Cicero

By these words the purpose of Cicero was upset, as well as by the fact that Pompey made no great use of him. But he was himself to blame for this, since he made no denial that he was sorry he had come, made light of Pompey’s preparations and showed a lurking displeasure at his plans, and did not refrain from jests and witty remarks about his comrades in arms; nay, although he himself always went about in the camp without a smile and scowling, still he made others laugh in spite of themselves.

And it will be well to give a few instances of this also. When Domitius, then, was advancing to a post of command a man who was no soldier, with the remark that he was gentle in his disposition and prudent, Why, then, said Cicero, do you not keep him as a guardian of your children?

And when certain ones were praising Theophanes the Lesbian, who was prefect of engineers in the camp, because he had given excellent consolation to the Rhodians on the loss of their fleet, What a great blessing it is, said Cicero, to have a Greek as prefect! Again, when Caesar was successful for the most part and in a way was laying siege to them,[*](At Dyrrhachium. See the Caesar, xxxix.; Caesar, B.C. iii. 41-55. ) Lentulus said he had heard that Caesar’s friends were gloomy, to which Cicero replied: You mean that they are ill-disposed to Caesar.

And when a certain Marcius, who had recently come from Italy, spoke of a report which prevailed in Rome that Pompey was besieged, And then, said Cicero, did you sail off that you might see with your own eyes and believe? Again, after the defeat, when Nonnius said they ought to have good hopes, since seven eagles were left in the camp of Pompey, Your advice would be good, said Cicero, if we were at war with jackdaws.

And when Labienus, insisting on certain oracles, said that Pompey must prevail, Yes, said Cicero, this is the generalship that has now cost us our camp.