province, but a period of five years now had to elapse. So it
became necessary to resort to available consulars. Thus Cicero
was sent to Cilicia, without Terentia of course, out of the world,
at least decidedly out of his world. At Syracuse, at Ephesus
or in Achaia he would have felt more comfortable. The formal
mandate was presented to Cicero in a Senatus Consultum.

There were some business matters which Cicero, on depart-
ing, of course had put into the hands of Atticus (5, 1, 2). One
of these concerned Caesar. Cicero owed him 800,000 sesterces
($35,200). Oppius was Caesar's man of business in such minor
matters: Balbus, who was also in the senate, attended to the
greater. If he were to discharge the whole debt at once, Cicero
would be compelled to dun every debtor of his for every farthing
due him on the pages of his ledger. ¹ At this time the married
life of Quintus and Pomponia was not happy, if it ever had been.
Pomponia was abrupt and domineering, or, as such women folk
will do for an alternative, she played the sufferer. Poor Quintus
tried gentleness, nay meekness even, ² but nothing would do.
Pilia, the young wife of the elderly Atticus (since 56 B. C.), had
witnessed Pomponia's deportment, and her sympathies were all
on the Cicero side. ( Att. 5, 11, 7.) Marcus observed all this
as he travelled southward by easy stages, taking Quintus along
as legate; another one of these military experts was Pomptinus,
who had served at the Mulvian bridge and afterwards waged a
successful campaign against the rebellious Allobroges. From
the Arpinate region the new proconsul travelled down the Liris
to Minturnae, reaching the Gulf of Naples about May 1st. He
made a short stay at his Cumanum; the watering place season
of society was on, it was a Rome en miniature. ³ Hortensius
called on him, now an old man and of broken health. Even then
Cicero urged his old rival to look out in the senate chiefly for this,
that Cicero's sojourn in the province should not be extended by
that body.

Cicero's worry and fidgetiness on this matter is quite remarkable. More
phlegma would have been a blessing to him. To illustrate this charac-
teristic I have made particular note of all or nearly all the passages in his
correspondence in which he reverts to this same matter. Att. 5, 18, 3;
6, 2, 6; 6, 1, 11; 5, 4, 3; 5, 5, 2; 5, 6, 2; 5, 9, 2; 5, 10, 4; 5, 11, 5; 5,
14, 3; 5, 15, 1; Fam. 3, 8, 9; 3, 10, 3; 15, 9; 13, 3; 15, 12, 2; 2, 8, 3; 15, 4, 5.

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