Cicero to P. Cornelius Dolabella, written at Rome at the turn of the year — Perseus: Romae ex.~a.~708 (46) aut in.~a.~709 (45), that is, late December 46 BC or the opening weeks of 45. The letter is a recommendation on behalf of two men of Cales, C. Subernius and the heir of M. Planius, both close connections of Cicero’s intimate Lepta. The two had gone out to Spain with Varro before the civil war to escape it, on the calculation — universal at the time — that after Afranius’s defeat no more fighting could break out there; instead they were caught up in the rising of the Pompeian remnant under T. Quinctius Scapula, which Cn. Pompeius the younger then took over and hardened into the war that would end at Munda in March 45. Caesar’s lieutenant Dolabella was in a position to procure their return.

The argument is built in three steps: the misfortune was fortune’s not the men’s, Caesar has already granted them their lives so there is no political stake left in keeping them out, and all that remains in the way of their coming home to die among their own is the length of the journey. The letter is fluent and warm but not relaxed; the run of triple intensifiers — maiore cura, studio, sollicitudine animi — and the closing vehementer te etiam atque etiam rogo mark how hard Cicero is leaning on the relationship. Metadata note: the meta/works.yaml entry carries the date -0046-02-18, which conflicts with the Perseus dateline of late 46 or early 45 BC; the entry should be corrected.