[61]
But still there is no mention made of whence the poison came from, or how it
was prepared. They say that it was given to Publius Licinius, a modest and
virtuous young man, and an intimate friend of Caelius. They say that an
arrangement was entered into with the slaves, that they should come to the
strangers' baths; and that Licinius should come thither also, and should
give them the box containing the poison. Now, here first of all I ask this
question, What was the object of all this being done in that previously
arranged place? Why did not the slaves come to Caelius's house? If that
great intimacy and that excessive familiarity between Caelius and Clodia
still subsisted, what suspicion would have been excited by one of the slaves
of that woman having been seen at Caelius's house? But if a quarrel had
already sprung up between them, if the intimacy was over, and enmity had
taken its place, “
Hence arose those tears.
” This is the cause of all that wickedness and of all those crimes.
” This is the cause of all that wickedness and of all those crimes.