From a letter from Caelius to Cicero:
Liguria (?), c. 16 April 49
I beg and implore you, Cicero, in the name of your fortunes and your children, to take no step which will jeopardize your well-being and safety. I call gods and men and our friendship to witness that I have told you how it will be, and that it is no casual warning I give; having met Caesar and found what his disposition is likely to be once victory is won, I am telling you what I know. If you suppose that Caesar will continue his policy of letting opponents go free and offering terms, you are making a mistake. He thinks and even talks of nothing but ruthless severity. He left Rome angry with the Senate, he is thoroughly incensed by these vetoes. Believe me the time for intercession will be past.
Cicero to Atticus:
Cumae, 2 May 49
As I see it, Caesar cannot last very long without falling by his own impulse, even though we are ineffective. Look how with all the advantage of novelty and brilliant success he has in a week become an object of bitter hatred even to the needy and reckless mob which supported him—how in so short a space of time he has lost two masks, the mask of clemency in dealing with Metellus and the mask of riches in the matter of the Treasury. Again, whom is he to take as his partners and assistants? Are the provinces and the state to be governed by people not one of whom had the capacity to look after his own family property for two months?
Cumae, 8 May 49
A wretched life we lead! To be so long prey to fear is surely worse than the actuality we are afraid of. Servius, having arrived on the Nones of May (see my earlier letter), came to my house early next morning. Not to keep you in suspense, we found no future in any plan. Never have I seen a man in such a quaver! Yet I must admit that none of his bogies was imaginary. “Pompey was angry with him, Caesar no friend. The victory of either was a dreadful prospect, not only because one [Pompey] was cruel and the other unscrupulous, but because of the straits both were in for money, which could only be extracted from private property.” As he said all this he shed so many tears that I wondered such length of misery had not dried them up!
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