1He had an uncle on his mother's side, Quintus Caecilius, a Roman knight, a close friend of Lucius Lucullus, rich, and of a most difficult temper: he treated his harshness with such respectful care that he kept without offence, right up to extreme old age, the goodwill of a man whom no one could endure. 1By doing so he reaped the reward of his family devotion. 2For Caecilius on his death adopted him by his will and made him heir to three-quarters of his estate: from this inheritance he received about ten million sesterces. 3Atticus' sister was married to Quintus Tullius Cicero, and Marcus Cicero had arranged the marriage, a man with whom he had lived on the closest terms since they were schoolfellows, much more intimately even than with Quintus, so that one may judge that in friendship likeness of character counts for more than kinship by marriage.
4He was also on the most intimate terms with Quintus Hortensius, who in those days held the first place in eloquence, so that it could not be made out which of the two loved him more, Cicero or Hortensius: and, what was most difficult, he brought it about that between men who were rivals for such great renown no disparagement arose, and that he was the link between such great men.