§10.24.1facere non possum quin in singulas res meritaque tua tibi gratias agam, sed me hercules facio cum pudore.
I cannot help but thank you for your individual favors and merits towards me, but, by Hercules, I do so with a sense of shame.
neque is enim tanta necessitudo, quantam tu mihi tecum esse voluisti, desiderare videtur gratiarum actionem, neque ego libenter pro maximis tuis beneficiis tam vili munere defungor orationis et malo praesens observantia, indulgentia, adsiduitate memorem me tibi probare.
For neither does such close intimacy, as you have wished to exist between me and you, seem to require an expression of thanks, nor do I gladly discharge so cheap an obligation of speech for your greatest benefits, and I prefer to prove myself mindful of you by my present respect, indulgence, and assiduity.
quod si mihi vita contigerit, omnis gratas amicitias atque etiam pias propinquitates in tua observantia, indulgentia, adsiduitate, vincam; amor enim tuus ac iudicium de me utrum mihi plus dignitatis in perpetuum an voluptatis cotidie sit adlaturus non facile dixerim.
And if life is granted to me, I will surpass all grateful friendships and even dutiful relationships in my respect, indulgence, and assiduity towards you; for I could not easily say whether your love and your high opinion of me will bring me more dignity for the future or pleasure day by day.
§10.24.2de militum commodis fuit tibi curae; quos ego non potentiae meae causa (nihil enim me non salutariter cogitare scio; ornari volui a senatu, sed primum quod ita meritos iudicabam, deinde quod ad omnis casus coniunctiores rei p. esse volebam, novissime ut ab omni omnium sollicitatione aversos eos talis vobis praestare possem, quales adhuc fuerunt.
Regarding the welfare of the soldiers, you have taken care; whom I wished to be honored by the senate, not for the sake of my own power (for I know that I think of nothing that is not salutary), but first because I judged them to have so deserved, secondly because I wished them to be more closely bound to the republic in all events, and lastly that, being turned away from every temptation of anyone, I might present them to you such as they have been hitherto.
§10.24.3nos adhuc hic omnia integra sustinuimus.
We have so far held everything intact here.
quod consilium nostrum, etsi quanta sit aviditas hominum non sine causa †talis victoriae scio, tamen vobis probari spero.
I hope that our plan, even if I know not without reason how great the eagerness of men is for such a victory, will nevertheless be approved by you.
non enim, si quid in his exercitibus sit offensum, magna subsidia res p. habet expedita, quibus subito impetu ac latrocinio parricidarum resistat.
For if any reverse should be suffered in these armies, the republic does not have large reserves ready to resist the sudden attack and robbery of the parricides.
copias vero nostras notas tibi esse arbitror.
Indeed, I think our forces are known to you.
in castris meis legiones sunt veteranae. . tres, tironum vel luculentissima ex omnibus una, in castris Bruti una veterana legio, altera bima, octo tironum.
In my camp there are three veteran legions, and one of recruits, indeed the most splendid of all; in the camp of Brutus there is one veteran legion, another of two years' service, and eight of recruits.
ita universus exercitus numero amplissimus est, firmitate exiguus.
Thus the whole army is very large in number, but weak in strength.
quantum autem in acie tironi sit committendum, nimium saepe expertum habemus.
However, how much should be committed to a recruit in the battle line, we have experienced too often.
§10.24.4ad hoc robur nostrorum exercituum sive Africanus exercitus, qui est veteranus, sive Caesaris accessisset, aequo animo summam rem p. in discrimen deduceremus; aliquanto autem propius esse, quod ad Caesarem attinet, videbamus.
If either the African army, which is veteran, or Caesar's had joined this strength of our armies, we would have brought the supreme interest of the republic into danger with a calm mind; but we saw that, as far as concerns Caesar, it was somewhat closer.
nihil destiti eum litteris hortari, neque ille intermisit adfirmare se sine mora venire, cum interim aversum illum ab hac cogitatione ad alia consilia video se contulisse.
