Author:Marcus Tullius Cicero/51 BC

51 BC

From May in this year Cicero was absent from Italy till November, 50 BC, as proconsul of Cilicia—which, to his chagrin, he was obliged to undertake owing to the regulation in Pompey's law (de provinciis) of the previous year enforcing a five years' interval between consulship or praetorship and a province, and providing for the interim by drawing on the ex-consuls and ex-praetors of previous years who had not had provinces. He is informed by letters of what is going on in Rome, where the burning question was, should Caesar stay in Gaul till consul-designate for 48 BC, or come home to stand for the consulship as a private citizen? From the necessity of making his professio in person Caesar had been by name exempted in Pompey's law, but the senate nevertheless (or a party in it) hoped to make him do so by its authority, and Pompey played fast and loose with the question, though gradually coming round to the side of the senate. Caesar believed that he could not safely come home as a privatus, as his enemies would ruin him by a prosecution. There are no speeches or writings during this year.

Letters

• F 3.2: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher in Cilicia, from Rome, before May
• A 5.1: To Atticus at Rome, from Minturnae, May
• A 5.2: To Atticus at Rome, from Pompeii, 10 May
• A 5.3: To Atticus at Rome, from the Trebulanum of Pontius, 11 May
• A 5.4: To Atticus at Rome, from Beneventum, 12 May
• A 5.5: To Atticus at Rome, from Venusia, 15 May
• A 5.6: To Atticus at Rome, from Tarentum, 18 May
• A 5.7: To Atticus at Rome, from Tarentum, 21 May
• F 3.3: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher in Cilicia, from Brundisium, 24 May
• F 8.1: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero on his journey to Cilicia, 24 May-1 June
• A 5.8: To Atticus at Rome, from Brundisium, 1 June
• F 3.4: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher in Cilicia, from Brundisium, 5 June
• A 5.9: To Atticus at Rome, on the road to Athens, 15 June
• F 8.2: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero on his journey, June
• F 8.3: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero on his way to Cilicia, June
• A 5.10: To Atticus at Rome, from Athens, 27 June
• F 13.1: To C. Memmius in exile at Mitylene, from Athens, July
• A 5.11: To Atticus at Rome, from Athens, 6 July
• F 2.8: To M. Caelius Rufus at Rome, from Athens, 6 July
• A 5.12: To Atticus at Rome, at sea, about 1 July
• A 5.13: To Atticus at Rome, from Ephesus, after 22 July
• A 5.14: To Atticus at Rome, from Tralles, 28 July
• F 3.5: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher in Cilicia, from Tralles, 28 July
• F 8.4: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero in Cilicia, 1 August
• A 5.15: To Atticus at Rome, from Laodicea, 3 August
• A 5.16: To Atticus at Rome, from Cilicia, August
• A 5.17: To Atticus at Rome, from Lycaonia, August
• F 8.5: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero in Cilicia, August
• F 8.9: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero in Cilicia, 2 September
• F 15.3: To M. Porcius Cato at Rome, from Iconium, 28 August
• F 3.6: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher at Tarsus, with the army in Cappadocia, 29 August
• F 15.7: To C. Claudius Marcellus the consul-designate, from Lycaonia, September
• F 15.8: To C. Claudius Marcellus Augur, from Lycaonia, September
• F 15.9: To M. Claudius Marcellus , from Lycaonia, September
• F 15.13: To L. Aemilius Paullus , from Lycaonia, September
• A 5.18: To Atticus in Epirus, from Cybistra, September
• F 15.2: To the Magistrates & Senate , from Cybistra, September
• A 5.19: To Atticus in Epirus, from Cilicia, 20 September
• F 15.1: To the Magistrates & Senate, from Cilicia, 18 September
• F 3.8: To Ap. Claudius Pulcher at Rome, from Cilicia, 8 October
• F 8.8: From M. Caelius Rufus in Rome, to Cicero in Cilicia, October
• F 2.10: To M. Caelius Rufus at Rome, from Pindenissus, 26 November
• F 2.7: To C. Scribonius Curio at Rome, from Cilicia, 10 December
• A 5.20: To Atticus in Epirus, in camp at Pindenissus, 19 December
• F 7.2: To M. Marius at Campania, From Rome, December
• F 7.32: To P. Volumnius Eutrapelus at Rome, from Cilicia, December
• F 13.53: To Q. Minucius Thermus, propraetor of Asia, from Cilicia
• F 13.56: To Q. Minucius Thermus, in Asia, from Cilicia
• F 13.55: To Q. Minucius Thermus, in Asia, from Cilicia
• F 13.61: To P. Silius Nerva, propraetor of Bithynia and Pontus, from Cilicia
• F 13.62: To P. Silius Nerva in Bithynia, from Cilicia
• F 13.64: To P. Silius Nerva in Bithynia, from Cilicia
• F 13.65: To P. Silius Nerva, propraetor of Bithynia and Pontus, from Cilicia
• F 13.9: To P. Furius Crassipes, quaestor of Bithynia, from Cilicia