my sentiments, the rest must be left to your own determination: but I should be glad to know, however, when we may expect you. Farewel

LETTER IX.

[A. U. 708.]

TO TIRO.

BELIEVE me, my dear Tiro, I am greatly anxious for your health: however, if you persevere in the same cautious regimen which you have hitherto observed, you will soon, I trust, be well. As to my library, I beg you would put the books in order, and take a catalogue of them, when your physician shall give you his consent: for it is by his directions you must now be governed. With respect to the gardener, I leave you to adjust matters as you shall judge proper.

I think you might come to Rome on the first of next month, in order to see the gladiatorial combats, and return the following day but let this be entirely as is most agreeable to your own inclinations. In the mean time, if you have any affection for me, take care of your health, Farewel,

LETTER

THE

LETTER X.

[A. U. 708.]

SERVIUS SULPICIUS to CICERO.

HE news I am going to acquaint you with, will, I am sure, prove extremely unwelcome: yet, as you cannot but, in some measure, be prepared for it, by being sensible that every man's life is subject to casualties, as well as to the general laws of nature, I thought proper to send you a circumstantial account of the unhappy accident that has lately happened.

I arrived at Piraeus, from Epidaurus', on the 23d instant; where I continued all that day, merely to enjoy the company of my colleage, Marcellus. The next day I took my leave of him, with an intention of going from Athens into Boeotia', in order to finish the remainder of my circuit: and I left him in the resolution, as he told me, of sailing to Italy by the way of Malea'. The day following, as I

I

was

A city in the Peloponnesus, now called Pigrada, situated upon the bay of Engia.

It has already been noted, that Marcellus and Sulpicius were colleagues in the consular office, A. U. 702.

3.A district of Greece, under the jurisdiction of Sulpicius, governor of that province.

4 The Roman governors were obliged to visit the principal cities of their province, in order to administer justice, and settle other affairs relating to their function.

5 A promontory in the south-east point of the Peloponnesus, now called cape Malis.

was preparing to set out from Athens, his friend Posthumius came to me, about four in the morning, and informed me Marcellus had been stabbed the night before by Magius Cilo, whilst they were sitting together after supper: that he had received two wounds from a dagger, one of which was in his breast, and the other under his ear; but that neither of them, he hoped, was mortal. He added, that Magius, after having committed this barbarous action, immediately killed himself; and that Marcellus had dispatched him in order to give me this account, and likewise to desire that I would direct my physicians to attend him. This I instantly did: and followed them myself as soon as it was light. But when I had almost reached Piraeus, I met a servant of Acidanus, with a note to acquaint me that our friend expired a little before day-break. Thus did the noble Marcellus unworthily fall by the hand of a villainous assassin: and he whose life his very enemies had spared in reverence to his illustrious virtues,

The reason which induced Cilo to murder his friend, is not certainly known. It was suspected by some, at Rome, that it was at the secret instigation of Cæsar: but the circumstance of Cilo immediately afterwards killing himself, renders that suspicion altogether improbable, and seems to determine the motive to some personal, and perhaps sudden resentment. Vid. ad Att. xiii. 10.

7 The ancient physicians practised surgery as well as medicine.

virtues, met with an executioner, at last, in his own friend! However, I proceeded to his pavillion, where I found only two of his freedmen and a few slaves; the rest, I was told, having fled in apprehension of the consequences in which they might be involved by this murder of their master3. I was obliged to place the body of Marcellus in the same sedan that brought me, and to make my chairmen carry it into Athens; where I paid him all the funeral honours that city could supply; which, indeed, were not inconsiderable. But I could not prevail with the Athenians to suffer him to be buried within their walls; a privilege, they assured me, which their religious ordinances would by no means admit. They granted me, however, what was the next honour, and which they had never permitted to any stranger before they allowed me to deposit his ashes in any of the Gymnasia I should think proper. Accordingly, I fixed upon a spot belonging to the Acade my9; one of the noblest colleges in the whole world.

8 Manutius remarks, that, by the Roman law, where a man was murdered in his own house, his slaves were punishable with death. Vid. Tacit. Annal. xiv. 42.

9" This celebratdd place took its name from one Academus, an ancient hero, who possessed it in the time of the Tyndarida. But, famous as it was, it was purchased after"wards for about 1001. and dedicated to the public for the "convenience of walks and exercises for the citizens of Athens, and was gradually improved by the rich, who had "received

world. In this place I caused a funeral pile to be erected and afterwards persuaded the Athenians to raise a marble monument to his memory, at the public expence. Thus have I paid to my relation and colleague, both during his life and after his death, every friendly office he had a right to expect from me. Farewel.

Athens, May 31.

LETTER XI.

[A. U. 708.]

TO TIRO.

IIMPATI IMPATIENTLY expect a letter from you, upon affairs of many and various kinds : but it is with much greater impatience, however, that I expect yourself. In the mean time, endeavour to gain Demetrius over to my interest, and to obtain whatever other advantage you shall be able. I know your care is not wanting to recover the money which is owing to me from Aufidius: but I beg you would be as expedi-. tious in that matter as possible. If it is upon that account you delay your return, I admit it to be a good reason: if not, fly hither, I charge

66

"received benefit or pleasure from it, with plantations of groves, stately porticos, and commodious apartments, for "the professors of the academic school." Middleton's life of Cic. iii. 325.