The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [316]
22. In private he gave advice to both men, writing many letters to Caesar and personally entreating Pompey, doing his best to soothe and bring to reason both of them.
23. But when matters became incurable, and Caesar was approaching Rome, and Pompey dared not stay, but, with many honest citizens, left the city,
24. Cicero still did not join in the flight, and was reputed to adhere to Caesar.
25. And it is very evident that he was much divided in his thoughts and wavered painfully between both, for he writes in his epistles,
26. ‘To which side should I turn? Pompey has the fair and honourable plea for war;
27. ‘And Caesar, on the other hand, has managed his affairs better, and is more able to secure himself and his friends,
28. ‘So that I know whom I should fly from, not whom I should fly to.’
29. But when Trebatius, one of Caesar’s friends, signified to him by letter that Caesar wished him to join his party,
30. But adding that if he felt too old for the conflict, he should retire to Greece, and stay quietly out of the way of either party,
31. Cicero, wondering that Caesar had not written himself, gave an angry reply, that he should not do anything unbecoming his past life.
32. But as soon as Caesar had marched into Spain, Cicero immediately travelled to join Pompey.
33. And he was welcomed by all but Cato; who, taking him aside privately, chid him for coming to Pompey.
34. As for himself, Cato said, it would have been indecent to forsake that part in the commonwealth which he had chosen from the beginning;
35. But Cicero might have been more useful to his country if he had remained neutral, and used his influence to moderate the result,
36. Instead of coming hither to make himself, without reason or necessity, an enemy to Caesar, and a partner in such great dangers.
37. By this language, partly, Cicero’s feelings were altered, and partly, also, because Pompey made no great use of him.
38. Although, indeed, he was himself the cause of this, by his not denying that he was sorry he had come,
39. By his depreciating Pompey’s resources, finding fault underhand with his counsels,
40. And continually indulging in jests and sarcastic remarks on his fellow-soldiers.
Chapter 82
1. After Pompey’s defeat at the battle of Pharsalia, at which he was not present for health reasons,
2. Cicero was asked by Cato, who had considerable forces and a great fleet at Dyrrachium,
3. To be commander-in-chief, according to law and the precedence of his consular dignity.
4. Cicero declined, and wished no further part in plans for continuing the war.
5. He was consequently in great danger of being killed, for young Pompey and his friends called him traitor, and drew their swords upon him;
6. But Cato interposed, and rescued him from the camp.
7. Afterwards Cicero waited at Brundusium for Caesar, who was delayed by his affairs in Asia and Egypt.
8. When it was reported that Caesar had arrived at Tarentum, and was marching by land to Brundusium,
9. He set off to meet him, in some trepidation about what reception to expect.
10. But there was no necessity for him either to speak or do anything unworthy of himself;
11. For Caesar, as soon as he saw him coming a good way before the rest of the company,
12. Came down to meet him, saluted him, and, leading the way, conversed with him alone for some furlongs.
13. And from that time forward Caesar continued to treat him with honour and respect, so that, when Cicero wrote an oration in praise of Cato,
14. Caesar, in writing an answer to it, took occasion to commend Cicero’s own life and eloquence,
15. Comparing him to Pericles and Theramenes. Cicero’s oration was called Cato; Caesar’s, anti-Cato.
16. And it is also related that when Quintus Ligarius was prosecuted for having been in arms against Caesar,
17. And Cicero had undertaken his defence, Caesar said to his friends,
18. ‘Ligarius, there is no question, is a wicked man and an enemy; but why might we not have once more the pleasure of a speech from Cicero?’