Book 4, Letter 14, To Cicero – History written by the losers. Part 2 of 2

 

Sometimes Cicero, the whole story can be found in a single letter, and I find that I have very little to say...

DCCCCIX

M Tullius Cicero to M Iunius Brutus

BCE 43, July

...Solon, who was at once one of the wisest of the Seven, and the only lawgiver among them...said that a state was kept together by two things - reward and punishment. Of course there is a certain moderation to be observed in both, as in everything else, and what we may call a golden mean in both these things. But I have no intention to dilate on such an important subject in this place.

But what has been my aim during this war in the motions I have made in the senate I think it will not be out of place to explain. After the Death of Caesar and your ever memorable Ides of March, Brutus, you have not forgotten what I said had been omitted by you and your colleagues, and what a heavy cloud I declared to be hanging over the Republic. A great pest had been removed by your means, a great blot on the Roman people wiped out, immense glory in truth acquired by yourselves : but an engine for exercising kingly power had been put into the hands of Lepidus and Antony, of whom the former was the more fickle, the latter the more corrupt, but both of whom dreaded peace and were enemies to quiet. Against these men, inflamed with the ambition of revolutionizing the state, we had no protecting force to oppose. For the fact of the matter was this : the state had become roused as one man to maintain its liberty; I at the time was even excessively warlike ; you, perhaps with more wisdom, quitted the city which you had liberated, and when Italy offered you her services you declined them.

Accordingly when I saw the city in possession of parricides, and that neither you nor Cassius could remain in it with safety, and that it was held down by Antony's armed guards, I thought that I too ought to leave it : for a city held down by traitors with all opportunity of giving aid cut off, was a shocking spectacle. But the same spirit as always had animated my staunch love to the country, did not admit the thought of a departure from its dangers. Accordingly, in the very midst of my voyage to Achaia, when in the period of the Etesian gales, a south wind – as though remonstrating against my design – had brought me back to Italy, I saw you at Velia and was much distressed : for you were on the point of leaving the country, Brutus – leaving it, I say, for our friends the Stoics deny that wise men ever “flee.”

As soon as I reached Rome I at once threw myself in opposition to Antony's treason and insane policy : and having roused his wrath against me, I began entering upon a policy truly Brutus-like – for this is the distinctive mark of your family, - that of freeing my country. The rest of the story is too long to tell, and must be passed over by me, for it is about myself. I will only say this much : that this young Caesar, thanks to whom we still exist, if we would confess the truth, was a stream from the fountain-head of my policy. To him I voted honours, none indeed, Brutus, that were not his due, none that were not inevitable. For directly we began the recovery of of liberty, when the divine excellence of of even Decimus Brutus had not yet bestirred itself sufficiently to give us an indication of the truth, and when our sole protection depended on the boy who had shaken Antony from our shoulders, what honour was there that he did not deserve to have decreed to him?

However, all I then proposed for him was a complimentary vote of thanks, and that too expressed with moderation. I also proposed a decree conferring imperium on him, which, although it seemed to great a compliment for one of his age, was yet necessary for one commanding an army – for what is an army without a commander with imperium? Phillipus proposed a statue ; Servius at first proposed a license to stand for office before the regular time. Servillius afterwards proposed that the time should still be further curtailed. At that time nothing was thought too good for him.

But somehow men are more easily found who are liberal at a time of alarm, than grateful when victory has been won. For when that most joyful day of Decimus Brutus's relief from blockade had dawned on the Republic and happened also to be his birthday, I proposed that the name of Brutus should be entered in the fasti under that date. And in that I followed the example of our ancestors, who paid this honour to the woman Laurentia, at whose altar in the Velabrum you pontiffs are accustomed to offer sacrifice. And when I proposed this honour to Brutus I wished that there should be in the fasti an eternal memorial of a most welcome victory : and yet on that very day I discovered that the ill- disposed in the senate were somewhat in a majority over the grateful. In the course of those same days I lavished honours — if you like that word — upon the dead Hirtius, Pansa, and even Aquila. And who has any fault to find with that, unless he be one who, no sooner an alarm is over, forgets the past danger ? There was added to this grateful memorial of a benefit received some consideration of what would be for the good of posterity also ; for I wished that there should exist some perpetual record of the popular execration of our most ruthless enemies. I suspect that the next step does not meet with your approbation. It was disapproved by your friends, who are indeed most excellent citizens, but inexperienced in public business. I mean my proposing an ovation for Caesar. For myself, however — though I am perhaps wrong, and I am not a man who believes his own way necessarily right — I think that in the course of this war I never took a more prudent step.

