nd whom we find
filling his letters with an amusing mixture of politics, scandal, and
gossip, makes a modest request for some panthers, which the governor of
so wild a country would doubtless have no difficulty in procuring for
him. He was a candidate for the office of aedile, and wanted the beasts
for the show which he would have to exhibit. Cicero must not forget to
look after them as soon as he hears of the election. "In nearly all my
letters I have written to you about the panthers. It will be
discreditable to you, that Patiscus should have sent to Curio ten
panthers, and you not many times more. These ten Curio gave me, and ten
others from Africa. If you will only remember to send for hunters from
Cibyra, and also send letters to Pamphylia (for there, I understand,
more are taken than elsewhere), you will succeed. I do beseech you look
after this matter. You have only to give the orders. I have provided
people to keep and transport the animals when once taken." The governor
would not hear of imposing the charge of capturing the panthers on the
hunters of the province. Still he would do his best to oblige his
friend. "The matter of the panthers is being diligently attended to by
the persons who are accustomed to hunt them; but there is a strange
scarcity of them, and the few that there are complain grievously, saying
that they are the only creatures in my province that are persecuted."

From Laodicea Cicero returned to Tarsus, the capital of his province,
wound up the affairs of his government, appointed an acting governor,
and started homewards early in August. On his way he paid a visit to
Rhodes, wishing to show to his son and nephew (they had accompanied him
to his government) the famous school of eloquence in which he had
himself studied. Here he heard with much regret of the death of
Hortensius. He had seen the great orator's son at Laodicea, where he was
amusing himself in the disreputable company of some gladiators, and had
asked him to dinner for his father's sake, he says. His stay at Rhodes
was probably of some duration, for he did not reach Ephesus till the
first of October. A tedious passage of fourteen days brought him to
Athens. On his journey westwards Tiro, his confidential servant, was
seized with illness, and had to be left behind at Patrae. Tiro was a
slave, though afterwards set free by his master; but he was a man of
great and varied accomplishments, and Cicero writes to him as he might
to the