Greek. This use of Greek tags
and quotations is also found in letters to other intimate friends, e.g.
Paetus and Caelius; also in letters written by other persons, e.g.
Cassius to Cicero; Quintus to Tiro, and subsequently in those of
Augustus to Tiberius. It is a feature of the colloquial style and often
corresponds to the modern use of "slang." Other letters of Cicero,
especially those written to persons with whom he was not quite at his
ease or those meant for circulation, are composed in his elaborate style
with long periods, parentheses and other devices for obscuring thought.
These are throughout rhythmical in character, like his speeches and
philosophical works.

We know from Cicero's own statement (_Att._ xvi. 5. 5) that he thought
of publishing some of his letters during his lifetime. On another
occasion he jestingly charges Tiro with wishing to have his own letters
included in the "volumes" (_Fam._ xvi. 17. 1). It is obvious that Cicero
could not have meant to publish his private letters to Atticus in which
he makes confessions about himself, or those to Quintus in which he
sometimes outsteps the limits of brotherly criticism, but was thinking
of polished productions such as the letters to Lentulus Spinther or that
to Lucceius which he describes as "very pretty" (_Att._ iv. 6. 4).

It is universally agreed that the letters _ad Familiares_ were published
by Tiro, whose hand is revealed by the fact that he suppresses all
letters written by himself, and modestly puts at the end those written
to him. That Cicero kept copies of his letters, or of many of them, we
know from a passage in which, when addressing a friend who had
inadvertently torn up a letter from him, he says that there is nothing
to grieve about; he has himself a copy at home and can replace the loss
(_Fam._ vii. 25. 1). Tiro may have obtained from Terentia copies of
letters written to her. It has been suggested that he may also have
edited the letters to Quintus, as he could obtain them from members of
the family. The letters _ad Familiares_ were generally quoted in
antiquity by books, the title being taken from the first letter, e.g.
_Cicero ad Varronem epistula Paeti_.

While the letters _ad Familiares_ were circulated at once, those to
Atticus appear to have been suppressed for a considerable time.
Cornelius Nepos (_Att._ 16) knew of their existence but distinguishes
them from the published letters. Asconius (p. 87), writing under
Claudius, nev