To His Friends 2.11: To Caelius Flashcards
name
To His Friends 2.11: To Caelius
to
Caelius
Date
4th April 50 BC
place
Laodicea
context
- 1 year before the civil war
- Cicero is serving as pro-consull in Cilicia (forced to after he didn’t post his consulship)
- He hates it. Away from Rome, weird and barbaric
- Caelius is Aedile in 50BC. Desperate to show off and put on good games, has asked Cicero previously to send panther
para 1
- Cicero says how anxious he is
- Says how he longs for Rome and his friends. (he misses the private conversations and information from dinner parties, now only knows official things) desperate for info
- Says how boring his province is
- Says it is not worthy of a man of his fame
- Forsees the civil war
- Frustrated as he can’t do anything as he’s in CIliia.
- Worried that it might be too late if he doesn’t leave until his set date
para 2
- tells Caelius he’s trying to get the panthers for him
- makes a joke saying he is such a good provincial leader, that no one is trapped apart from panthers
- Asks for information about the current political situation
key quotes: longing for Rome
‘it is suprrsing how i long for Rome, you cannot believe how i long for my friends’
‘i would like you to write carefully about the entire political situation
key quotes: boredom in province
‘as for the province, it bores me, either because i have gained fame… or because it is not worthy of a man of my dignity’
key quotes: fear of war
‘i am extraordinarily anxious’
‘i fear great war hanging over us, that i seem likely to escape if i leave on the appointed day
key quotes: relationship with Caelius
you cannot believe how i long for my friends, in particular yourself’
‘your aedileship is of great concern to me’
‘i shall regard that which i get from you to be the most trustworthy information
key quotes: unfunny joke
‘complain that in my province they are the only living creatures for whom traps are set’
