§12.16.1S. v. b. Athenas veni a. d. xi K. Iun.
If you are well, it is well.
atque ibi, quod maxime optabam, vidi filium tuum deditum optimis studiis summaque modestiae fama.
I arrived in Athens on May 22nd and there, which was my greatest wish, I saw your son devoted to the best studies and with the highest reputation for modesty.
qua ex re quantam voluptatem ceperim scire potes etiam me tacente; non enim nescis quanti te faciam et quam pro nostro veterrimo verissimoque amore omnibus tuis etiam minimis commodis, non modo tanto bono gaudeam.
How much pleasure I received from this, you can know even if I am silent; for you well know how much I value you and how, in accordance with our oldest and truest love, I rejoice not only in such a great good but also in all your, even the smallest, advantages.
noli putare, mi Cicero, me hoc auribus tuis dare; nihil adulescente tuo atque adeo nostro (nihil enim mihi a te potest esse seiunctum) aut amabilius omnibus iis qui Athenis sunt est aut studiosius earum artium quas tu maxime amas, hoc est optimarum.
Do not think, my Cicero, that I give this to your ears; there is no one among all those who are in Athens either more amiable or more studious of those arts which you especially love, that is, the best ones, than your, or rather our, youth (for nothing of yours can be separated from me).
itaque tibi, quod vere facere possum, libenter quoque gratulor nec minus etiam nobis quod eum, quem necesse erat diligere qualiscumque esset, talem habemus ut libenter quoque diligamus.
Therefore, as I can truly do, I gladly congratulate you, and no less also ourselves, that we have him, whom we were bound to love whatever he might be, as such a person that we also love him gladly.
§12.16.2qui cum mihi in sermone iniecisset se velle Asiam visere, non modo invitatus sed etiam rogatus est a me ut id potis simum nobis obtinentibus provinciam faceret; cui nos et caritate et amore tuum officium praestaturos non debes dubitare.
When he had mentioned to me in conversation that he wished to visit Asia, he was not only invited but even requested by me to do so especially while we hold the province; you ought not to doubt that we will perform your duty toward him with both affection and love.
illud quoque erit nobis curae ut Cratippus una cum eo sit, ne putes in Asia feriatum illum ab iis studiis in quae tua cohortatione incitatur futurum; nam illum paratum, ut video, et ingressum pleno gradu cohortari non intermittemus, quo in dies longius discendo exercendoque se procedat.
We shall also take care that Cratippus should be together with him, so that you may not think he will take a holiday in Asia from those studies to which he is incited by your encouragement; for we shall not cease to encourage him, who is prepared and, as I see, has entered upon it at full speed, so that he may proceed further day by day in learning and exercising himself.
§12.16.3vos quid ageretis in re p. , cum has litteras dabam, non sciebam; audiebam quaedam turbulenta, quae scilicet cupio esse falsa ut aliquando otiosa libertate fruamur; quod vel minime mihi adhuc contigit.
What you were doing in the republic when I gave this letter, I did not know; I heard of certain disturbances, which of course I desire to be false, so that we may at some time enjoy peaceful liberty, which has fallen to my lot least of all so far.
ego tamen nactus in navigatione nostra pusillum laxamenti concinnavi tibi munusculum ex instituto meo et dictum cum magno nostro honore a te dictum conclusi et tibi infra subscripsi.
I, however, having obtained a little relaxation in our voyage, composed a small gift for you according to my practice, and enclosed a saying spoken by you with great honor to us, and wrote it below for you.
in quibus versiculis si tibi quibusdam verbis eu)qurrhmone/steros videbor, turpitudo personae eius in quam liberius invehimur nos vindicabit.
If in these little verses I seem to you in some words to be rather outspoken, the baseness of the person against whom we rather freely inveigh will vindicate us.
ignosces etiam iracundiae nostrae, quae iusta est in eius modi et homines et civis.
You will also pardon our wrath, which is just against such men and citizens.
deinde qui magis hoc Lucilio licuerit adsumere libertatis quam nobis? cum etiam si odio pari fuerit in eos quos laesit, tamen certe non magis dignos habuerit in quos tanta libertate verborum incurreret.
Then why should it have been more permitted to Lucilius to assume this much liberty than to us? Since even if he was with equal hatred toward those whom he injured, yet surely he did not have more worthy persons upon whom to rush with such liberty of words.
§12.16.4tu sicut mihi pollicitus es, adiunges me quam primum ad tuos sermones; namque illud non dubito quin, si quid de interitu Caesaris scribas, non patiaris me minimam partem et rei et amoris tui ferre.
As you have promised me, you will add me as soon as possible to your dialogues; for I do not doubt that, if you write anything about the death of Caesar, you will not allow me to bear the smallest part of both the event and your love.
vale et matrem meosque tibi commendatos habe.
Farewell, and hold my mother and my people commended to you.
D. viii K. Iun. Athenis.
Given on May 25th, at Athens.