Cicero

Again, Crassus once said that no Crassus had lived in Rome to be older than sixty years, and then tried to deny it, exclaiming, What could have led me to say this? You knew, said Cicero, that the Romans would be delighted to hear it, and by that means you tried to court their favour. And when Crassus expressed his satisfaction with the Stoics because they represented the good man as rich, Consider, said Cicero, whether your satisfaction is not rather due to their declaration that all things belong to the wise.

Now, Crassus was accused of covetousness. Again, one of the sons of Crassus who was thought to resemble a certain Axius, and on this account had brought his mother’s name into scandalous connection with that of Axius, once made a successful speech in the senate, and when Cicero was asked what he thought of him, he answered with the Greek words Axios Krassou.[*](Worthy of Crassus.)

When Crassus was about to set out for Syria, wishing that Cicero should be a friend rather than an enemy, he said to him in a friendly manner that he wished to dine with him; and Cicero readily received him into his house. But a few days afterwards, when some friends interceded with him for Vatinius, saying that the man sought reconciliation and friendship (for he was an enemy), It surely cannot be, said Cicero, that Vatinius also wishes to dine with me. Such, then, was his treatment of Crassus.