Abstract
This paper examines the role of bathutēs (“verbal self-restraint” or “forbearance”) in Cicero’s handling of personal disputes and grievances. In a letter to Atticus (Att. 5.10.3), Cicero suggests that such restraint can help to ease the minor tensions that often arise in a provincial governor’s day-to-day business. Linguistic caution can also defuse disputes between acquaintances and family members, as evident in Cicero’s dealings with Hortensius Hortalus (Att. 4.6.3) and estranged nephew Quintus (Att. 13.42). In both cases Cicero overlooks valid grievances in order to facilitate reconciliation in the future.