Letter 18 (pg89) Flashcards
From
Cicero
to
Atticus
Date
19 December 45BC
important events before letter
In the previous year Cicero had praised Cato (Caesars arch-republican enemy)
45BC Cicero could have acted as a helper to Caesar, how? why not?
drafted an open letter to the dictator about future methods of government, the criticism of his friends decided him against sending it
Gaius Marcius Philippus
stepfather of the future Augustus
Mamurra
a nouveau rich senior officer of Caesar’s in Gaul (the news brought to Caesar in this letter may have been his death)
Lucius Cornelius Balbus
an enormously wealthy spaniard, he and Oppius were Caesar’s chief ministers
Rough outline
to describe Caesar coming to his villa for dinner
genuin praise for Caesar
a formidable guest
enjoyed it
everything went very pleasantly indeed
dissproves of the many soldiers that accompanied Caesar
the house was so full of soldiers that there was hardly a room free for Caesar himself to have dinner
amount of soldiers with Caesar
two thousand men
up until one o’clock caesar
stayed with Philippus and let no one in, he was doing accounts with Balbus
after one Caesar
went for a walk on the shore
after two Caesar
had a bath
what news was brought to Caesar? his reaction?
told about Mammurra “there was no change in his expression”
before dinner Caesar
had an oil massage
Cicero describes the meal as
good talk and in a word agreeable
what did they talk about
we talked no serious politics, but a good deal about literary matters
Caesar did like it
he liked it and enjoyed himself
Cicero did not fully enjoy it
I found it a bother
Once is enough
They were on the same level
we were human beings together
icero was at first worried about the soldiers
i was distinctly alarmed
