A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.-Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

younger than Cicero, was married this spring to Pilia, and invited him to the wedding *. As to his domestic affairs, his chief care at present was about rebuilding three of his houses, which were demolished in his exile and repairing the rest, with that also of his brother, out of which they were driven in the last attack of Clodius: by the hints, which he gives of them, they all seem to have been very magnificent, and built under the direction of the best architects: Clodius gave no farther interruption to them, being forced to quit the pursuit of Cicero, in order to watch the motions of a more dangerous enemy, Milo. Cicero however was not without a share of uneasiness, within his own walls; his brother's wife and his own, neither agreed well with each other, nor their own husbands: Quintus's was displeased at her husband's staying so long abroad; and Cicero's not disposed to make her's the happier for staying at home. His nephew also, young Quintus, a perverse youth, spoiled by a mother's indulgence, added somewhat to his trouble; for he was now charged with the care of his education, in the father's absence; and had him taught under his own eye by Tyrannio, a Greek master; who, with several other learned men of that country, was entertained in his house +.

to hanc conjunctionem nobis voluptati fore. Ep. Fam. 1. 7. Viaticum Crassipes præripit. Ad Att. 4. 5.

*Prid. Id hæc scripsi ante lucem. Eo die apud Pomponium in

ejus nuptiis eram cænaturus. Ad Quint. 2. 3.

+ Domus utriusque nostrum ædificatur strenue.-Ib. 4. Long

ilium

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.--Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philipus,

King Ptolemy's affair was no more talked of; Pompey had other business upon his hands, and was so ruffled by the tribune Cato, and the consul Marcellinus, that he laid aside all thoughts of it for himself, and wished to serve Lentulus in it. The senate had passed a vote against restoring him at all; but one of the tribunes inhibited them from proceeding to a decree; and a former decree was actually subsisting in. favour of Lentulus: Cicero, therefore, after a consultation with Pompey," sent him their joint and last advice; "that, by his command of a province so near "to Egypt, as he was the best judge of what he was "able to do; so if he found himself master of the thing, " and was assured of success, he might leave the king "at Ptolemais, or some other neighbouring city, and

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proceed without him to Alexandria; where, if by "the influence of his fleet and troops he could appease "the public dissensions, and persuade the inhabitants. "to receive their king peaceably, he might then car"ry him home, and so restore him according to the "first decree; yet without a multitude, as our reli"gious men," says he, " tell us the Sibyl has injoined: "-that it was the opinion however of them both,

ilium redemptorem cohortatus sum.

Fidem mihi faciebat, se velle nobis placere. Domus erit egregia. ib. 6. Quintus tuus, puer optimus, eruditur egregie. Hoc nunc magis animadverto, quod Tyrannio docet apud me.-Ib. 4.

A. D. VIII. Id. Apr. Sponsalia Crassipedi præbui. Huic con-' vivio puer optimus, Quintus tuus, quod perleviter commotus fuerat, defuit. Multum is mecum sermonem habuit et perhumanum de discordiis mulierum nostrarum-Pomponia autem etiam de tc questa est,-Ib. 6.

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

"that people would judge of the fact by the event:

if he was certain therefore of carrying his point, he "should not defer it; if doubtful, should not under"take it for as the world would applaud him, if he "effected it with ease, so a miscarriage would be fatal, "on account of the late vote of the senate, and the "scruple about religion *." But Lentulus, wisely judging the affair too hazardous for one of his dignity and fortunes, left it to a man of a more desperate character, Gabinius; who ruined himself soon after by embarking in it.