The reason for this I must not reveal, lest I should seem to have a sense of favours to come rather than to be grateful for those received. I have said too much already : let us look at other points. I proposed honours to Decimus Brutus, and also to Lucius Plancus. Those indeed are noble spirits whose spur to action is glory : but the senate also is wise to avail itself of any means — provided that they are honourable — by which it thinks that a particular man can be induced to support the Republic. But — you say — I am blamed in regard to Lepidus : for, having placed his statue on the rostra, I also voted for its removal. I tried by paying him a compliment to recall him from his insane policy. The infatuation of that most unstable of men rendered my prudence futile. Yet all the same more good was done by demolishing the statue of Lepidus, than harm by putting it up.

Enough about honours ; now I must say a few words about penalties. For I have gathered from frequent expressions in your letters that in regard to those whom you have conquered in war, you desire that your clemency should be praised. I hold, indeed, that you do and say nothing but what becomes a philosopher. But to omit the punishment of a crime — for that is what "pardoning" amounts to — even if it is endurable in other cases, is mischievous in a war like this. For there has been no civil war, of all that have occurred in the state within my memory, in which there was not certain to be some form of constitution remaining, whichever of the two sides prevailed. In this war, if we are victorious, I should not find it easy to affirm what kind of constitution we are likely to have ; if we are conquered, there will certainly never be any.

I therefore proposed severe measures against Antony, and severe ones also against Lepidus, and not so much out of revenge as in order that I might for the present prevent unprincipled men by this terror from attacking their country, and might for the future establish a warning for all who were minded to imitate their infatuation. However, this proposal was not mine more than it was everybody's. The point in it which had the appearance of cruelty was that the penalty extended to the children who did not deserve any. But that is a thing of long standing and characteristic of all states. For instance, the children of Themistocles were in poverty. And if the same penalty attaches to citizens legally condemned in court, how could we be more indulgent to public enemies ?

What, moreover, can anyone say against me when he must confess that, had that man conquered, he would have been still more revengeful towards me ?

Here you have the principles which dictated my senatorial proposals, at any rate in regard to this class of honours and penalties. For, in regard to other matters, I think you have been told what opinions I have expressed and what votes I have given. But all this is not so very pressing. What is really pressing, Brutus, is that you should come to Italy with your army as soon as possible. There is the greatest anxiety for your arrival. Directly you reach Italy all classes will flock to you. For whether we win the victory— and we had in fact won a most glorious one, only that Lepidus set his heart on ruining everything and perishing himself with all his friends — there will be need of your counsel in establishing some form of constitution. And even if there is still some fighting left to be done, our greatest hope is both in your personal influence and in the material strength of your army.

But make haste, in God's name ! You know the importance of seizing the right moment, and of rapidity. What pains I am taking in the interests of your sister's children, I hope you know from the letters of your mother

*

Well Cicero, history proved your faith in the young Caesar to be fatally misplaced. History proved your efforts to be futile. History proved your cause to be be a failure and the Republic nothing more than a dying beast, wounding itself with it's final thrashing.

But Cicero, history has also proved your immortality, paper thin though it might be. Book upon book are stacked upon my desk, your words still ringing out, 2000 years later.

History, written by the loser.

Thank you, Cicero, for taking the time to write so much.

With Gratitude and Respect

Morgan.