Quintus Paconius Lepta

Reading notes

• Ad Atticum 15.26 §1 whether to oblige Lepta or to weaken faith with his son

  Q. Paconius Lepta, a long-standing friend and client of Cicero's; Quintus Cicero is torn between doing Lepta a favour and protecting his own son's interests in some piece of business.

• Ad Atticum 16.15 §3 a copy of a letter from Lepta

  Q. Paconius Lepta, a friend and former officer of Cicero (he had served as prefect of engineers in Cilicia); his letter contains news Cicero finds encouraging.

• Ad Familiares 3.7 §4 my chief of engineers

  Praefectus fabrum: nominally the officer in charge of the army's engineers and artificers, but in practice a trusted senior aide and chief of staff to the commander; the post was Q. Lepta's.

• Ad Familiares 5.20 §4 my legate and prefect Q. Lepta

  Q. Paconius Lepta served Cicero in Cilicia as praefectus fabrum (chief of engineers/staff officer); Cicero here also styles him a legate. His freeing from a heavy financial liability was, Cicero insists, his own doing and not the secretary's favour.

• Ad Familiares 6.19 §1 your Petrinum

  Lepta's estate at Petrinum (location uncertain, possibly in Campania), which Cicero visited and evidently valued as a proper country villa for an extended stay, contrasted with the mere overnight usefulness of Macula's farm.

• Ad Familiares 7.5 §2 hand him over to Lepta

  Q. Paconius Lepta, a friend of Cicero (later his praefectus fabrum in Cilicia); here a name in Caesar's joke about disposing of recommended men.

• Ad Familiares 16.4 §4 Lepta sends you his greeting

  Quintus Paconius Lepta had served as Cicero's praefectus fabrum (chief of engineers) in Cilicia and was part of the homeward party; he is a frequent affectionate presence in the letters.