The tribune Cato, who was perpetually inveighing against keeping gladiators, like so many standing armies, to the terror of the citizens, had lately bought a band of them, but finding himself unable to maintain them, was contriving to part with them again without noise or scandal. Milo got notice of it, and privately employed a person, not one of his own friends, to buy them; and when they were purchased, Racilius, another tribune, taking the matter upon himself, and pretending that they were bought for him, published a

*Te perspicere posse, qui Ciliciam Cyprumque teneas, quid efficere et quid consequi possis, et, si res facultatem habitura videatur, ut Alexandriam atque Ægyptum tenere possis, esse et tuæ et nostri imperii dignitatis, Ptolemaide, aut aliquo propinquo loco rege collocato, te cum classe, atque exercita proficisci Alexandriam: ut eam cum pace, præsidiisque firmaris, Ptolemæus redeat in regnum : ita fore, ut per te restituatur, quemadmodum senatus initio censuit ; et sine multitudine reducatur, quemadmodum homines religiosi Sibyllæ placere dixerunt. Sed hæc sententia sic et illi et nobis probabatur, ut ex eventu homines de tuo consilio existimaturos videremus. Nos quidem hoc sentimus; si exploratum tibi sit, posse te regni illius potiri; non esse cunctandum: si dubium, non esse conandum, &c. Ep. Fam. 1. 7.

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

proclamation, that Cato's family of gladiators was to be sold by auction; which gave no small diversion to the auction +.

Milo's trial being put off to the fifth of May, Cicero took the benefit of a short vacation, to make an excursion into the country, and visit his estates and villas in different parts of Italy. He spent five days at Arpinum, whence he proceeded to his other houses at Pompeiæ and Cuma; and stopt a while, on his return, at Antium, where he had lately rebuilt his house, and was now disposing and ordering his library, by the direction of Tyrannio ; "the remains of which," he says, "were more considerable than he expected from the "late ruin." Atticus lent him two of his librarians to assist his own, in taking catalogues, and placing the books in order; which he calls "the infusion of a soul "into the body of his house *." During this tour, his old enemy, Gabinius, the proconsul of Syria, having gained some advantage in Judea against Aristobulus,

+Ille vindex gladiatorum et bestiariorum emerat-bestiarios. Hos alere non poterat. Itaque vix tenebat. Sensit Milo, dedit cuidam non familiari negotium, qui sine suspicione emeret eam familiam a Catone: quæ simulatque abducta est, Racilius rem patefecit, eosque homines sibi emptos esse dixit-et tabulam proscripsit, familiam Catonianam venditurum. In eam tabulam magni risus consequebantur. Ad Quin. 6.

se

*Offendes designationem Tyrannionis mirificam in librorum meorum Bibliotheca; quorum reliquiæ multo meliores sunt quam putaram. Etiam vellem mihi mittas de tuis librariolis duos aliquos, quibus Tyrannio utatur glutinatoribus, et ad cætera administris. Ad Att. 4. 4.

Postea vero quam Tyrannio mihi libros disposuit, mens addita videtur meis ædibus: qua quidem in re, mirifica opera Dionysii et Menophili tui fuit. Ib. 8.

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

who had been dethroned by Pompey, and on that account was raising troubles in the country, sent public letters to the senate, to give an account of his victory, and to beg the decree of a thanksgiving for it. His friends took the opportunity of moving the affair in Cicero's absence, from whose authority they apprehended some obstruction; but the senate, in a full house, slighted his letters and rejected his suit: an affront which had never been offered before to any proconsul. Cicero was infinitely delighted with it, calls the resolution divine, and was doubly pleased for its being the free and genuine judgment of the senate, without any struggle or influence on his part; and, reproaching Gabinius with it afterwards, says, that by this act the senate had declared, that they could not believe that he, whom they had always known to be a traitor at home, could ever do any thing abroad that was useful to the republic *.

Many prodigies were reported to have happened about this time, in the neighbourhood of Rome: horrible noises under ground, with clashing of arms; and on the Alban hill, a little shrine of Juno, which stood on a table facing the east, turned suddenly of itself towards the north. These terrors alarmed the city,

Id. Maiis senatus frequens divinus fuit in supplicatione Gabinio deneganda. Adjurat Procilius hoc nemini accidisse. Foris valde plauditur. Mihi cum sua sponte jucundum, tum jucundius, quod me absente, est enim gives judicium, sine oppugnatione, sine gratia nostra. Ad Quin. 2. 8. § 4. 5.

Hoc statuit senatus, cum frequens supplicationem Gabinio denegavit. A proditore, atque eo, quem præsentem hostem reimpub. cognoscit bene reipub. geri non potuisse. De Prov. Consul. 6.