I did not cease to urge him by letters, nor did he fail to assure me that he was coming without delay, while in the meantime I see that he has turned away from this thought and applied himself to other plans.
ego tamen ad eum Furnium nostrum cum mandatis litterisque misi, si quid forte proficere posset.
I have nevertheless sent our friend Furnius to him with instructions and letters, in case he might fortunately be able to achieve something.
§10.24.5scis tu, mi Cicero, quod ad Caesaris amorem attinet, societatem mihi esse tecum, vel quod in familiaritate Caesaris vivo illo iam tueri eum et diligere fuit mihi necesse, vel quod ipse, quoad ego nosse potui, moderatissimi atque humanissimi fuit sensus, vel quod ex tam insigni amicitia mea atque Caesaris hunc filii loco et illius et vestro iudicio substitutum non proinde habere turpe mihi videtur.
You know, my Cicero, as far as concerns affection for Caesar, that I share a bond with you, either because during Caesar's lifetime, in our intimacy, it was necessary for me to protect and love him, or because he himself, as far as I could know him, was of a most moderate and humane disposition, or because, in consequence of that remarkable friendship between me and Caesar, it seems to me shameful not to hold in due regard this young man, who was substituted in the place of a son by both his and your judgment.
§10.24.6sed (quicquid tibi scribo, dolenter me hercules magis quam inimice facio) quod vivit Antonius hodie, quod Lepidus una est, quod exercitus habent non contemnendos, quod sperant, quod audent, omne Caesari acceptum referre possunt.
But (whatever I write to you, by Hercules, I do it with grief rather than hostility), that Antony lives today, that Lepidus is joined with him, that they have armies not to be despised, that they hope, that they dare, they can refer all this as a debt to Caesar.
neque ego superiora repetam; sed ex eo tempore, quo ipse mihi professus est se venire, si venire voluisset, aut oppressum iam bellum esset aut in aversissimam illis Hispaniam cum detrimento eorum maximo extrusum.
Nor will I repeat past events; but from that time when he himself professed to me that he was coming, if he had wished to come, either the war would already have been suppressed, or driven into Hispania, which is most hostile to them, with their greatest loss.
quae mens eum aut quorum consilia a tanta gloria, sibi vero etiam necessaria ac salutari, avocarit et ad cogitationem consulatus bimestris summo cum terrore hominum et insulsa cum efflagitatione transtulerit, exputare non possum.
What mind or whose counsels turned him away from such great glory, which was indeed also necessary and salutary for himself, and transferred him to the thought of a two-month consulship with the greatest terror of men and with silly importunity, I cannot comprehend.
§10.24.7multum in hac re mihi videntur necessarii eius et rei p. et ipsius causa proficere posse, plurimum, ut puto, tu quoque, cuius ille tanta merita habet, quanta nemo praeter me.
In this matter, his close associates seem to me to be able to do much for the sake of both the republic and himself, and most of all, as I think, you too, to whom he owes such great favors as to no one except me.
numquam enim obliviscar maxima ac plurima me tibi debere.
For I shall never forget that I owe the greatest and most numerous obligations to you.
de his rebus ut exigeret cum eo Furnio mandavi.
I have instructed Furnius to negotiate with him on these matters.
quod si quantam debeo habuero apud eum auctoritatem, plurimum ipsum iuvero.
And if I have as much influence with him as I ought, I shall greatly assist him.
§10.24.8nos interea duriore condicione bellum sustinemus, quod neque expeditissimam dimicationem putamus neque tamen refugiendo commissuri sumus ut maius detrimentum res p. accipere possit.
We in the meantime maintain the war under harder conditions, because we do not think it will be a very easy conflict, nor yet by retreating are we going to allow the republic to receive a greater injury.
quod si aut Caesar se respexerit, aut Africanae legiones celeriter venerint, securos vos ab hac parte reddemus.
But if either Caesar reflects upon himself, or the African legions come quickly, we shall render you secure on this side.
tu, ut instituisti, me diligas rogo proprieque tuum esse tibi persuadeas.
I ask that you love me as you have begun, and persuade yourself that I am peculiarly yours.
v. K. Sext. ex castris.
July 28th, from the camp.