Here he spent the last weary days of his life, and here he was murdered by Antony's ruffians on December 7, 43.
[Illustration: PLAN OF THE VILLA OF DIOMEDES.

From Man's _Pompeii_.] This villa was in or close to the little town, and therefore did not give him the quiet he liked to have for literary work.

It would seem that the _bore_ existed elsewhere than at Rome; for in a short letter written from Formiae in April 59, he tells Atticus of his troubles of this kind: "As to literary work, it is impossible! My house is a basilica rather than a villa, owing to the crowds of visitors from Formiae ...

C.Arrius is my next door neighbour, or rather he almost lives in my house, and even declares that his reason for not going to Rome is that he may spend whole days with me here philosophising.

And then, if you please, on the other flank is Sebosus, that friend of Catulus! Which way am I to turn?
I declare that I would go at once to Arpinum, if this were not the most, convenient place to await your visit: but I will only wait till May 6: you see what bores are pestering my poor ears."[402] But his Campanian villas would be almost as easy to reach as Arpinum, if he wished to escape from Formiae and its bores.