In the second of the two years, B.C.61, Quintus had been sent out as Governor or Propraetor to Asia, having then nothing higher to reach than the Consulship, which, however, he never attained.

This step in the life of Quintus has become famous by a letter which the elder brother wrote to him in the second year of his office, to which reference will be made in the next chapter.
So far all things seemed to have gone well with Cicero.

He was high in esteem and authority, powerful, rich, and with many people popular.

But the student of his life now begins to see that troubles are enveloping him.

He had risen too high not to encounter envy, and had been too loud in his own praise not to make those who envied him very bitter in their malice..