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Epistulae ad Familiares, I. x.

I have heartily thanked our friend Lentulus by letter in your name. I should like you, however, to make no further use of my letter of recommendation, but to come and see us again after all this time, and prefer to reside where you are of some account, rather than over there, where you seem to be the only man who knows anything at all.[1] And yet those who come from where you are accuse you either of arrogance in giving no " opinion " ^ at all, or of insolence in giving an "opinion"[2] not at all to their taste. But I am really longing to have a merry chat with you tête à tête. So be sure you come as soon as possible, and leave your beloved Apulia unvisited, so that we may have the joy of celebrating your safe arrival. If you arrive there such a Methuselah,[3] you will not recognize a single friend.

  1. ↑ Cicero plays on the two meanings of sapere, (1) "to be well educated generally," (2) "to be a lawyer."
  2. ↑ Respondere, (1) "to answer when spoken to," (2) "to give a legal opinion." Cicero implies that Valerius is either rudely taciturn in conversation, or a bad lawyer.
  3. ↑ So Vesey translates, there being no need to question the reading (tam) of M1. Literally "such a Ulysses." According to Homer, Ulysses did recognize his friends, but was not recognized by them. But Cicero simply means, "if you get there as a very old man, you won't remember any of your friends."
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