he might have written
to a younger Atticus, and speaks to him of Atticus with all the
familiarity of confirmed friendship. There must have been something very
sweet in the nature of the intercourse which bound such a man as Cicero
to such another as Tiro.
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