Dear Lucceius,

I see you have almost finished your account of the War of the Allies and the struggle between Marius and Sulla, and that you are now preparing for the next phase of your work. As I am passionately eager for fame (not just in the future but also now in my lifetime), I am writing to ask if you would be kind enough to ignore considerations of chronology and to pass at once to those events in which I played such a central role. May I suggest, in fact, a special volume devoted to my achievements, starting from the conspiracy of Catiline and concluding with my return from exile? In view of our friendship, I can rely on you not only to record my deeds but also to glorify them. That period of my career has all the ingredients of great literature; and so its triumphs and disasters ought to be set forth to the fullest advantage.

I do hope you will undertake this task; otherwise I shall have to do it myself. Then I shall feel inhibited from presenting the drama in its full colours, and the impact on posterity will be impaired. […]