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The province of Cilicia was a large one. It included, in addition to
Cilicia proper, Isauria, Lycaonia, Pisidia, Pamphylia and Cyprus, as
well as a protectorate over the client kingdoms of Cappadocia and
Galatia. There was also danger of a Parthian inroad. Cicero's legate was
his brother Quintius Cicero (below), an experienced soldier who had
gained great distinction under Caesar in Gaul. The fears of Parthian
invasion were not realized, but Cicero, after suppressing a revolt in
Cappadocia, undertook military operations against the hill-tribes of the
Amanus and captured the town of Pindenissus after a siege of forty-six
days. A _supplicatio_ in his honour was voted by the senate. The early
months of 50 were occupied by the administration of justice, chiefly at
Laodicea, and by various attempts to alleviate the distress in the
province caused by the exactions of his predecessor, Appius Claudius. He
had to withstand pressure from influential persons (e.g. M. Brutus, who
had business interests in his province), and refused to provide his
friends with wild beasts for their games in Rome. Leaving his province
on the earliest opportunity, he reached Brundisium on the 24th of
November, and found civil war inevitable. He went to Rome on the 4th of
January, but did not enter the city, since he aspired to a triumph for
his successes.[6] After the outbreak of war he was placed by Pompey in
charge of the Campanian coast. After much irresolution he refused
Caesar's invitations and resolved to join Pompey's forces in Greece. He
was shocked by the ferocious language of his party, and himself gave
offence by his bitter jests (Plut. _Cic._ 38). Through illness he was
not present at the battle of Pharsalus, but afterwards was offered the
command by Cato the Younger at Corcyra, and was threatened with death by
the young Cn. Pompeius when he refused to accept it. Thinking it useless
to continue the struggle, he sailed to Brundisium, where he remained
until the 12th of August 47, when, after receiving a kind letter from
Caesar, he went to Rome. Under Caesar's dictatorship Cicero abstained
from politics. His voice was raised on three occasions only: once in the
senate in 46 to praise Caesar's clemency to M. Claudius Marcellus (_pro
Marcello_), to plead in the same year before Caesar for Quintus
Ligarius, and in 45 on behalf of Deiotarus, tetrarch of Galatia, also
before Caesar. He suffered greatly from family troubles at this period.
In 4