1The public advocate of the city of Amisus, sir, was claiming before me from Julius Piso about forty thousand denarii, given to him from public funds twenty years ago with the agreement of the council and the assembly, and he was relying on your instructions, by which gifts of this kind are forbidden. 2Piso, on the other hand, said that he had contributed a great deal to the city and had spent almost his entire fortune. 2He also cited the lapse of time, and demanded that he should not be forced to repay, with the ruin of what remained of his standing, what he had received long ago in return for many services.
2For these reasons I thought the whole inquiry should be postponed, so that I might consult you, sir, on what you thought should be followed.