Cicero to Q. Cornificius, from Rome shortly after 19 September 44 BC — Perseus dateline Scr. Romae post xiii K. Oct. a. 710 (44). Q. Cornificius is governing Old Africa; Cicero writes him a brief situation-report a few days after delivering the First Philippic (2 September) and in the immediate aftermath of Antony’s ferocious answering invective in the Senate of 19 September — the “xiii K. Oct.” which fixes the lower bound of the dateline. Antony had attacked Cornificius as well as Cicero in that speech, and Cicero passes the news on with the dry promise that the consul “will find out whom he has provoked.”

The framing line is the war-metaphor that will run through the autumn: cum homine gladiatore omnium nequissimo — “with a gladiator, the worst of the lot” — words against arms, on no equal footing. The Liberators are far away (longe gentium absunt), the loyal men have no leader, Pansa speaks bravely but Hirtius is convalescing. The whole letter is the Philippic period in miniature: the diagnosis, the closing pledge to bear whatever comes animo forti, and the standing promise to guard the absent friend’s dignitas.