You say that Philotimus told you about my having been saluted imperator.But I feel sure that,as you are now in Epirus,you have received my own letters on the whole subject,one from Pindenissus after its capture,another from Laodicea,both delivered to your own messengers.On these events,for fear of accidents at sea,I sent a public despatch to Rome in duplicate by two different letter-carriers.
As to my Tullia,I agree with you,and I have written to her and to Terentia giving my consent.For you have already said in a previous letter to me,"and I could wish that you had returned to your old set."There was no occasion to alter the letter you sent by Memnius:for I much prefer to accept this man from Pontidia,than the other from Servilia.Wherefore take our friend Saufeius into council.He was always fond of me,and now I suppose all the more so as he is bound to have accepted Appius's affection for me with the rest of the property he has inherited.Appius often showed how much he valued me,and especially in the trial of Bursa.
Indeed you will have relieved me of a serious anxiety.
I don't like Furnius's proviso.For,in fact,there is no state of things that alarms me except just that of which he makes the only exception.But I should have written at great length to you on this subject if you had been at Rome.I don't wonder that you rest all your hope of peace on Ponipey:I believe that is the truth,and in my opinion you must strike out your word "insincerity."If my arrangement of topics is somewhat random,blame yourself:for Iam following your own haphazard order.
My son and nephew are very fond of each other.They take their lessons and their exercise together;but as Isocrates said of Ephorus and Theopompus,the one wants the rein,the other the spur.I intend giving Quintus the toga virilis on the Liberalia.For his father commissioned me to do so.And I shall observe th?day without taking intercalation into account.I am very fond of Dionysius:the boys,however,say that he gets into mad passions.
But after all there could not be a man of greater learning,purer character,or more attached to you and me.The praises you hear of Thermus and Silius are thoroughly deserved:they conduct themselves in the most honourable manner.You may say the same of M.Nonius,Bibulus,and myself,if you like.I only wish Scrofa had had an opportunity to do the same:for he is an excellent fellow.The rest don't do much honour to Cato's policy.Many thanks for commending my case to Hortensius.As for Amianus,Dionysius thinks there is no hope.I haven't found a trace of Terentius.Maeragenes has certainly been killed.I made a progress through his district,in which there was not a single living thing left.I didn't know about this,when I spoke to your man Democritus.I have ordered the service of Rhosian ware.But,hallo!what are you thinking of?You generally serve us up a dinner of herbs on fern-pattern plates,and the most sparkling of baskets:what am I to expect you to give on porcelain?I have ordered a horn for Phemius:one will be sure to turn up;I only hope he may play something worthy of it.
There is a threat of a Parthian war.Cassius's despatch was empty brag:that of Bibulus had not arrived:when that is read I think the senate will at length be roused.I am myself in serious anxiety.If,as I hope,my government is not prolonged,I have only June and July to fear.May it be so!Bibulus will keep them in check for two months.What will happen to the man I leave in charge,especially if it is my brother?Or,again,what will happen to me,if I don't leave my province so soon?It is a great nuisance.However,I have agreed with Deiotarus that he should join my camp in full force.
He has thirty cohorts of four hundred men apiece,armed in the Roman fashion,and two thousand cavalry.That will be sufficient to hold out till the arrival of Pompey,who in a letter he writes to me indicates that the business will be put in his hands.The Parthians are wintering in a Roman province.Orodes is expected in person.In short,it is a serious matter.As to Bibulus's edict there is nothing new,except the proviso of which you said in your letter,"that it reflected with excessive severity on our order."I,however,have a proviso in my own edict of equivalent force,but less openly expressed (derived from the Asiatic edict of Q.Mucius,son of Publius)--"provided that the agreement made is not such as cannot hold good in equity."I have followed Scaevola in many points,among others in this--which the Greeks regard as a charta of liberty.--that Greeks are to decide controversies between each other according to their own laws.But my edict was shortened by my method of making a division,as I thought it well to publish it under two heads:the first,exclusive.Iy applicable to a province,concerned borough accounts,debt,rate of interest,contracts,all regulations also referring to the publicani:the second,including what cannot conveniently be transacted without an edict,related to inheritances,ownership and sale,appointment of receivers,all which are by custom brought into court and settled in accordance with the edict:a third division,embracing the remaining departments of judicial business,I left unwritten.I gave out that in regard to that class of business I should accommodate my decisions to those made at Rome:I accordingly do so,and give general satisfaction.The Greeks,indeed,are jubilant because they have non-Roman jurors.
"Yes,"you will say,"a very poor kind."What does that matter?
