Page:The Letters of Cicero Shuckburg III.pdf/205

 DXXIX (F XV, 18)

During this year Cicero remained at Rome or some of his country villas, till the death of his daughter Tullia after childbirth. In deep grief he retired to Astura, where he sought consolation partly in prosecuting a design for building a temple in her memory, partly in writing. He produced a Consolatio, and the two treatises, de Finibus and Academica (the latter first in two books, afterwards rearranged in four). He also projected, but did not carry out, a treatise on the reconstruction of the constitution, to be addressed to Cæsar. In December of the previous year Cæsar had started for Spain to attack the Pompeian army commanded by Gnæus and Sextus Pompeius. The victory of Munda (17th March) and the subsequent death of Gnæus seemed to settle the question of Spain—though the opposition under Sextus Pompeius survived many years—and Cæsar returned to Rome in October. Much of the correspondence of this year concerns Cicero's grief for his daughter. When he touches on political affairs, however, his discontent with the Cæsarian government and general policy is made very evident.

TO C. CASSIUS LONGINUS (AT BRUNDISIUM)

(?)

My letter would have been longer, had not the messenger come for it when he was just on the point of starting for you. It would have been longer also if it had any persiflage in it, for we cannot be serious with safety. "Can we laugh, then?" you will say. No, by Hercules, not very easily. Yet other means of distraction from our troubles we have none. "Where, then," you will say, "is your philosophy?" Yours indeed is in the kitchen, mine in the schools. For I*