at Rome. Upon my word, you will say, if you read these, "What a
remarkable man!" Herodes, if he had any sense, would have read him
rather than write a single letter himself.[168] He has attacked me by
letter; with you I see he has come to close quarters. I would have
joined a conspiracy rather than resisted one, if I had thought that I
should have to listen to him as my reward. As to Lollius, you must be
mad. As to the wine, I think you are right.[169] But look here! Don't
you see that the Kalends are approaching, and no Antonius?[170] That the
jury is being empanelled? For so they send me word. That Nigidius[171]
threatens in public meeting that he will personally cite any juror who
does not appear? However, I should be glad if you would write me word
whether you have heard anything about the return of Antonius; and since
you don't mean to come here, dine with me in any case on the 29th. Mind
you do this, and take care of your health.

[Footnote 167: The roll being unwound as he read and piled on the
ground. Dicaearchus of Messene, a contemporary of Aristotle, wrote on
"Constitutions" among other things. Procilius seems also to have written
on polities.]

[Footnote 168: Herodes, a teacher at Athens, afterwards tutor to young
Cicero. He seems to have written on Cicero's consulship.]

[Footnote 169: These remarks refer to something in Atticus's letter.]

[Footnote 170: Gaius Antonius, about to be prosecuted for _maiestas_ on
his return from Macedonia.]

[Footnote 171: P. Nigidius Figulus, a tribune (which dates the letter
after the 10th of December). The tribunes had no right of summons
(_vocatio_), they must personally enforce their commands.]

XXVIII (A II, 3)

TO ATTICUS (ON HIS WAY TO ROME)

ROME (DECEMBER)

[Sidenote: B.C. 60, AET. 46]

First, I have good news for you, as I think. Valerius has been
acquitted. Hortensius was his counsel. The verdict is thought to have
been a favour to Aulus's son; and "Epicrates,"[172] I suspect, has been
up to some mischief. I didn't like his boots and his white
leggings.[173] What it is I shall know when you arrive. When you find
fault with the narrow windows, let me tell you that you are criticising
the Cyropaedeia.[174] For when I made the same remark, Cyrus used to
answer that the views of the gardens through broad lights were not so
pleasant. For let [Greek: a] be the eye, [Greek: bg] the object seen,
[Greek: d] and [Greek: e] the rays ... you see the rest