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At Dyrrachium he had gained yet more credit. And on account of these tidings, it may easily be imagined that Cornelia was prepared to be very patient and to be willing to take the trying vicissitudes of her own life more lightly. As a matter of fact, her own position at Alexandria had begun to grow complicated.
XXVlI. Sulla went through Thessaly and Macedonia to the sea-coast, where he made preparations to cross from Dyrrachium to Brundisium with twelve hundred ships. Near to Dyrrachium is Apollonia, and near to Apollonia is the Nymphæum, a sacred spot, where perpetual streams of fire rise in various places out of a green grassy valley.
But there was still life in Clodius and his party; and day dragged itself after day, and month after month, while Cicero still lingered at Dyrrachium, waiting till a bill should have been passed by the people. Pompey, who was never whole-hearted in anything, had declared that a bill voted by the people would be necessary.
When we desire other men to go forth to undertake any public business, we are scarcely able to get them out of the city; but we have driven this man out by the mere fact of our desiring to retain him. But what business had he with Apollonia? what business had he with Dyrrachium? or with Illyricum? What had he to do with the army of Publius Vatinius, our general?
Pompey was at this time in Candavia, and was on his march from Macedonia to his winter quarters in Apollonia and Dyrrachium; but surprised at the unexpected news, he determined to go to Apollonia by speedy marches, to prevent Caesar from becoming master of all the maritime states.
The colony grew and flourished, and in its turn founded other settlements on the opposite coasts of Epirus and Illyria. Among these was Epidamnus, called by the Romans Dyrrachium, and in Roman times the ordinary landing-place for travellers from Italy to Greece.
As he had not accomplished this, Cæsar posted himself on the River Apsus between Apollonia and Dyrrachium. There was to be a general proscription, and Rome was to see the times of Sulla revived. But the courage and wisdom of one man defeated the designs of these senseless nobles. Shakspere has employed this in his Julius Cæsar, Act V. Sc. 1: "Their bloody sign of battle is hung out."
After staying for about a fortnight at a friend's house near Dyrrachium the town itself, where he was once very popular, for fear of bringing some trouble upon it, he refused to enter he crossed over to Greece, and ultimately settled himself at Thessalonica. Long afterward he tells us of a singular dream which seems to have given him some little comfort at this time.
Forsyth also notices the large presents that were made by foreign kings and states to conciliate the support and advocacy of the leading men at Rome "we can hardly call them bribes, for in many cases the relation of patron and client was avowedly established between a foreign state and some influential Roman: and it became his duty, as of course it was his interest, to defend it in the Senate and before the people". In this way, he thinks, Cicero held "retainers" from Dyrrachium; and, he might have added, from Sicily.
The most natural explanation is that he was in Epirus, or somewhere in Greece, and that he had visited Cicero at Dyrrachium on his way. I do not quite see how this should be thought impossible in view of the last sentence of LXXXV or the next letter. Coss., P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, Q. Cæcilius Metellus Nepos.
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