§1.7.4qua re ea, quae suam, sic habeto, me cum illo re saepe communicata de illius ad te sententia atque auctoritate scribere: quoniam senatus consultum nullum exstat, quo reductio regis Alexandrini tibi adempta sit, eaque, quae de ea scripta est auctoritas, cui scis intercessum esse, ut ne quis omnino regem reduceret, tantam vim habet, ut magis iratorum hominum studium quam constantis senatus consilium esse videatur, te perspicere posse, qui Ciliciam Cyprumque teneas, quid efficere et quid consequi possis, et, si res facultatem habitura videatur, ut Alexandream atque Aegyptum tenere possis, esse et tuae et nostri imperi dignitatis Ptolomaide aut aliquo propinquo eloco rege conlocato te cum classe atque exercitu proficisci Alexandriam, ut, eam cum pace praesidiisque firmaris, Ptolomaeus redeat in regnum; ita fore ut et per te restituatur, quem ad modum senatus initio censuit, et sine multitudine reducatur, quem ad modum homines religiosi Sibyllae placere dixerunt.
Therefore, hold those things which pertain to him (or: which I shall write) in this way, namely, that I, having often communicated with him on the matter, am writing concerning his opinion and authority toward you: since no decree of the senate exists by which the restoration of the Alexandrian king has been taken away from you, and since that recommendation which was recorded concerning it (against which, as you know, a veto was interposed so that no one at all should restore the king) has only so much force that it seems to be the passion of angry men rather than the wisdom of a consistent senate, you, who hold Cilicia and Cyprus, can perceive for yourself what you can effect and what you can attain; and, if the situation seems likely to offer an opportunity so that you can hold Alexandria and Egypt, it is consistent with both your dignity and that of our empire that, after placing the king in Ptolemais or some neighboring place, you set out for Alexandria with a fleet and an army, so that, when you have secured it with peace and garrisons, Ptolemy may return to his kingdom; thus it will be that he is restored through you, in the manner the senate originally decided, and is brought back without a multitude, in the manner religious men said was pleasing to the Sibyl.
§1.7.5sed haec sententia sic et illi et nobis probabatur, ut ex eventu homines de tuo consilio existimaturos videremus; si cecidisset ut volumus et optamus, omnis te et sapienter et fortiter, si aliquid esset offensum, eosdem illos et cupide et temere fecisse dicturos.
But this opinion was approved both by him and by us in such a way that we saw that men would judge your plan by the outcome; if it turned out as we wish and desire, everyone would say that you had acted both wisely and bravely; if any setback were encountered, those very same people would say you had acted both greedily and rashly.
qua re, quid adsequi possis, non tam facile est nobis quam tibi, cuius prope in conspectu Aegyptus est, indicare; nos quidem hoc sentimus, si exploratum tibi sit posse te illius regni potiri, non esse cunctandum, si dubium sit, non esse conandum.
Therefore, what you can attain is not as easy for us to point out as for you, in whose sight Egypt almost is; indeed, we feel this: if it is certain to you that you can obtain possession of that kingdom, you must not delay; if it is doubtful, you must not attempt it.
illud tibi adfirmo, si rem istam ex sententia gesseris, fore ut absens a multis, cum redieris, ab omnibus conlaudere; offensionem esse periculosam propter interpositam auctoritatem religionemque video.
This I assure you: if you conduct this business of yours successfully, it will come to pass that while absent you will be praised by many, and when you return, by all; I see that a setback is dangerous because of the interposed authority and religion.
sed ego te, ut ad certam laudem adhortor, sic a dimicatione deterreo redeoque ad illud, quod initio scripsi, totius facti tui iudicium non tam ex consilio tuo quam ex eventu homines esse facturos.
But I, as much as I exhort you to certain praise, so do I deter you from dangerous conflict, and I return to that which I wrote at the beginning: that men will make a judgment of your entire action not so much from your plan as from the outcome.
§1.7.6quod si haec ratio rei gerendae periculosa tibi esse videbitur, placebat illud, ut, si rex amicis tuis, qui per provinciam atque imperium tuum pecunias ei credidissent, fidem suam praestitisset, et auxiliis eum tuis et copiis adiuvares; eam esse naturam et regionem provinciae tuae, ut illius reditum vel adiuvando confirmares vel neglegendo impedires.
But if this method of conducting the business seems dangerous to you, this other plan was approved: that, if the king kept his faith with your friends who had lent him money throughout your province and command, you should also assist him with your help and troops; that such is the nature and geography of your province that you could either secure his return by helping or prevent it by neglecting it.
in hac ratione quid res, quid causa, quid tempus ferat tu facillime optimeque perspicies; quid nobis placuisset, ex me potissimum putavi te scire oportere.
In this plan, you will most easily and best perceive what the situation, the cause, and the time require; as to what had pleased us, I thought you ought to know it especially from me.
§1.7.7quod mihi de nostro statu, de Milonis familiaritate; de levitate et imbecillitate Clodi gratularis, minime miramur te tuis ut egregium artificem praeclaris operibus laetari; quamquam est incredibilis hominum perversitas (graviore enim verbo uti non libet), qui nos, quos favendo in communi causa retinere potuerunt, invidendo abalienarunt; quorum malevolentissimis obtrectationibus nos scito de vetere illa nostra diuturnaque sententia prope iam esse depulsos, non nos quidem ut nostrae dignitatis simus obliti, sed ut habeamus rationem aliquando etiam salutis.
As for your congratulating me on our position, on my intimacy with Milo, and on the levity and weakness of Clodius, we do not wonder at all that you, like an excellent artist, rejoice in your own outstanding works; although the perversity of men is incredible (for I do not wish to use a harsher word), who, when they could have retained us by favoring us in our common cause, alienated us by envying us; by whose most malevolent detractions, know that we have now been almost driven from that old and long-standing opinion of ours, not indeed that we have forgotten our dignity, but that we must at last also consider our safety.
poterat utrumque praeclare, si esset fides, si gravitas in hominibus consularibus; sed tanta est in plerisque levitas, ut eos non tam constantia in re publica nostra delectet, quam splendor offendat.
Both could have been preserved beautifully if there had been loyalty and gravity in the consulars; but so great is the levity in most of them that our consistency in the republic does not please them so much as our splendor offends them.