h aristocracy, to which Cicero wished to
commend himself, though seeing keenly the weakness which underlay their
magnificence. The part played by Lentulus in politics had been showy,
but never founded on steadfast principle. He owed his earlier promotions
to Caesar's influence, but in his consulship of B.C. 57 had taken the
side of the aristocracy in promoting the recall of Cicero, though he had
gone against their sentiment by supporting Pompey's appointment to the
_cura annonae_. But as he was going to Cilicia in B.C. 56, Lentulus
wished to have the lucrative task of restoring Ptolemy Auletes to the
throne of Egypt, from which he had been righteously driven by his
subjects. Therefore it was all to the good that Pompey should have
business at home preventing him from taking this in hand. How Lentulus
was baulked in this desire will appear in the letters. He no doubt had
his full share of the _Lentulitas_ distinguishing his family. But all
was forgiven by Cicero to a man who had promoted his recall, and he
takes great pains to justify to Lentulus his own change of policy in
regard to the triumvirs after B.C. 56. When the civil war began Lentulus
joined Domitius at Corfinium, and with him fell into Caesar's hands, and
was dismissed unharmed. He afterwards joined Pompey in Epirus, intent on
succeeding Caesar as Pontifex Maximus, as soon as the latter had been
satisfactorily disposed of. After Pharsalia he sought refuge at Rhodes,
but was refused sanctuary by the islanders, and was eventually put to
death, though we do not know by whom (_Att._ xi. 13; _Fam._ ix. 18).

[Sidenote: M. Fadius Gallus, M. Marius, L. Lucceius, C. Scribonius
Curio, C. Trebatius Testa.]

M. FADIUS GALLUS, the Epicurean, and M. MARIUS, the valetudinarian and
wit, were among friends valued for their personal and agreeable
qualities rather than for any public or political importance attaching
to them. The same may be said of L. LUCCEIUS, of whose Roman history
Cicero thought so well, that he wrote a remarkable letter begging for an
honourable place in it for his consulship, as Pliny did to Tacitus.[22]
C. SCRIBONIUS CURIO, son of a great friend of Cicero, after a _jeunesse
orageuse_, returned to Rome from his quaestorship in Asia, in B.C. 53, to
take up the inheritance of his father, which he quickly dissipated.
Cicero seems to have had a high idea of his abilities, and to have
believed him capable of taking the lead of the Optimates. But in his
tribu